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.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN BUYING NEW CHICKENS

When you are about to buy your new or old chicken, there are some things you should look out for, all what you need to know will be discuss on this blog.
When buying chickens, whether it's for the first time or not, we all get excited. We know though that it requires research and sometimes that can take a lot of time. In this article, I have combined some of the basic information you need to get started. In some of my article I discussed getting the right breeds for you, now I'm going to discuss what to look for when buying new chickens. I'll go through these questions: How to tell if the birds you are buying are healthy? How to tell pullets from cockerels? How to tell if you are getting good laying hens? This article will give you a few tips and help to make your job a whole lot easier.

How to tell if the birds you are buying are healthy-

Buying healthy birds is always important. You want to make sure you are getting healthy birds so you don't have to spend money to treat them or so that they won't infect the rest of your flock. Here's some signs to look for, not just in the birds but from the place you are buying them from too.

1. Check the holding. (Clean tidy farms are an indication of better hygiene therefore their birds are less likely to have disease)
2. Check the other birds on the farm to see if they seem bright, alert and active.
3. Check your chosen chicken(s). - Are they bright, active and scratching around? (Note: Dull, withdrawn, hunched chickens are generally unwell)
4. Check for diarrhea in the pen.
5. Check the bird’s vent is not pasty. (Droppings sticking to the feathers which can block the poop, this can be fatal)
6. Listen for sneezing and congestion.
7. Check for runny or swelling in the eyes.
8. Check the eyes are bright and clear with no discharge.
9. Look at the feathers of the chicken. (If they are ruffled and the feathers don't seem neatly together they are likely unhealthy)
10. Check for mites and lice.
11. Look for scaly leg. (Symptoms are raised encrusted, thickened scales)
12. Check the muscle on either side of its breast bone. (Very prominent breast bones are a sign of being underweight)
13. Check the pads of the chickens feet for abscesses and ulcers.

Now if the chickens have a couple of these signs it might be okay to bring them home you can nurse them back to health if you wish, but just remember that if you have other birds, quarantine your new ones from them for 3 weeks just to make sure they don't have some illness and they won't infect your existing flock.
Keep in mind also, if you buy from a NPIP flock the birds are tested yearly, and the facility is inspected by a USDA or State Veterinarian, you will most likely not be able to visit the chicks or pens because of biosecurity rules.

How to tell pullets from cockerels-

When buying new chickens you want to be able to tell females from males, especially if you want them for egg laying. Above 5 months of age chickens are generally pretty easy to tell which ones are females and which ones are males, but what about when they are still young?

By one week old, pullets (females) usually have wing and tail feathers developing earlier than cockerels (males).

By five weeks old:
1. Cockerels are usually bigger than pullets.
2. Cockerels have a bigger, redder comb.
3. Cockerels are braver and more friendly.
4. Cockerels have longer, thicker legs.
5. Cockerels have a curved, stumpy tail.
6. The feathering in cockerels is less developed all over - on the legs, back, side of neck, crops, wing bows and flank you may see quills or down rather than well developed feathers.

One great trick to try is to note their behavior when you put your finger in front of their faces/beaks. Pullets will cower down, while cockerels will stand up to you.
All these tips will help you in determine healthy and productive hen, if you also have any other tips you can comment so that others can learn from your experience. Thanks.

THE LENGTH OF TIME IT WILL TAKE TURKEY TO BEGING LAYING EGGS

Turkeys are one of the wonderful  backyard poultry pet. Although not prolific layers, hens produce spotted gourmet-quality eggs and the iridescent feathers of the males can be used in feather crafts. The length of time it will take your turkey to begin laying eggs or be large enough to serve up for dinner will depend on its breed.

Turkeys for meat.
Some domesticated turkeys have been breed for rapid growth to be ready for the table after 14 weeks. The male turkeys weigh in at more than 40 pounds at this age and females are in the 35-pound range. Broad-breasted bronze and white turkeys are the two most widely available meat breeds. They are not good egg layers and can grow too large to support their weight with their legs.

Local Breeds
Heritage turkey breeds such as the Narrangansett or royal palm mature much more slowly than the broad-breasted breeds. At 28 weeks, the turkeys are ready for the table with males weighing in at a little more than 20 pounds and females about 8 pounds lighter. These turkeys become sexually mature at 5 to 6 months of age and females will lay an egg every other day in the spring and early summer beginning at 6 or 7 months old.
  The local turkey eggs can be fertile naturally by mating while the foreign Turkey can only get fertile artificially.

Labels: Turkey maturity time

BACKYARD CHICKEN FARM FOR EGGS PRODUCTION

If you don't have the space to erect a coop for a few laying hens, your eggs will have to continue coming from the grocery store. But it's worth giving up a bit of backyard space and a little of your time in exchange for your eggs supply .

             Size of the House
Determining the size of hen house you need is kind of like a "chicken and the egg" quandary. You need to know how many laying hens you'll be housing in order to build the coop, but you have to have a coop before you can bring home your hens. The amount of space available for a hen house might dictate how many hens you'll end up with. Build your hen house first then figure out how many laying hens you can have. Since 2 1/2 to 3 square feet is the amount of floor space each of your hens will need, divide the square footage of your coop by 3. The resulting number is the maximum number of laying hens you should have.

The Laying Parlor
A house for your laying hens is more than a dry, secure place to keep them. Your chickens' coop should be divided into separate areas just like your house is. The laying parlor is an important feature for your hen house since you'll be keeping hens expressly for the purpose of laying eggs. This area should take up about 1/3 of the total house. Provide at least one nest for every four hens you have and elevate the nests 4 to 24 inches above the ground. This can be done either by building a platform to place the nests upon or by nailing them to the wall. You don't have to place a dividing wall in the coop, but you can lay a 2 by 4 on the ground at the threshold of the parlor to designate the laying parlor from the rest of the hen house.

Roosting And Living Areas
The biggest part of your hens' house will be like a great room. Your hens will have 2/3 of their living space for roosting, eating and exercise. It doesn't matter how you arrange the roosting and living areas of the coop, but one way is to place rails 18 to 24 inches above the ground on the opposite end of the coop from the laying parlor. Use 2 inch dowels or pieces of wood that are 2 inches by 2 inches. Depending on how many laying hens you have, you may need more than one rail, as each chicken should be allowed 6 inches of space to roost upon. If you require more than one roost, space them 14 inches apart from each other. A food hopper and water fountain can be placed anywhere else within the living space.

Dirt, Wood Or Concrete Floor?
Hen houses don't require a specific type of flooring, provided that the coop protects your chickens from predators and any type of weather. It can even have a dirt floor if the house itself sits on concrete footings or other secure system that would prevent a raccoon or other marauder from getting in to steal eggs and harm your hens. Your chickens enjoy taking a dust bath occasionally, so if you asked them they would definitely vote for dirt flooring. If you opt for a wood or concrete floor, count on laying in a supply of sawdust or wood shavings to use as litter. No matter what type of flooring you use, you'll have to sweep up droppings and keep the floor of your hen house clean.

TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF COCCIDIOSIS DISEASE IN CHICKEN

Coccidiosis is one of the most deadliest disease in poultry Chicken.    The coccidia organism causes the disease call coccidiosis. Coccidia is a microscopic protozoan parasite that lives in chicken's intestines. Coccidia is prevalent in chickens. Coccidiosis can affect chickens' weight gain and overall health, and it can kill them if left untreated.

There are eight species of coccidia that can infect chickens. Eight species include Eimeria tenella, E. burnetti, E. maxima, E. necatrix, E. praecox, E. acervulina, E. mivati and E. mitis. While other species can get coccidia, including humans, coccidia that infect chickens cannot infect other species, and vice versa. So if you own turkeys, coccidia from your turkeys cannot infect chickens, nor can chicken coccidia infect you or your dog. Depending on what kind of coccidia your chicken is infested with will determine where in the intestine the infestation occurs. The infestation may occur in the duodenal loop, the intestine or the caecum.

SYMPTOMS AND SIGN OF COCCIDIOSIS

Coccidia symptoms include bloody diarrhea, watery diarrhea, ruffled feathers, huddling, weight loss, depression, paleness, lack of appetite and poor weight gain -- but chickens may show no symptoms whatsoever. Most birds are affected between the ages of 3 and 5 weeks old. While it can affect any chicken at any age, most chickens are immune to coccidia by the time they're 14 weeks old. Your veterinarian can diagnose coccidiosis by looking for oocysts or protozoan eggs in a bird's fecal sample under a microscope.

         TREATMENT

You can treat coccidia outbreaks either with medication prescribed by your veterinarian or with anticoccidial medications available at feed stores and from poultry suppliers. Follow the medication's directions for treating chickens.

               PREVENTION

Many chick foods come pre-medicated to prevent coccidiosis outbreaks. When fed to chicks, it helps build the young chicks' immunity to the parasite by allowing some oocysts to make it through. You can prevent coccidiosis by eliminating wet litter and use an ammonia-type pine cleaner to disinfect the areas. Keeping the brooder (House) clean will keep your Chicken away from coccidia, also keep it under control.

REMEDY FOR FOWL POX IN POULTRY FARMING

The disease call fowl pox is a viral disease that comes under the heading of avian pox. Other strains of avian pox include pigeon pox and canary pox. Fowl pox affects domesticated birds like chickens and turkeys. The virus is slow moving, taking up to five weeks to run its course. It is contracted through direct and indirect contact with scratches and sores on the skin, or through the mucous membrane in the mouth and eyes.

How to Detect It fowl pox

The pox usually shows up as warty bumps on the exposed skin of the chicken: wattle, comb, and sometimes the feet. This is the most common strain called dry pox. Dry pox is rarely deadly. The lesions eventually dry up and scab over, then disappear. The other type of fowl pox is wet pox. It shows up as yellowish bumps or lesions in the mouth, nasal passages and sometimes eyes. These present more possibility of death because they can sometimes get large enough to pose a threat to the bird's ability to breathe. If both types of pox are present in the same chicken, the mortality rate is higher.

What You Can Do to treat fowl pox ?

While there is no treatment or cure for fowl pox, there are some things you can do to lower the risks to your flock. Prevention is the best medicine, of course. Vaccines are inexpensive and fairly easy to administer. Remove a couple of feathers from the wing web area and press the vaccine into the skin with a specially made "stabber." Check a few days later for a scabbed over bump. This means the vaccine took. Since parasites like mosquitoes, lice and mites help spread the virus, keep standing water to a minimum and check your flock often for signs of infestation. If some of your chickens already show signs of the pox, vaccinate all that have no signs immediately to stop the spread. For birds suffering from the virus, you may want to swab the sores with iodine. According to Peter Brown at the First State Veterinary Supply site, this has been shown to help shorten the duration of the symptoms. You can also add antibiotics and vitamins to the water to keep the birds in general good health while they fight the virus.
You can also get fowl pox drug from near by veterinary store or where poultry drug are available.

DID BROILER LAY EGG ? EGG LAYING FREQUENCY IN BROILERS HEN.

  Broiler chickens is hybrid breed and grow rapidly, reaching full growth by the time they are 8 to 12 weeks old. The chickens are a hybrid breed known as a Cornish cross, which grown with larger than normal breasts and legs. If you don't watch their weight, chickens may grow too heavy to stand on their legs and have difficulty reproducing. Egg production decreases with obesity, but even at optimal weights, broilers lay eggs far less frequently than other breeds.

LAYING IN BROILERS
Broiler chicken breeds raised for their eggs lay about 250 eggs per year. They begin laying at 5 to 6 months old when the days lengthen in the springtime and stop when days grow short in winter. Broiler chickens lay fewer eggs than other breeds, usually about 140 per year. The heavy hens are awkward and often break eggs when getting up off the nest.

Maximizing Production
If you want to produce the next generation of chicks, you'll need to keep your broilers on a strict diet to prevent obesity, which makes it difficult for the rooster to fertilize the hen's eggs. If eggs for your table is what you're after, consider slower-growing heavy breeds such as Orpingtons, Wyandottes or Rhode Island Reds. Although they'll take a few weeks more to raise to full size, you'll benefit with an increase in egg production of more than 100 per bird over the course of just one laying year.