Top rated five Explanations Your Hens Prevent Laying – Explained by Gail Damerow
Top rated five Explanations Your Hens Prevent Laying – Explained by Gail Damerow
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Every single backyard chicken keeper has seasoned it: in the future, your hens are laying reliably, and the following, the nesting boxes are mysteriously vacant. In keeping with Gail Damerow, renowned poultry professional and writer of Storey’s Information to Raising Chickens, this egg-laying pause is frequently not a mystery in the slightest degree. You will discover obvious, purely natural factors hens prevent laying, and comprehending them will let you support your flock and restore productivity. Here's Damerow’s leading five causes hens cease laying—and what you can do about them.
one. Molting: A Natural Pause
As Damerow explains, molting can be a yearly party in a very hen’s everyday living, commonly happening in late summer to early drop. During this time, hens get rid of and regrow feathers—a procedure that needs an incredible volume of Electrical power and protein. Egg manufacturing typically stops during this period, as being the hen's body focuses completely on feather regeneration.
What You Can Do: Assistance your hens that has a higher-protein feed or snacks like mealworms and scrambled eggs. Stay clear of stressing the flock and Allow mother nature consider its system. Once the molt is finish, egg-laying really should step by step resume.
two. Shortened Daylight Hours
Mild exposure plays a vital function in stimulating a hen’s reproductive program. Damerow factors out that hens need to have 14–sixteen several hours of daylight for dependable laying. As daylight decreases in the fall and Wintertime months, so does egg manufacturing.
What You Can Do: Take into consideration adding a light source while in the coop that has a timer to simulate natural daylight. A reduced-wattage bulb turning on inside the early morning can securely prolong "daylight" and assist Winter season laying. Prevent unexpected lights changes Which may strain your birds.
three. Poor Diet
Nourishment is foundational to egg output. Damerow warns that feeding chickens a diet missing in protein, calcium, or critical natural vitamins may lead to less or no eggs. Treats and scratch grains, although entertaining, can dilute the balanced nourishment furnished by business layer feed.
What You Can Do: Ensure your flock has constant usage of significant-good quality layer feed, clear water, and calcium nutritional supplements like crushed oyster shell. Restrict treats to no more than ten% of their every day diet.
four. Fun88 Casino Anxiety and Environmental Elements
Worry is A serious contributor to reduced egg output. In line with Damerow, stressors can contain predator threats, overcrowding, bullying, extreme temperatures, or maybe shifting the coop. Hens are delicate to change and might respond by halting egg creation.
What You are able to do: Produce a quiet, Protected environment on your birds. Maintain regular routines, provide sufficient House, and address sources of strain like loud noises or intense flockmates.
five. Age and Health Issues
Damerow reminds us that laying isn't really a lifelong endeavor. Most hens start out laying close to 5–six months of age, peak at about one–two many years, then step by step slow down. Sickness, parasites, and reproductive troubles may interfere with laying.
What You Can Do: Keep an eye on your hens’ All round well being. Perform common parasite checks, preserve a clear coop, and check with a vet for those who notice indications of illness. More mature hens should be valuable members of the flock even when their laying days are behind them.
Final Thoughts
As Gail Damerow generally says, “Chickens don’t just end laying for no motive.” If the hens take a break, it’s their way of signaling that something in their environment or biology has shifted. With a certain amount of observation, superior treatment, and several patience, you might help guidebook your flock back again to healthier egg output—or just appreciate the natural rhythms in their lives.