Chicken farming in a household or at a poultry farm can serve different purposes. Someone likes to look after and take care of pets. However, in most cases, hens are raised for the production of poultry meat or eggs. Depending on which purpose is in priority, the appropriate chicken breed is selected.
Almost all hens lay eggs. The exceptions are those species that undergo genetic changes as a result of selection or simply do not survive to an adulthood. For example, broiler chickens are raised primarily for meat. Thanks to an intensive fattening, they are sent for slaughter upon reaching 2.5-3.5 months of age.
Chickens that have been raised for years and are managed as a priority for egg production are egg laying hens. The bird begins to form an egg-laying upon reaching a reproductive age. Depending on the breed, the chicken reaches a sexual maturity at 18-26 weeks of age. But age is not the only important factor. The following several factors influence the beginning of egg-laying, its intensity and duration:
- Climatic conditions. The number of sunny days per year and daylight hours per day, the range of temperature differences, etc.
- Management conditions. The spaciousness and functionality of a corral or a hen coop, the protection from predatory animals, the availability of lighting and climate equipment.
- Feeding quality. Varied and balanced fodders promote a growth, health and good reproductive performance.
Like any living organism, a chicken has its own biorhythm. In an environment as close as possible to natural (native), the period of laying eggs begins in early spring and ends in late autumn. With the help of lighting and climate equipment, it is possible to create artificial conditions, in some aspects even superior to natural ones: to increase the number of daylight hours per day, maintain the optimum temperature all year round.
This allows to increase the egg production capacity of the egg laying hen in the first and the second seasons, but deplete its reproductive capabilities in the longer term. As a matter of fact, the chicken shows the highest egg-laying intensity just in the starting two years. Then its production capacity noticeably decreases every year. And therefore, at many farms, the poultry is kept for an egg production only one or two seasons, after which hens are disposed of for meat.
How often and how many eggs do egg laying chickens lay
The average value for one animal unit is 6-7 eggs/week, that is, about 1 egg/day. However, it is important to understand that the egg production capacity significantly depends on the breed, climatic conditions, time of year and other factors. The greatest egg-laying intensity occurs in the spring season, when many species of plants and animals have a period of the active reproduction.
An artificial change in habitat conditions and a balanced feeding can increase the production capacity of egg laying chickens. This can be achieved in different ways:
- Increase in daylight hours. The lighting is provided in a chicken coop. And when night falls, daylight hours for chickens are extended. But the lighting is recommended not to be used all night so that the chickens can sleep and recuperate. For this purpose, the system is equipped with a timer and an automatic control system. The lighting turns on for 1.5-2 hours at dusk, then turns off, and turns on again 1.5-2 hours before dawn.
- Optimum temperature The cold season coming reduces the reproductive system activity of the chicken. However, the climate equipment allows to provide in the heating in a corral. Thanks to this, the chicken can lay eggs all year round. But it is important to pay attention to the ventilation. Heating the room allows to maintain the temperature at an optimum level. However, for the full recuperation and reproduction of the chicken, fresh air is required.
- Protection from predatory animals. The bird instinctively does not form an egg-laying (or does it so less intensively) if it is in an insecure position. In households, raccoons, foxes, weasels, cats, and large rodents are common predatory animals. Even guard dogs are perceived as a threat if they are too close, behave aggressively, or run freely in a corral. The calmer the atmosphere in the chicken coop, the more active the reproduction. Therefore, it is necessary to create a safe environment for chickens.
- Balanced feeding. A food quality is the fundamental factor in the chicken health. It should receive all the necessary nutrients from food: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. The lack of just one component can reduce the egg-laying intensity. For example, with calcium deficiency, the egg laying chicken forms an egg longer, because calcium is the main structural element of a shell. The egg laying productivity may decrease from 6-7 to 5-6 eggs/week that seems insignificant. However, on the scale of a large flock and over a long period, the effect becomes noticeable.
Both plants and animals show a greater propensity to reproduce when they are in safe and favorable conditions. If you want chickens to please you with fresh eggs all year round, provide them with everything they need: a comfort, a protection and a quality food.
When do chickens stop laying eggs
In complex living organisms, the reproductive system remains active in youth and maturity period. A chicken up to 4-6 months of age is not yet a mature animal unit. And upon reaching the age of 6-8 years, the chicken is no longer capable of reproduction. The peak egg production occurs in the first year of egg-laying. In the second year it is somewhat reduced. And then the egg-laying intensity decreases more and more noticeably.
If we consider not the life cycle, but the reproductive cycle of the egg laying hen, then under the natural conditions, an egg-laying is suspended at the end of autumn or the beginning of winter. But during the active period interruptions can arise. And the older the hen, the more often they occur. The most common solution of the problem is to replace mature animal units with younger ones.
Organization of a poultry farm for egg laying hens: useful tips
If you’re mastering a new hobby and want to set up a small household or full-fledged farm, it’s important to make it with skill. It is better to organize everything correctly initially than to carry out a lot of improvements or to correct errors later. The practical advice will be useful to you:
- Prepare a spacious area. When planning the space, it is necessary to provide for at least a square meter of area per one chicken, including the yard and sleeping accommodation area. For a small flock of 10-15 animal units, a small chicken coop is enough. But the larger area is required for a farm with 100-200+ birds. If you plan to develop the farm, allocate the space with a reserve when building the first corral.
- Think over the infrastructure. It will be necessary to give food and water for poultry daily, and regularly remove a dung. Therefore, initially you need to plan the location of the feeders and waste disposal ways. To simplify cleaning, grating and mesh floorings are useful. Chicken feces accumulate under the floor: in special trays or on the ground.
- Set up a corral. Chickens are the descendants of jungle birds. They prefer to sleep on roosts. It’s not just about a comfort, it’s about a protection from parasites. A chicken that sleeps on a floor covered with wet dung is more prone to diseases and appearance of lice. Since we are talking about egg laying hens, it is necessary to set up convenient egg-laying places – at the rate of one for 4-5 animal units.
- Organize the ventilation, heating and lighting systems. Maintaining an optimum microclimate in the chicken coop is an important factor. It should be warm in winter, and cool in summer here. And all year round, the effective air circulation is required so that the chickens do not breathe sulfur dioxide from a dung, but receive a sufficient amount of oxygen. The lighting system with automatic control allows you to adjust the number of daylight hours per day, adapting to changes in the season.
- Provide the protection from predatory animals. It is necessary to securely close all the cracks and openings in the walls and floor so that a raccoon, a hedgehog, a fox or other pest does not enter the chicken coop. A simple and convenient solution is to get a dog. But it is important to place its kennel at a distance and certainly not to allow dog’s free movement around the corral. The dog’s task is to give a signal through barking. It should be close enough to the chicken coop to detect a predatory animal, but not be a source of stress for the chickens.
- Provide the balanced feeding on the regime. To maintain the health and high reproductive performance, egg laying hens must receive all the necessary nutrients. Grain feeds are the basis of the diet of adult specimens. Periodically, it is necessary to supplement them with biologically active additives containing vitamins, minerals and other useful components.
- Take care of the health of your chickens. A bright comb, a solid coat of feathers with a slight tint, always a good appetite, mobility and a stable egg-laying are signs that the chickens are doing well. A passive behavior, wheezing and audible breathing, deterioration in appearance, a noticeable decrease in the rate of feed intake and egg laying are symptoms of diseases. And since chickens live in flocks, the problems of one or two specimens quickly spread to the entire flock. Therefore, observe the behavior of chickens and solve health problems as soon as the first symptoms of diseases appear.
Now you know when chickens start lay eggs, how long they lay eggs, and after what time the egg-laying is terminated. Have you thought about arranging a full-fledged poultry farm or a small household for raising egg laying hens? You can order the modern equipment for poultry farming (tested and improved in practice) and professional installation services in Texha Company!