One thing that is on everyone’s mind these days is the production of eggs by their chicken. There are a number of natural reasons that your Chicken have lower production and in this How To we will look at what you can do to understand these factors and how you can improve the egg production of your flock.
Chickens both for eggs and meat are a primary food source for the world. They can flourish in both very cold conditions like Alaska or in very warm conditions like Southeast Asia. They do not require a lot of care and for the most part if their living area is kept clean and they are provided a good food source they will be healthy for many years.
There are two primary types of birds that are raised. One for Meat Production that can gain a lot of weight in a single year and ones for Egg Production that can provide eggs for at least 2-3 years. This is important to understand and if you are raising Egg Producing Chicken they can also be used as meat birds but there are better options for a small or large farm if meat production is your primary goal.
Egg Production normally occurs after the bird has matured or in the rang of 6 to 12 months and will continue constantly for 2 to 3 years. After about 3 years egg production will still occur but it will start to drop off. After about the 5th year you will naturally see their egg laying production fall below 50% of their best years. There are many factors that effect Egg Production that we will cover.
Feeding Of Chicken And Egg Production
One of the primary reasons that chickens will reduce their egg output is the amount and quality of feed that they are able to ingest. When you are raising chicken you might find feed that is geared towards different times of their life. First you will have hatchling feed that helps small chicken survive in the first 8 to 12 weeks of life. After that you will have feed that is high in protein that Meat Birds eat to increase their weight as fast as possible. You will often also see mixes that are geared towards egg laying birds that might have nutrients such as extra calcium to improve the quality of the shells on the eggs that are layed.
Additionally during the life of the Bird you will find supplements and feed that help the birds stay healthy.
Many people believe that they can feed their chicken scraps and other items but this should be avoided because it reduces their intake of more healthy food.
Healthy Adult Chicken should be fed between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of feed per day. This is not often followed because with a small flock of 10 or so chicken that can mean a lot of feed needs to be distributed.
Underfeeding your chicken is probably the number one reason for lower egg production of chicken that are considered healthy. When Chicken are hungry they won’t produce and the entire flock is likely to stop producing eggs at the same time vs one or two chicken that might have other problems.
Overfeeding chicken can also be a problem. Chicken that are overweight may experience oviductal prolapse. This is a physical problem that your veterinarian can easily diagnose.
Salt Deficiency can lead to lower egg production. It is an important factor in healthy blood. Just like you might want a sports drink a chicken needs to have a proper amount of salt in their diet or their system will be out of balance. Salt also helps keep their stomach acid levels correct and this means they can absorb the food they are eating. See Toxins Below
Calcium Deficiency is not a problem until the hens start laying eggs. When a hen starts laying eggs they can require many more times the normal level of calcium in their diets. Meat Birds do not have this problem but egg laying hens use all of their body’s calcium in production of the eggs. Once your birds start laying eggs it is very important to inspect the strength of the shell. Provide them supplements if necessary to keep them healthy. If not they can suffer from fatigue and their bones will be robbed of calcium. Dolomite Limestone / Calcium is a good source of supplemental Calcium. However younger birds should not be fed extra calcium as it can make them sick and die.
Protein Deficiency is a Primary reason for reduced Egg Production. Unfortunately Chicken can have problems absorbing protein even if you are providing it in a high enough level so it is important to make sure that you monitor your chicken and their food consumption. The biggest problem that most small farmers have is that they like to free range their chicken in the summer which will provide extra food from bugs they find. As the summer ends they will see lower egg production and wonder why. This is because a source of food has been cut off from them. Often it is as easy as supplementing their feed with something like dried meal worms. Methionine is an Amino Acid Supplement that can also be useful. If your chicken are healthy and not molting then the first thing you should look at is volume of and quality of the food they are eating. Nine out of Ten Times lower protein levels are the problem so increase their protein and food intake for a couple weeks and see if production picks back up. Don’t expect it to be instantaneous it will take some time but if you see a change then this is the answer. However lower egg production can be seen in just hours if chickens are hungry. Feeding Twice a day as a normal daily process might show improvement as some birds lay at different times of the day.
Toxins And Food Problems For Egg Production
Salt is a very important part of a chicken’s diet. It will help with blood chemistry and nutrient absorption but it can also be a Toxin in higher levels. When you are using food supplements like Corn Gluten Meal, Meat Meal, Fish Meal and others they can have higher salt levels. If you notice their stool is very wet and runny this can be a first symptom.
Calcium and Phosphorus must be maintained in proper levels or you can see problems in Egg Production.Their levels will also effect the absorption of other vitamins. Make sure that you read the packaging of the products you are feeding your chicken so you don’t go beyond recommended daily allowances.
Mycotixins or Molds can be very dangerous for chicken and are often due to moldy feed. If your feed is moist then it has a high probability of growing mold on it. It might be necessary in some climates to store your feed in your home in a warm dry place (probably not your basement) so that it will not grow mold. Remember mold that you can see is at a very high level and mold can exist on everything so don’t take chances and ever feed moldy food to your birds or believe you can dry it or separate it. If it is moldy then get rid of it. If your supplier stores feed outside you might want to look for a different supplier.
Nicarbazin and Monensin in low levels can produce bad effects for egg quality and production. Often Monensin is given to cows for milk production but it can cause egg problems for chicken even at lower levels. Nicarbazin is used for Meat chicken and is actually a contraceptive used to reduce populations of wild bird. If you see these products in your feed consult your veterinarian immediately. If these products are used for non egg laying birds or for other animals then make sure you do not have cross contamination.
Disease And Parasites
Although Disease and Parasites will play a part in the production of eggs they are important things to cure and eliminate for the basic health of your chicken.
Lice, Tapeworms, Fleas, Mites are all problems for chicken. If they are present then the chicken will have health problems. Egg Production will be effected. Replacing their bedding and cleaning their enclosure is important to prevent and then as a curative measure along with any treatment that might be necessary. Contact your Veterinarian for recommendations on how to cure the problem.
Chickens that have respiratory Problems or who appear sick must be separated immediately. So it is important that you always have a good place for quarantine ready that is large enough for them to be comfortable.
Some diseases are not cured easily and the animal must be put down. This is an unfortunate situation and can effect the whole flock if only one bird is found to be sick. If you have this problem then it is best to follow your Veterinarian’s advise on how to proceed.
Final Note
Chicken are very easy and for the most part pleasant animals to raise either in small or large numbers. As your flock gets bigger you will need years of experience to rely on. It is not smart to start off with 50 birds unless you know what you are doing and larger flocks really require professional training which can be very difficult to obtain unless you are in the food industry. If you are interested in raising chicken then you should probably find a neighbor or friend that can guide you through it who has many years of good experience.
If you ever visit a farm with other animals it is important to follow proper procedures to sanitize yourself which can mean spraying your vehicle, boots, wearing protective suits or changing your clothes before you ever come close to your own animals. It may seem overboard but if one of your birds get sick do you want to risk the rest of your flock just because you visited a neighbor’s farm.
Understanding what your chicken are eating and providing them a healthy menu is key to them being healthy and producing more eggs. You should keep good records of your feeding methods throughout the year and take note of egg production levels. Take note of molting patterns, temperatures, feed suppliers, additional supplements.
Raising chicken is honestly not a game. You don’t buy a few chicken for no reason. You don’t get them for pets because they will look cute on your tiny farm. You don’t buy them because they look cute at the local farm supplier.
You need to research what you are getting into and take advice only from people with proven experience. It is something you can do if you prepare but it is not as easy as putting a bowl of food out for your dog and walking them a couple times a day. And if you own a dog you also know thats not as easy as that.So take it seriously and it will pay off in the end.