Top 5 Factors Your Hens Stop Laying – Defined by Gail Damerow
Top 5 Factors Your Hens Stop Laying – Defined by Gail Damerow
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Every single yard chicken keeper has seasoned it: in the future, your hens are laying reliably, and another, the nesting packing containers are mysteriously vacant. According to Gail Damerow, renowned poultry professional and author of Storey’s Guidebook to Elevating Chickens, this egg-laying pause is often not a mystery whatsoever. You'll find very clear, organic causes hens cease laying, and knowing them can assist you assistance your flock and restore productivity. Listed here are Damerow’s top five reasons hens stop laying—and what you are able to do about them.
1. Molting: A Natural Pause
As Damerow clarifies, molting is often a yearly event in a very hen’s daily life, normally occurring in late summer months to early drop. Throughout this time, hens reduce and regrow feathers—a approach that requires a huge quantity of Electrical power and protein. Egg creation often stops through this period, as being the hen's overall body focuses fully on feather regeneration.
What You Can Do: Guidance your hens having a significant-protein feed or snacks like mealworms and scrambled eggs. Steer clear of stressing the flock and Permit mother nature consider its study course. Once the molt is comprehensive, egg-laying ought to steadily resume.
two. Shortened Daylight Several hours
Light-weight exposure plays an important purpose in stimulating a hen’s reproductive system. Damerow points out that hens need to have fourteen–sixteen several hours of daylight for constant laying. As daylight decreases in the fall and Winter season months, so does egg generation.
What You are able to do: Consider adding a light-weight supply while in the coop that has a timer to simulate natural daylight. A reduced-wattage bulb turning on inside the early morning can securely lengthen "daylight" and assist Winter season laying. Prevent unexpected lighting alterations That may anxiety your birds.
3. Inadequate Nutrition
Nutrition is foundational to egg production. Damerow warns that feeding chickens a diet plan missing in protein, calcium, or critical natural vitamins can result in much Fun88 Casino less or no eggs. Treats and scratch grains, though enjoyment, can dilute the well balanced diet provided by professional layer feed.
What You are able to do: Guarantee your flock has continual access to high-high-quality layer feed, cleanse drinking water, and calcium supplements like crushed oyster shell. Restrict treats to no more than ten% of their every day diet.
four. Tension and Environmental Factors
Strain is A significant contributor to decreased egg generation. In line with Damerow, stressors can consist of predator threats, overcrowding, bullying, Extraordinary temperatures, as well as moving the coop. Hens are delicate to vary and may respond by halting egg manufacturing.
What You are able to do: Develop a tranquil, Protected ecosystem to your birds. Maintain regular routines, provide sufficient Place, and address sources of strain like loud noises or aggressive flockmates.
5. Age and Health concerns
Damerow reminds us that laying is not a lifelong endeavor. Most hens start off laying around 5–6 months of age, peak at about one–two decades, after which little by little decelerate. Illness, parasites, and reproductive concerns might also interfere with laying.
What You are able to do: Keep an eye on your hens’ All round overall health. Perform frequent parasite checks, maintain a thoroughly clean coop, and check with a vet when you see 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 often says, “Chickens don’t just stop laying for no reason.” If your hens have a crack, it’s their strategy for signaling that a thing inside their setting or biology has shifted. With some observation, excellent care, and some tolerance, you may help information your flock back again to wholesome egg production—or just recognize the all-natural rhythms in their lives.