WHEN WILL YOUR CHICKEN START LAYING EGGS ?

If raising a backyard chicken was a business, the ultimate prize would be a hen’s first egg.
To extend this feeling of exhilaration and help hens produce wholesome, nutritious eggs long-term, care for the flock differently as they begin laying.
 
The transition from pullet to egg-laying hen often occurs at 4-5 months of age, subject to breed, environment and nutrition. Laying breed pullets will begin laying at about 18 to 20 weeks of age. A rooster is not necessary for egg production.
 
The first eggs a hen lays may be irregular – possibly small in size, with soft shells, no yolks or double yolks – but, after a week or so, egg production should become more consistent, with peak performance at about 30 weeks of age.
 
High-producing hens can lay up to 300 eggs per year; however, first year hens may lay fewer: about 200-250 eggs apiece. Because it takes approximately 25 hours for a hen to produce one egg, six eggs per week is an ideal goal.
 
To help hens reach this target – and stay happy and healthy, consider the following housing and nutrition tips.
Chicken Housing
After moving chicks from the brooder, introduce them directly to the coop that will become their forever home. This helps birds adjust to the coop well in advance of their first lay. Make sure the coop has comfortable nesting boxes that provide privacy to individual hens.
 
Once a hen begins laying, it’s her tendency to lay in the same spot moving forward. Create several comfortable, clean and cozy nesting areas to prevent hens from becoming competitive in the coop.
 
A general rule is to provide one 1-foot square nest box for every four or five hens because the flock will take turns using the boxes. Line each nest box with a thick layer of straw or other bedding to cushion the eggs and keep them clean and unbroken. Keep the nests up off the floor in the darkest corner of the coop.

Be sure all the nest areas have a uniform environment. If the hens decide one nest is preferable to the others, they may all try to use that nest, causing themselves stress, which can lead to egg breakage or egg eating. On our farm, we built the nests into the coops. Outdoor access to the nests allows us to collect eggs without disrupting the flock.
 
When pullets are nearing their first lay, their behavior changes. They may begin spending more time with the rooster, crouching for breeding or investigating the nesting area. At this time, keep hens in the coop for short periods of time. Place golf balls or decoy eggs in the nesting boxes to help the hens understand the use of the nesting boxes.
Chicken Nutrition
Once the first egg appears, the hen’s diet should also be adjusted.


Different nutrients are required to produce eggs as compared to what the pullet needs for growth. Young chicks and pullets need high protein levels as their body and feathers grow. At laying, switching to a complete feed with calcium and omega-3 fatty acids can help hens produce strong shells and nutritious eggs.

Calcium: Calcium is essential to form strong egg shells. If the bird does not secure enough calcium from her feed, she may pull the nutrient from her bones, which could eventually lead to a weak skeletal structure. Since egg shells are developed at night, when birds are not eating, a consistent source of slow-release calcium in the diet is important.

Oyster shells are the most common and reliable source of slow-release calcium. For strong shells and healthy hens, feed a complete layer feed with 16 percent protein and 3.25-4.5 percent calcium, like Purina® Layena® Premium Poultry Feed or Purina® Organic Layer Pellets or Crumbles. If your layer feed does not include Oyster Strong™ System, supplement the diet with free-choice oyster shells to add slow-release calcium.

Omega-3: For even more nutritious eggs, offer laying hens a complete feed that includes flaxseed as a source of Omega-3. For example, when a diet of Purina® Layena® Plus Omega-3 was fed for at least three weeks, those hens produced large eggs (56 g) that contained 250 mg of Omega-3 per egg. 1 

For comparison, a typical store-bought egg contains 50 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids per large egg (USDA: National Nutrient Base).  Results may vary with factors such as total diet and hen health.  
 
1When fed a diet of Purina® Layena® Plus Omega-3 exclusively for at least 3 weeks. Based on large egg (56 g). Results may vary with factors such as total diet and hen health. A typical store-bought egg contains 50 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids per large egg (USDA: National Nutrient Base).
  If you can follow these prescription you hen will lay at when due and the egg production will also high.

REASON YOUR HEN MAY NOT LAY EGG OR STOP LAYING SUDDENLY

As a poultry farmer that is looking for high eggs production, many of us raise chickens, wait patiently for the first egg to drop, months pass and nothing. Or our hens suddenly stop laying for no apparently reason. Why are we not getting any eggs? Here are a few reasons why your hen may not lay eggs or stop laying suddenly.

1. Daylight and the seasons

In nature chickens only laid eggs in Spring and into the middle of Summer. The reason for this is because chickens lay eggs to reproduce and during the Spring and Summer months the weather is good and there is more food available, so conditions are perfect for raising chicks. When the days get shorter the hens' bodies sense the change of season and egg production slows down and stops. Humans have been modifying this behaviour and have been breeding the most prolific layers to ensure year round egg production, but given the chance most hens will still do what nature tell them to. Most hens need a minimum 14-16 hours of light per day to fool their bodies into thinking it's Spring and keep them in production. This could be either natural or electric light or a combination of both. Adding electric light to the coop will help keep your hens in production, but keep in mind that this could shorten the hen's egg laying lifespan. Hens are born with a limited amount of egg cells and once those are spent she'll lay no more eggs. If you do decide to add a light have it on in the mornings, so you don't disrupt the hens' natural roosting behaviour. You do not need a bright light, just enough to read a newspaper by.

2. Stress factor

Stressed hens either lay very strange eggs or no eggs at all. A fright, running out of food and water, disruptions of the pecking order (for example adding a rooster to the flock) and getting moved to a new coop/run all causes stress. When you buy hens and bring them home to a new coop it could take up to 6 weeks before they start laying again. Adding unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) will help your chickens deal better with stress. The ratio is 4-5 tablespoons to a gallon water.



3. Incorrect or improper Feeding

The average laying hen's skeleton contains 20g calcium and one egg represents 10% of that. Hens do have calcium reserves stored up in their bodies, but if they do not get enough calcium from their food for their egg shells the stores will get depleted very quickly and they will stop laying. It's important that laying hens get fed either a proper, balanced layer feed (mash or pellets) or a good quality all flock feed with a calcium supplement like oyster shell offered free choice. It is best to offer layer food "free choice" i.e. have the feeders full at all times, to ensure hens get enough food. Keep in mind that the average hen needs 5 ounces of food and 10 ounces of water to produce 1 egg. Feeding too much treats, table scraps and scratch means the hens will eat less of the food they need, so only feed limited amounts of those. Overfeeding scraps and scratch can also cause the hens to get too fat. Overweight hens don't lay eggs.

4.  Molting

Molting is a natural process which allows hens to replace old, worn feather by shedding them and growing new ones. It is usually triggered by day length (shorter days), but it can happen any time of the year. A stressful event can trigger it too. Most hens molt once a year, usually over winter in their second year and it is advisable to let to let your hens molt in their second year. Regrowing feathers takes us much of the body's resources as egg laying does, so during a molt most hens won't lay. A molt usually takes between 2 and 6 months to complete and unfortunately this process cannot be rushed. Some extra protein in their feed will help the hens a lot during this time.

5. Disease and Parasites

Diseases and parasite infestations will cause hens to either lay less or stop laying completely. Good parasite control is important and if a hen shows any sign of disease she should be isolated and treated asap. Some of the most common parasites that can cause a drop in egg production are mites, lice and fleas, which can be controlled by regularly dusting the hens, their coop and run with a good quality poultry dust. Internal parasites to look out for are round worms and tape worms. Deworm the flock every 6 months as a precaution. The withdrawal period for most dewormers are 14 days and the eggs laid during that period should be discarded and should not be incubated. The residue in the eggs causes severely handicapped chicks and most die shortly after hatching.
Diseases that influence egg production are fowl pox, coccidiosis, infectious bronchitis, Newcastle disease, Avian influenza, chronic respiratory infection, fowl cholera and infectious coryza. Most of these diseases can be controlled by vaccinating the flock and maintaining good hygiene practices.

6. Extremes temperature

Too high or low temperatures also affect egg laying. In winter aim to keep the temperature in your coop above 55*F and in summer make sure they have plenty water and shade to help them stay cool. Feed treats like watermelon, make sure the hens have plenty fresh, cool water to drink and put a fan in the coop if possible.


7. Broodiness

When hens go broody their hormones tell them to stop laying eggs and incubate and hatch them instead. They will sit in the nest box all day and night, refuse to get up and steal other hens' eggs if given the opportunity. Unwanted broodiness a nuisance, but there are techniques to "break" them and get them back into production.

8. The hen's age

Hens that won't lay can either be too young or too old.
The average age of a hen when she starts laying is 6 months. Some smaller breeds like Leghorns, Stars and Australorps lay sooner and larger breeds like Wyandottes, Plymouth Rocks and Orpingtons start later. The first 2 years of a hen's life is her most productive. By the time she's 5 years old she will only lay half as frequently as she did during her first 2 years. Good egg laying hens have 2 egg laying cycles of 50-60 weeks each. After that there will be a sharp decline in egg production.

A good sign of a pullet approaching lay is the colour of her comb. If her comb turns a bright red colour she's ready. The reason for the colour change is to show the rooster that she is ready to start laying fertile eggs. Her pelvis will be wider and if you look at her vent it will be moist and pink.
There is also a simple test you can do to check if your hen is laying/ready. Hold the hen firmly and turn her on her back. Put your fingers on her breast bone and work your way down to her vent area. You should feel 2 bones sticking up. These are her pelvic bones. If you can fit only 1 finger upright between her pelvic bones she's still roughly 4 weeks off laying, 1 and 1/2 fingers means she's a little closer, 2/3 weeks and 2 or more fingers means she's either close to or laying already.
These are few reason why your hen may not lay eggs or stop laying. If you observed any of these listed reasons ,please make correction immediately.

HOW TO INCREASE EGG PRODUCTION IN POULTRY FARMING

Egg production is one of the most profitable aspect of poultry farming, and higher egg production is the prayer of all poultry farmer.
As the cold weather months roll in, daytime and egg production decreases. In addition to the daylight decrease, other factors may affect your chickens' egg production.
You may ask yourself, "What is it about the daylight difference and this time of year that slows egg production?" or "How can I increase my chickens' egg production?" The solutions are relatively easy and has boosted chickens egg production by a large margin. Chickens require 14 hours of sunlight to lay one egg. Once fall and winter arrive, 14 hours of sunlight is uncertain. Because of this you can help your chickens to think that sunlight lasts longer by placing a light bulb in there house or net and you must make sure the light is put on all time. As the light on  chickens will think of it to be sunlight, and lay more eggs because they receive the required amount of "sunlight". Major egg factories use light bulbs to provide "sunlight" to their chickens and maximize their egg production.

Another factor that may affect egg laying is chicken diet. Chickens need a higher protein diet during cold weather , this make them stay warm. Feeding them scratch every other morning helps them to stay warmer and gives them more protein. I suggest you feed them some scratch every other day. So far, his advice has proven to be beneficial. 
To get your chickens wanting to eat their food, try mixing in some warm milk or water in with their food. Also be sure to keep their water liquid, not ice. Since an egg consists of mainly water, they need to drink plenty of water in order to lay an egg. However, if ducks are present in the chicken house, a barrel or trough with a barrier around it that is tall enough for your birds to get plenty of water.
Don't forget that you layer hen need sunlight to lay more egg, you can use   electric bulb during cold weather to make the warn and also to serve as source of sunlight for them, don't also forget to add more protein to their feeds during cold weather.