Just about every backyard hen keeper has knowledgeable it: someday, your hens are laying reliably, and the following, the nesting containers are mysteriously empty. As outlined by Gail Damerow, renowned poultry qualified and creator of Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens, this egg-laying pause is commonly not a mystery in any respect. You will discover distinct, organic motives hens halt laying, and comprehending them will help you assist your flock and restore productiveness. Here are Damerow’s top 5 explanations hens prevent laying—and what you are able to do about them.
1. Molting: A Organic Pause
As Damerow describes, molting is a annually occasion inside a hen’s life, typically developing in late summertime to early drop. Throughout this time, hens eliminate and regrow feathers—a approach that needs an incredible quantity of Electrical power and protein. Egg creation frequently stops all through this period, as being the hen's body focuses totally on feather regeneration.
What You are able to do: Support your hens using a superior-protein feed or snacks like mealworms and scrambled eggs. Stay away from stressing the flock and Permit mother nature take its training course. After the molt is finish, egg-laying should really steadily resume.
2. Shortened Daylight Hours
Light publicity performs an important position in stimulating a hen’s reproductive process. Damerow factors out that hens need to have 14–16 several hours of daylight for dependable laying. As daylight decreases in the fall and Wintertime months, so does egg generation.
What You Can Do: Contemplate adding a lightweight supply within the coop with a timer to simulate purely natural daylight. A very low-wattage bulb turning on while in the early morning can safely and securely extend "daylight" and aid winter laying. Stay clear of sudden lights modifications That may stress your birds.
3. Weak Nutrition
Diet is foundational to egg output. Damerow warns that feeding chickens a diet program missing in protein, calcium, or essential vitamins may lead to much less or no eggs. Treats and scratch grains, whilst exciting, can dilute the well balanced diet supplied by professional layer feed.
What You are able to do: Ensure your flock Fun88 Casino has continuous entry to large-good quality layer feed, clean up h2o, and calcium supplements like crushed oyster shell. Limit treats to no more than 10% in their day by day diet.
four. Worry and Environmental Things
Stress is An important contributor to lessened egg output. In keeping with Damerow, stressors can include predator threats, overcrowding, bullying, extreme temperatures, or simply transferring the coop. Hens are sensitive to alter and can react by halting egg generation.
What You Can Do: Develop a relaxed, Safe and sound surroundings for your birds. Keep consistent routines, give enough Area, and tackle resources of anxiety which include loud noises or aggressive flockmates.
5. Age and Health concerns
Damerow reminds us that laying is not a lifelong endeavor. Most hens get started laying around 5–6 months of age, peak at about 1–two decades, after which little by little decelerate. Illness, parasites, and reproductive concerns might also interfere with laying.
What You are able to do: Regulate your hens’ General overall health. Carry out frequent parasite checks, maintain a thoroughly clean coop, and seek advice from a vet when you see indications of health issues. More mature hens should be important users of the flock even when their laying days are powering them.
Closing Thoughts
As Gail Damerow typically says, “Chickens don’t just halt laying for no cause.” If the hens take a split, it’s their way of signaling that a little something in their setting or biology has shifted. With a certain amount of observation, great care, and many tolerance, you might help information your flock back again to balanced egg output—or just appreciate the normal rhythms in their lives.