Why chickens stop laying eggs
Janice Houghton-Wallace looks at why chickens stop laying eggs.
It seems natural enough, doesn’t it – chickens lay eggs; and why would they not? Well, we have to remember that chickens are living creatures, and therefore, even though man has developed commercial hybrids that are little egg machines, not every feathered girl is going to deliver the goods at all times.
There are many reasons why chickens cease laying, or even don’t begin to lay in the first place. It could be as a result of age, diet, lighting, environment, health, weight, weather, moult, stress, broodiness, breed, predators, lice – the list can be seemingly endless.
Pullets are often bought as ‘point of lay’ birds, which actually relates to their age rather than the fact that they are guaranteed to lay eggs soon. It is certainly not a ‘trade description’ that they will soon start laying! A pullet is sufficiently developed to begin the egg-laying cycle at between nineteen and twenty-two weeks of age, but this is an average and some pure-breeds can take longer.
A commercial hybrid pullet may well begin to lay almost to the day when she should because this is what they have been bred to do. They will also lay anything between 250 and 300 eggs a year, but this number will decrease with each year. That is why commercial laying birds are kept for two years of production and then either dispatched or sold on as (previously) ex-battery hens, or (currently) ex-colony cage hens. The outdoor hybrids are still good producers too, laying around 250 eggs or even more in the first three or four years. The pure-breeds will generally lay fewer eggs, but some do lay more than others.
When hatched in the spring, pullets usually come into lay in the early autumn, but if hatched later in the season it could be relatively longer before they start to lay, possibly not until the late spring of the following year. The later in the year birds are hatched, the longer it takes for them to develop fully. If pullets are too young and therefore not sufficiently developed they will not lay.
FEED
It is essential that laying birds are given a correct feed formulation. The right amount of protein, fats, minerals, vitamins and calcium are required to assist the body to produce eggs, and these can be found in layers’ rations. Layers’ pellets or meal are fed in the morning, and grain, usually in the form of wheat, is fed in the afternoon. Mixed poultry grit should also be available. Hens will not consistently produce good eggs if they are not fed correctly, and wheat alone, together with grass and scratchings, is definitely not sufficient.
On the other side of the coin, hens will not lay if they are too fat. The correct diet with only a few treats is the best way of keeping them fit.
DAYLIGHT
Natural livestock reproduction is ruled by the length of daylight, and chickens need around fourteen hours of light for their egg-laying cycle to react. This is why everyone has a glut of eggs come February and March onwards, with the lengthening of the days. You can bring hens forward with egg laying by providing a little light in their housing, and surprisingly it does not have to be very bright, but having a timer-controlled light come on early in the morning will make a difference. This is better than extending the day in the evening, because then, when the light goes out, the birds would be suddenly left in darkness, which could panic them if they are not already roosting.
ENVIRONMENT
The environment in which hens are kept might not engender sufficient confidence for them to lay an egg. A chicken needs somewhere it can sit safely for a period of time whilst the egg is laid, so they look for a nest box or some other hidden area where they will feel comfortable. Nesting areas should be provided with clean straw or shavings, and it might also be worth putting a ‘pot’ egg in a nest box as encouragement.
HEALTH
Only healthy chickens lay eggs, so if they are suffering from ailments or disease this will curtail egg production. A chicken’s body knows that it cannot do two things at once, so if the bird is sick, approaching the moult or going broody, it will cease to produce eggs.
Internal and external parasites can eventually affect egg laying. Severe worm infestation can interfere with the internal organs, which can in turn disrupt the egg-laying procedure. External parasites can also irritate birds and at worst can cause anaemia and even death. Mites are the most prominent parasite problem, and if there is a red mite infestation tiny red spots can be found on eggs – if the birds are still laying.
WEATHER
Weather, too, will play a big part because severe wind or extremes of heat or cold can disrupt the egg cycle. Chickens loathe strong winds and in these conditions egg laying can cease almost overnight.
STRESS
Stress upsets the natural operation of a chicken’s bodily functions, and egg production can easily be affected if a birds is frightened, moves house, is taken to a show or auction, or moved to new premises. Chickens thrive with a set routine that is not interrupted, which means they should be fed, watered, cleaned out regularly and shut up at the same time each day. Birds of prey flying around can induce severe stress in chickens, as can barking dogs and children running around or chasing them. They should not be chased, especially if they are in lay.
Finally, your hens may be laying, but the eggs could be disappearing through theft! If eggs are not collected on a regular daily basis some chickens are tempted to eat them, and this vice is then difficult to stop. Rats and crows will also steal them. Crows will even sit and wait until they hear the clucking of a hen after she has laid, at which point they will dive in, grab the egg by sticking their beak into the shell, and then fly off.
Janice Houghton-Wallace is founder of The Turkey Club UK, set up in 2001 to promote standard varieties of turkey.
The aim of the club is to :
- Conserve and promote all pure varieties of turkey
- To identify and maintain breed standards
- To encourage and assist with advice, anyone wishing to keep turkeys
- Work towards establishing a higher profile for the turkey, as an exhibition bird and utility species of poultry.
- Whenever appropriate, promote the turkey by education and illustration.
