When do pullets start laying eggs: at what age, how many eggs?

Poultry farming » Chickens

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Kira Stoletova

Almost any person who has just started breeding poultry is wondering when pullets start laying eggs? Everything will depend on the breed characteristics of the chicken and the conditions of detention. This question is extremely important, because preliminary preparation for the first egg laying is the key to obtaining high production indicators in the future.

When do pullets start laying eggs?

Age at which chickens begin laying eggs

At what age do chickens start laying eggs? No professional can name the exact day, since many factors influence the start date of laying.

The age at which hens begin laying eggs depends on the breed of the laying hen.

In particular, the conditions of detention, the food provided, the possibility of free walking and many others. If the chickens are kept according to all the rules, then the eggs will appear quite quickly.

In addition, the onset of the period of sexual maturity also influences the beginning of the laying period. You can calculate it based on the current weight of the chicken: if it has reached 75% of the weight of an adult, then the bird will soon begin to lay eggs.

The timing of laying depending on the breed of chicken

The breed of chicken also influences the start of laying:

Chickens of egg breed. The pullets (they have a bright red comb) reach maturity quite quickly. They produce their first eggs at the age of 4–5 months (this is approximately 17–20 weeks);
Meat-egg breed. Representatives of this trend begin laying at 5–6.5 months (20–24 weeks from hatching);
Meat breeds. Laying begins late - at 7.5 - 8 months. Breeding for eggs is not profitable.

Average number of eggs

The following breeds of chickens have good egg production:

Dominant breed chickens can produce up to 320 eggs in the first year.

Dominant. Over the course of a year, one hen can produce up to 300 – 320 eggs. The average weight of each is 70 grams. Chickens of this breed are unpretentious in keeping and the feed they receive in particular. Laying hen diet does not affect productivity indicators

But it is very important that the chicken menu contains calcium and protein.

Loman Brown. They give their first eggs at the age of 4 months, increasing their yield every day

Pullets are unpretentious in keeping, but the herd requires periodic renewal. Birds need to be changed regularly once every 1.8 - 2 years.

Kuchinsky anniversary. They begin to lay eggs at about six months of age. The difference between the breed is its adaptability to any living conditions, but the feeding must be of high quality. During the year, one individual of this breed is capable of producing up to 220 eggs.

Hisex. They are distinguished by their low weight and high egg production rates. Birds are extremely demanding both in terms of maintenance and feeding. The pullet must be protected from any stressful situations.

Brahma. A meat-egg breed that produces no more than 120 eggs per year. The average weight of one egg is 60 grams.

Orpington. They are characterized by low but stable egg production. During the first year of the bird we give approximately 160 - 180 eggs, in the second - no more than 130 eggs. The average weight of an egg is 53 – 63 grams. Broilers. They are rarely used to obtain eggs, since they begin to lay eggs only at 7–8 months of life. Eggs are given no more than 2-3 times a week.

If a chicken begins to lay eggs ahead of schedule, this can cause irreparable damage to the bird's health. For this reason, it is strictly prohibited to stimulate egg laying. Earlier laying is allowed in artificially bred chicken breeds.

When does the egg production period begin?

Hens are formed with a certain supply of non-renewable eggs, which will later become eggs. Each of these cells will pass through the oviduct, form a yolk and albumen membrane around itself, and then, before birth, also a shell.

When the time comes, the pullet (that’s what hens of the first year of life are called) will lay their first egg, each new one will appear at approximately equal intervals of time - 20-25 hours. As a rule, the period of sexual maturity for all breeds occurs when the weight of the hen is 75% of the weight of the adult bird.

Small species ripen earlier, and heavy meat ones much later. The start of egg production is also influenced by the month in which the pullets hatched. Thus, the first clutch of February and March eggs is laid much earlier than those born at the end of May or in the summer. Late birds may skip a year and not mature until the following spring.

In laying hens

The earliest and most productive laying hens are the egg breeds. Their sexual maturity occurs at 17-20 weeks and lasts the longest - about 10 months without a break. At the same time, an average egg-laying hen can produce 170-240 pieces per year. The record holders in this regard are considered to be laying hens of the English Leghorn breed, the most popular bird for eggs among domestic breeders. In normal mode, she is capable of producing up to 340 eggs per year, and the absolute record for representatives of this breed is 371 eggs.

The productivity of hybrid egg breeds is 1-2% higher, but their offspring lose such advantages. If you decide to have hybrids, you will have to change the pullets every year or two. Meat and egg breeds are slightly inferior in productivity, in which each laying hen produces up to 170 eggs per year. However, the maturity of such chickens occurs much later, usually at 20-24 weeks. The latest date for the first egg is 6.5 months if the hen belongs to the February or March brood. Summer pullets may have a longer maturation period.

In meat chickens

Heavy meat breeds take about 7.5-8 months to prepare for the first clutch. They lay eggs less frequently, but their eggs are much larger, because the size depends directly on the size of the chicken itself. Their period of egg production before molting is much shorter - only 7-8 months. They can lay 100-120 eggs per year if the length of daylight hours is set correctly, varied feeding is provided and the opportunity to walk is provided. If you use the feeding mode only to build meat, productivity will be significantly lower.

Chickens of other directions

Fighting breeds take the longest to mature. They begin to lay eggs no earlier than at the age of 9 months, their clutches are rare, and the size of the fetus is relatively large. They have the lowest egg production, but all their clutches, as a rule, are used to breed offspring.

Vocal birds and most ornamental birds mature at the age of 5.5-6.5 months. The exception is the largest and heaviest birds, Ga Dong Tao, from which the first egg can be expected only at 9 months.

When will the pullet lay eggs?

The pullet hen began to lay eggs

You can assume the possibility of a certain chicken laying eggs by noting the following signs:

A fertile young laying hen is active, walks well, rummages in the litter and runs to the feeder;
The comb should be smooth and warm, the beak short and elastic. The comb, beak and paws have the ability to change color. The light, slightly silvery color of these body parts indicates good health of the chicken. Wrinkled and cold comb, a broken beak, bright color of the legs are the first signs of low egg production;
In fertile hens, the distance between the pelvic bones should be 6 cm. A soft and large belly also signals good productivity of the individual. In a poor laying hen, this distance is less, and the bones are covered with fatty tissue.

What influences the onset of egg production in chickens?

Birds of different species begin to lay eggs at different times.

This is a genetic predisposition. So, egg-laying hens begin to produce eggs after four or five months. Representatives of the meat and mixed species do this much later. On average, the first clutch is received by the twenty-second week. It takes a particularly long time to wait for the first eggs from meat chickens. Some species of this direction begin to please the breeder with fresh products only after eight months of keeping.
The second factor that influences the onset of the egg-laying period is a well-composed diet. How and what you feed your birds determines how quickly fresh eggs will appear on your table. The feed should contain enough fresh greens and minerals; their absence can affect the egg production of laying hens.
When studying the question of when chickens begin to lay eggs, you need to consider whether the size of the chicken coop where the birds are kept is sufficient. If it's crowded and there's no extra range, you won't get many eggs. According to experts, there should be no more than five individuals per square meter.
Not understanding why their chickens produce few eggs, many owners think it is because of the rooster. But this opinion is wrong. Roosters have absolutely no influence on this process. Even if you don't have one in your flock, you will still get eggs. The only condition that requires having a male in the herd is the possibility of producing chicks from the eggs. If you do not plan to raise young animals at home, then you can refuse the rooster altogether.

By definition, a chicken of any breed, after reaching sexual maturity, begins to lay eggs, regardless of the presence of a rooster. But only they will not be fertilized. True, this does not affect the quality of the product in any way.

For those who love chicken meat, it is better to have certain breeds of chickens. Thus, representatives of the species Plymouthrock, Cochin and some others, in addition to a fairly large number of eggs, can produce excellent meat. But you will have to wait for the first clutch for eight whole months. As a result, waiting for these types of chickens to start laying eggs, you will be spending money on feeding your flock without the opportunity to make a profit in a short time.

In addition, the health of the birds influences the age at which chickens begin to lay eggs. If your laying hens are infected with some kind of virus, you will have to treat them so as not to completely lose the flock.

Thus, each of these factors affects when chickens begin to lay eggs. All links in this chain must be strong and reliable in order for the productivity of birds to increase.

How can you improve the masonry?

In cases where you notice a decrease in the productivity of your pets , and they begin to produce fewer eggs, then you need to try the following:

make the daylight hours in the chicken coop longer; you can maintain lighting around the clock. This will improve the intensity of laying, but you will have to quickly change the entire population, since in this mode the birds quickly exhaust themselves;
Give your laying hens a balanced feed. Dry food cannot be given for a long time, so it must be combined with wet mash; give the chickens cottage cheese and other dairy products;
try artificial molting. For this purpose, do not feed the chickens for several days, but only give them water. When stressed, chickens will begin to molt, and at the very beginning of the process, the chicken will need increased nutrition, so the clutch will quickly improve;
You can try changing the livestock to a younger one. It is best to update chickens en masse; it is recommended to change up to 80 percent of the inhabitants of the chicken coop at a time.

Now you know when pullets begin to lay eggs and what it depends on.
Surely this knowledge will help you cope with the household, especially if you have not previously had experience in this.

At what age are eggs laid?

In an ordinary chicken, the egg-laying period begins at 22 weeks of life; in broiler laying hens, this period begins at 8 months of life.

The very first eggs that the chicken lays will be small in size, but their nutritional value and taste are higher than those of subsequent eggs.

It also happens that a hen sits down to lay eggs ahead of time. It is not advisable to allow this, since the eggs will be small, especially since it is dangerous for her health. A hen should begin laying eggs only at the appropriate time for her breed. Moreover, its weight must be at least 1.4 kg.

The summer brood may begin to lay eggs a little earlier than the winter brood. For February “ladies,” the first egg may appear as early as 6.5 months.

The period of active egg production lasts about a year. Further, productivity will gradually begin to decline. If the goal of a poultry farmer is to obtain eggs, then it is advisable to change the livestock once a year.

A chicken can lay eggs throughout its life. But the greatest egg production occurs in the first year. At the age of 5 years, you can get an egg from a laying hen once or twice a week. Few people are satisfied with such a system; there is also no point in sending it to slaughter, because the meat of old chicken is tough. As already mentioned, it is advisable to change the number of chickens once a year or a year and a half.

According to statistics, a hen dies before her egg-laying period ends. Some poultry farmers keep chickens for a long time only because they have become attached to a certain person. Or laying hens do not act as a source of eggs or meat, but are simply a decoration for the farmstead. There were cases when a chicken lived 15-18 years.

Sometimes it happens that the poultry farmer thinks that the chicken has stopped laying eggs, but in reality this is not the case. The hen sees that her eggs are being taken and may start laying eggs elsewhere. In this case, just examine the chicken coop, perhaps they are hidden somewhere.

A laying hen can be recognized in a crowd of other hens by the following characteristics:

Proportional physique.
Feathers are in excellent condition.
Round and soft belly.

Laying hens always wake up first and are the last to return to the roost. All this is because birds are very active and cheerful.

Egg production dates

Anyone who has decided to start raising chickens or at least keep them on a personal farm for their own needs should know not only how to determine the age of a chicken, but also the timing of the start of laying eggs.

Different breeds begin laying eggs at different ages. Laying hens usually begin laying eggs at four or five months. Some breeds enter puberty and begin laying eggs at six months.

To increase egg production, you can add special premixes to the feed. To get the most out of the bird, increased daylight hours are necessary. Because of this feature, in the winter season, lighting is turned on for the birds in the chicken coop. Its presence allows you to simulate longer daylight hours, which has a beneficial effect on egg production.

There are breeds of chickens that lay eggs only when certain temperature conditions are observed. However, beginners who do not know how to determine the age of a chicken and other secrets of successful poultry farming cannot properly care for the capricious breed of laying hen. For them, it is recommended to purchase adult chickens, which are not demanding in care and are capable of producing a lot of eggs.

This is interesting: How to put a chicken on eggs, hens

What determines chicken productivity?

Only young hens of the first year of life actively lay eggs, after which this process declines. If the bird is not used as meat for soup, then it will live more than 10 years, but already halfway through its life it completely stops laying eggs. When buying young chickens at the market, people often ask sellers at what age the chickens will start laying eggs. The age of active egg production depends on a number of factors such as:

bird breed;
their living conditions;
what month were they born in?

Young chickens of egg lines become sexually mature at six months, while chickens of meat and egg breeds begin to lay eggs only by the eighth month. If a bird is purchased specifically for collecting eggs, then it is better to opt for poultry of egg breeds that were bred specifically for early maturation and prolonged egg production.

Productivity depends on the time of year and the conditions of keeping the poultry

An important point for determining the month when egg production begins is the time of year when the chicken was born; if at the beginning of spring, then by autumn the young chicken begins to lay eggs. In the case when the chickens hatched in the summer, the process of their maturation will drag on until the beginning of next year due to the growth of the young under shortened day conditions

In this case, you can speed up the growth of the bird if you pay attention to the lighting of the chicken coop where the bird lives

In addition to all the above factors, the age of the chicken is the most important, because after 10 months after the start of laying eggs, chickens stop laying eggs. Meat breeds of chickens stop laying eggs even earlier after six months of production. Good laying hens can lay more than three hundred eggs in a year, this is how the quality of a laying hen is determined. Sometimes it happens that chickens deliberately ignore nests and lay eggs in a variety of places not designated for this process.

Balanced nutrition improves productivity

In order to wean them from such disorder and to push them towards the nest, “pads” are placed in it. The egg substitute is made of plaster, wood or alabaster. Housewives can simply leave one egg in the nest, from which all the contents are first removed and filled with paraffin, plasticine, etc. The main thing is to ensure that the “lining” does not weigh more than 60 g. You can use an ordinary boiled egg as a decoy, first tinted so as not to be confused with freshly applied eggs.

Why pullets don't lay eggs

Sometimes the birds do not want to lay eggs, and therefore the farmer suffers losses. There are several reasons for this. It is necessary to carefully study each of them to understand why laying hens do not want / cannot perform their functions. Only after this can you take certain actions to start earning income again.

Egg breed of chickens

Buying adults

If an entrepreneur bought adult laying hens, then you should not expect results in the first 2 to 3 weeks. This is due to the stress that birds endure during the move. They need to get used to the new place. It is not recommended to buy adult specimens: they are much more expensive. Chicks up to 3 days old adapt to new conditions much faster. They need to be fed for a long time to get results, but the farmer can make sure that the birds are healthy.

Adult chickens

Disease

During illness, egg production drops sharply, and sometimes the efficiency of chickens is reduced to zero. In this case, you need to call a veterinarian to determine the problem. He will be able to diagnose the disease and prescribe an effective treatment plan. The disease can be identified by the following signs:

lethargy;
decreased appetite;
the presence of blood in the stool;
parasites in feces;
loss of down and feathers;
the appearance of ulcers all over the body.

These are the main symptoms that clearly indicate the presence of the disease. But there are also less obvious ones that a doctor can identify.

Organization of walking

Laying hens do not always lay eggs in clutches prepared in advance by humans. If they graze freely, then there is a high probability of having “hidden” nests. The birds make them themselves. If the efficiency is low or there are no eggs at all, despite good conditions, then you should carefully study the area. Most likely, chickens lay eggs in such homemade nests.

Hatching chicks

Old individuals

In this case, it is necessary to update the livestock. If everyone is over 3 years old, then you can write them all off as meat, completely purchasing new ones. However, it is worth purchasing birds of different ages so as not to face a similar problem again in the future.

Distinctive features of a young chicken

Seasonal decrease in egg production

It is necessary to study the conditions in which the birds are kept. It is recommended to increase the air temperature or daylight hours. But the temperature in the room should not exceed 23 degrees, otherwise the birds will become lethargic and may get sick.

A properly equipped chicken coop is the key to healthy chickens.

Feeding

Sometimes, due to improper feeding, chickens stop laying eggs or lay eggs with very thin shells. In some cases, a film may appear instead of a shell. It is necessary to immediately review the diet. It is best to give mixed feed. This will increase the cost of production, but the birds will definitely receive all the required minerals and vitamins. You can read more about chicken nutrition in our article.

Feeding the chickens

A large number of roosters

Practice shows that 1 rooster is enough for about 10 laying hens. If there are more of them, they will not let them lay eggs. At the same time, you can get rid of it when the need to update the livestock naturally is lost.

Keeping chickens in a chicken coop

Bad weather

Birds are quite shy. Therefore, if it rains outside for a long time and thunder roars, then it is recommended to give them 20 ml of apple cider vinegar to calm them down. It is added to food throughout the week.

Planning for offspring

Chickens primarily lay eggs to reproduce. Thus, if the bird plans to hatch eggs, then it stops laying them. She makes herself a perch somewhere to the side, where the light is dim. If the farmer does not need the hen to hatch chicks, then he must return her to the roost himself.

Thus, productivity is influenced by a large number of factors. It is necessary to provide for all of them in order to eliminate the possibility of a decrease in egg production. If a farmer is faced with such a problem, then he should carefully study the possibility of its occurrence.

Perches for chickens

How to get chickens to lay eggs every day

If the genetic potential (breed) allows, create comfortable conditions for the livestock, and your pets will be pleased with large and tasty eggs every day. Shortly before the start of oviposition, transfer young individuals to the “adult” mode of life, having previously examined and assessed each bird. Nice young lady, looks like this:

weighs at least 70% of the weight of an adult chicken (for example, if an adult of the Rhodonite cross weighs 2.5 kg, then a pullet at 4.5 months should have a mass of 1600-1800 g);
has a developed, strong body, with a straight keel and a flat back;
widely spaced legs (legs “X” - rough marriage);
comb beginning to turn red.

Be sure to inspect the young animals for parasites (lice, ticks, fleas). If bald patches are visible on the skin and insects are noticeable, the pullet is treated with pyrethrum powder or Bars drops.

Clean the chicken coop immediately, wash the walls and whitewash them with lime. To prevent the appearance of parasites, I advise you to place fresh wormwood and tansy in the room. The smell of these herbs repels parasites and purifies the air in the room.

Inside the shed for laying hens, install perches and nests, arrange feeders (so that all individuals can freely approach the food) and drinkers.

Place nesting boxes measuring 40 by 50 cm on the floor or hang them on the wall in a dark and secluded corner. 3-5 hens can lay in one nest, that is, 3 nesting boxes will be required for a dozen laying hens. At the bottom of the nest, place fresh hay or soft straw, large shavings (small sawdust is not suitable, it creates a lot of dust). The litter must be changed periodically.

It is necessary to equip the chickens with a run. If the terrain allows: there are no stray dogs or birds of prey, no cars driving, and free-roaming laying hens will not spoil the plantings in the garden, let them roam freely. The chicken will not go far from home; it will graze nearby, eating grass and looking for insects.

If you cannot give the hens complete freedom, build a fenced run. Its dimensions are determined by the size of the plot; for 10 birds it must be at least 6 square meters. m. To protect against predators and cats, and to create a lacy shadow, pull a camouflage net on top.

Keeping your flock in a confined space, you will have to provide it with fresh grass, because the chickens themselves will not be able to get the vegetation.

The most productive breeds

Laying hens were bred by crossing different highly productive breeds. Laying hens have a small head with head appendages (crest, beard and earrings), a horny beak and bulging, round eyes, most often yellow-orange. The neck is short and feathered, slightly inclined. The pectoral and thigh muscles are small (compared to broiler chickens), the wings are quite long and pressed very tightly to the body. All chickens currently raised on poultry farms for eggs are hybrids.

Did you know? The mother hen usually does not feed the chicks directly, as many other birds do, but rather leads them to a source of food and water and encourages them to feed themselves. The mother hen will care for the chicks for several weeks until they are old enough to fend for themselves.

The most egg-laying chicken breeds:

Leghorns have white plumage and a body weight of about 1.7 kg. The annual production volume for laying hens of this breed is 250–300 eggs weighing 57–60 g. The eggshells are painted white.
Rhode Island Red and Rhode Island White differ from each other only in the color of their feathers. Birds of this breed weigh about 2 kg, lay 200 eggs per year and are perfectly adapted for free-range rearing with constant access to nests.
New Hampshire - the plumage of these birds is reddish-red in color, the body weight of the laying hen reaches 2 kg. This bird lays 180–200 large eggs with dark brown shells per year.
Sussex - these chickens have a characteristic plumage: a white body with black feathers on the tail and neck. The body weight of such chickens is about 2.2 kg, they lay large eggs weighing 60–62 g, the total egg production of one individual is up to 180 eggs per year.
The Carpathian Greenfinch, or Galician, is a small chicken with gray-brown plumage (the rooster has brighter and more colorful plumage) and black-green feathers in the tail. The bird weighs about 1.8 kg and lays approximately 160–180 eggs per year. This breed is perfectly adapted to unfavorable environmental conditions, is undemanding and breeds well when free-ranged.
Plymouthrock - These birds reach egg-laying age later than other breeds, at about 180 days. Over the course of a year, they lay 170–200 eggs with dark yellow or brown shells. The weight of one egg varies from 58 to 63 g.

Important! The chicken flock will successfully and regularly lay eggs without the participation of a rooster; the absence of a male will not in any way affect the egg production of females. But such eggs are not suitable for hatching chickens, since they are not fertilized and are sterile.

Possible profits from raising chickens

Beginning farmers often wonder how many eggs a chicken lays per year. Typically, young birds can produce about 160-230 eggs throughout the year. But there are breeds of egg-bearing birds that can lay about 340 pieces of product in 12 months. Leghorn belongs to this species. A beginner poultry farmer can consult a specialist about which breeds are best to purchase.

How many months does a breed intended for producing meat and eggs lay? Typically, such birds produce up to 150-170 pieces of product per female throughout the year, but they can lay eggs only for 8-9 months.

Meat types of chickens produce even fewer eggs. The quantity of product does not exceed 110-120 units per year. Usually, after 7 months, all females of meat breeds can begin to molt, and during this period they are simply not able to lay eggs, although the specimens of the product in such females exceed in weight the mass of the specimen laid by the egg breed of birds.

You need to know that if domestic chickens notice that eggs are disappearing from the nest every day, they will begin to look for other places to lay eggs. Therefore, the farmer must be prepared to search for a new nest for the hen.

The frequency of laying practically does not depend on the presence of roosters on the farm. Typically, a chicken lays 1-2 eggs per day, but then, with age, this figure drops to 1-2 per week. You need to know that after a bird lives a year after birth, its ability to lay eggs will decrease by 10-15% annually.

If a farmer notices a decrease in the number of eggs laid, a possible reason is a change in the birds' diet. When switching them to other foods, it is necessary to ensure that the birds’ food contains the required amount of vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. The lighting of the chicken coop is of great importance, since in low light the birds do not lay eggs.

Quantity and quality of eggs

On average, each chicken lays 1 egg per day; the time period for maturation can be either 20 or 24 hours. But you shouldn’t expect eggs from pullet hens to appear every day; they should “scatter,” as the grandmothers used to say. This period takes them about 1 month, and then on average 3-4 months each lays an egg. The “rest” time can also take up to 1 month. It is very important that the chicken does not gain weight during this time period due to accumulated fat, this reduces productivity.

But a small number of laid eggs contain a much larger amount of useful substances, experts say. The most valuable are the first ones, with excellent taste, although light in weight.

Large eggs are inferior in taste; their yolk does not contain the same amount of vitamins and minerals, which make the product extremely valuable for dietary nutrition.

One full egg weighing up to 60 grams contains:

water – 70-75%;
protein – 13% (most of it in the yolk);
fat – 11% (up to 32% of this amount is in the yolk);
carbohydrates – 0.7% (approximately equal in protein and yolk).

Too large eggs - those obtained from chickens over 2 years old, are not only poor in vitamins and amino acids, but also have a not too strong, porous shell that cracks easily, is often pecked, and harmful microorganisms get inside. The most valuable product can be obtained in your own backyard only with normal feeding of the birds.

High-quality products are supplied to markets and small farms, where chickens graze to their heart's content, move freely on ranges, and receive natural food without hormonal additives. When purchasing an egg in stores, you should not count on the same beneficial properties; at poultry farms, feeding is mainly aimed at obtaining the maximum number of eggs; compound feed contains many additives that increase egg production to the detriment of the health of the bird, and therefore the quality of the product it produces.

What to do if chickens stop laying eggs

If there is no or a sharp decrease in the number of eggs per day, it is necessary to observe the laying hens and analyze the changes that have occurred to find out the reason.

First of all, you should review the diet and determine how much feed laying hens consume. To provide birds with all the necessary nutrients, it is better to use special feed. It is equally bad to underfeed and overfeed birds. Obesity can also be a reason for lack of eggs. One chicken needs approximately 150 grams of feed per day. You can increase the number of feedings up to 3 – 4 times.
Grain should be given in the morning and evening, and during the day a wet mash should be prepared from water, crushed cereals, and salt. You can add dairy products. The mass should not be sticky. If the chickens do not eat all the mash in one meal, the feeders should be cleaned and all remains removed. This perishable product can cause mold and poisoning.
If laying hens begin to shed, meat and bone meal, fish and other products containing protein in large quantities should be added to the feed. Mineral supplements are mandatory during this period; you can add shells, chalk, and river sand. This will make up for the lack of calcium, in which chickens can eat their own eggs.

It is necessary to ensure the most comfortable temperature in the chicken coop; it is 18 – 20°C. To control, you should install a thermometer. In summer you can ventilate more often, in winter you can add additional insulation. The thickness of dry straw and sawdust should be at least 40 cm. It is better to make the door not too wide; you can cover it with a tarpaulin or blanket. Lighting should be maintained 14 - 16 hours a day.
The reason for the decrease in egg production may be crowding and a large number of roosters in the flock. No more than 4 to 5 birds can be kept on one square meter at a time. One rooster is enough for 10 hens. A rooster is needed only to fertilize eggs if you plan to hatch chickens. It does not participate in the process of egg formation.
The chicken coop should be checked for rodents. Mice and rats often not only spread dangerous diseases, but also take eggs from the nest. To repel pests, the area around the building and the floor inside are sprinkled with wood ash. It sticks to the rodents' paws and enters the stomach, causing discomfort. You can use repellent devices. It is not recommended to place pesticides in the chicken coop. Birds and other domestic animals can be poisoned by them.

Young laying hens can be very shy. The sound of thunder, the sound of rain, or moving to another chicken coop can affect their egg production. In such cases, adding 20 ml of apple cider vinegar to food daily for one week has a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
It must be taken into account that chickens lay eggs for procreation. Perhaps the hen began to prepare to hatch chicks, so she changed the laying place to a more secluded one. If the development of this process is undesirable, the chicken is placed away from the nests. Over time, the hormonal levels are restored, and the bird begins to lay eggs as usual.
Once a year, the chicken coop must be replenished with new layers. After reaching the age of 2 years, egg production in birds begins to decrease by 15 - 20% per year. It is not advisable to keep grown hens; they are sent for meat, and hatching eggs or chicks are purchased to renew the flock.

What to feed chickens so they lay eggs every day

You can take the simplest route and buy complete feed for chickens (PK-1-1 and PK-1-3). This food will fully provide protein, vitamins and minerals. The feed consists of medium and small granules; feed it dry, without steaming or filling it with water. Do not add any additional additives to such food, this will only cause harm. Additionally, chickens can only be given a little greenery.

Feeding with compound feed also has disadvantages:

short shelf life (no more than 3 months);
high price (from 30-40 rubles per 1 kg);
The taste of a homemade chicken egg will not differ from the taste of a store-bought egg.

If you want to give up industrial feed, but maintain livestock productivity at a high level, make your own feed. It will take time and some effort, but the result is worth it.

In order for chickens to lay eggs well, the protein content in the feed should not be lower than 17%, which is ensured by the introduction of cake and fish meal into the feed. The basis of the feed mixture is crushed or rolled grain of wheat, barley, corn, in a ratio of 1:0.5:1. Add to this mixture:

10% wheat bran;
8% sunflower cake;
4% fish or meat and bone meal;
0.5% table salt.

Shell rock or chalk is added to the finished mixture in an amount of 2% of the total weight of the feed, and a premix (Zdravur, Ryabushka). The premix contains a complex of vitamins; it is especially necessary in winter, when the herd sits indoors.

Do you add premixes to the food?

Not really

In summer, give plenty of greens in a separate feeder. In winter, feed hay crushed into flour 5-8 g per head per day.

The norm for feeding the grain mixture with all additives per chicken is 120-150 g per day . Do not exceed this norm so that the hen does not become fat. Feed can be given to chickens in the form of wet crumbly mash, with the addition of food waste, dairy products, and vegetables.

Do not give your chickens salty, sweet or spicy foods, this can lead to poisoning!

Laying hens are fed at home twice a day.

Content Rules

Long daylight hours and multifaceted complex nutrition contribute to the timely start of egg production in young hens. Only 30% of the productivity in egg reproduction comes from genetics, the remaining 70% depends on the conditions of the livestock. The bird flies when the temperature conditions are observed, during periods of rest, more often in the evening.

Pullets begin to lay eggs when they reach 75% of the total body weight of an adult. Therefore, observing the correct lifestyle of chickens and avoiding overfeeding will be a good basis for the timely start of egg production. Obesity in domestic birds leads to health problems and disruption of the reproductive system.

High egg production is ensured if the following maintenance conditions are met:

length of daylight hours is at least 12 hours a day;
feed contains hard grains in the morning, soft mash in the middle of the day and green feed in the evening;
There should always be clean water in sufficient quantity;
availability of space for livestock walking;
a warm and clean chicken coop without drafts, but regularly ventilated;
timely vaccination of chickens against diseases and addition of supporting vitamins to food;
compliance with the order of changing livestock with an age difference of six months for each batch.

How to improve the quality and quantity of eggs?

There are several methods to improve the quality and quantity of eggs in a homestead or farm:

Correct selection of livestock: not only the breed of chickens can improve things in the poultry house. If you select birds of different ages, so that at the moment when it is time to replace the old ones, the pullets are just starting to lay eggs, and in the middle generation they are producing in full force, that is, the difference in the age of the broods should be about six months), you can achieve year-round production of a useful product.
Feeding: a balanced diet with a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals, adequate walking will help chickens maintain their ability to lay the optimal number of eggs for a long time.
Contents: the length of daylight hours and the temperature in the poultry house have a great influence on egg production. In the cold season, the room should be heated, in winter - additional lighting, humidity control.
Regime: Experienced poultry keepers know how sensitive chickens are to feeding regimen. Feed given at the wrong time, water of poor quality, lack of shell rock, gravel, chalk or sand can lead to disturbances in the body of chickens in a very short period. As a result, an irregularly shaped egg without a shell or pecked by “commodities” will cease to be a rarity in nests.
In the morning it is necessary to give roughage, whole grains, at lunch - so that there is time to peck everything without a trace - wet food: mash with vegetables, boiled corn, yeast, in the evening - mixed feeding: vegetables, grains, vitamins, compound feed. We constantly need “green stuff” - fresh herbs, silage, sprouted grains.

Compliance with technology and following recommendations for keeping a particular breed of chicken will help extend the productive period of laying hens and always receive only a high-quality and healthy product.