Duration of egg laying in laying hens

Raising chickens is a profitable business, the main benefit of which is getting eggs and meat. These products are so integrated into our diet that it is very difficult to imagine your life without them. But breeders have always been interested in the question, how many years are the hens rushing, and does the livestock every day with full care and proper maintenance?

How old are hens at home

Eggs and meat are rich in various useful microelements: vitamins and amino acids. In addition, the chicken egg itself is absorbed by the human body by 98%, so these When deciding to keep laying hens at home, you need to know not only about the peculiarities of caring for them, but also about how old the hens are.

When the birds start to rush

One of the most important factors that influence how old the birds begin to bear and how long the hens are carried is the breed of the bird. It is most rational for such purposes to contain egg varieties . Such a chicken rushes from the age of five months. The eggs themselves are small in size, and their color depends on what breed the bird itself is. In addition, products from the first clutches have a large yolk. By the age of 8 months, the weight and size of eggs increases, and the yolk decreases.

Chickens may begin to lay eggs earlier. It all depends on the emotional state of the winged.Keeping domestic chickens is not an easy task. The breeder should choose a safe, quiet place for them. If the chicken coop is located next to the highway, this may affect the period of egg production, its beginning and duration. In addition, if other birds live in the farm, this can also negatively affect productivity. Any psychological discomfort is reflected in how many eggs a chicken can carry per day, week or even a year. Therefore, the breeder should fulfill all the necessary requirements so that the laying hens give him the desired profit.

Conditions for the duration of the period of bird productivity

In the conditions of housekeeping, hens begin to lay eggs early , from 4-6 months.

But the length of the productive period is difficult to predict. The highest rate – up to 300 eggs per year – is achieved thanks to the individual characteristics of crosses or ordinary breeds. In addition, much depends on the correctness of the actions of the breeder. The egg production of poultry is affected by:

1. Features of the diet. A balanced diet , which includes the right proportion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, affects the health status of chickens. The stronger their immunity, the better their productivity and its duration. In addition, it is important that the food consumed by the birds has a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals found in vegetables, herbs, shells and other products.
2. Conditions of detention.the chicken house must be protected from drafts, have ventilation and a heating system, which is necessary for birds in the cold season. It is also important that feeders and drinking bowls are installed inside the house so that birds can have unhindered access to them.
3. Genetic factor. Egg laying hens will lay eggs longer than others. In addition, the characteristics of poultry immunity to various diseases, which also affect productivity, are also important.
4. Chick hatching time period.

In households, birds carry up to 2 years. Of these, only 12-18 months are most beneficial for the farmer. After this period, productivity decreases, as does the quality of the eggs themselves. After 2 years, no matter how hard a person tries, the egg production rate will decrease and it will be inappropriate to keep such winged ones.

If hens are not culled for more than 2 years, the meat’s taste also worsens, so the breeder should consider in advance the need for livestock rotation. The farmer must raise chickens or acquire new ones. But there are exceptions. Some chickens can be beneficial for keeping, because, despite their mature age, they continue to make a profit for the breeder. But all such cases are individual and rare, so you should carefully monitor the livestock and timely identify and eliminate unproductive individuals.

Every farmer should know about this

In order to properly maintain, without losses and problems, domestic chickens, you should also know that there are pauses in the laying period .

They can be caused by deficiencies in care and feeding, as well as immunity features. Often the fault of interrupting the productivity period is the natural molting, which each bird passes once in its entire life. This process begins at the age of one and lasts up to 5 months. Some layers are more susceptible to molting , for which they should be discarded. Healthy hens molt quickly and in parts.

Laying hens can also suffer from painful molting, which also affects productivity. How long such a pause lasts depends on the state of immunity of the hens, as well as the actions of the breeder. Most often, the main culprits of this phenomenon are:

1. errors in the content;
2. lack of nutrients in the daily diet;
3. stress;
4. hormonal disruptions.

Birds kept in household conditions also experience annual molting during the autumn season. The decline in productivity is fast. Most often, laying hens recover after 30-50 days. Some farmers go on a trick, independently causing molting in the entire livestock. The most favorable period is the end of summer.

In home conditions, the method of artificial molting shows a good effect.After the completion of the plumage change, the chicken rushes more actively and better. Artificial molting can be caused in various ways (hormonal, livestock, etc.). The main thing is to consult a veterinarian before this so that human actions do not lead to irreversible consequences.

Maintain productivity at the same level

How many eggs per day, month and per year, the laying hen, which is kept in the household, will give a lot of factors. Some of them can be influenced by the breeder himself. In order to constantly maintain the level of one’s own profit, one should systematically change the number of animals being carried. Old, unproductive birds are discarded, leaving only profitable chickens. But no less important is the replenishment of the brood. The number of adult chickens that still continue to haul should not exceed 40% of all living creatures. The remaining majority is young stock.

The replenishment process also has its own characteristics, which include:

1. The need for the isolation of new chickens from the old stock. The birds may not get along together, and also become infected by infectious diseases from each other.
2. The place where future chickens will live should be cleaned and disinfected, the chicken coop that was previously used and has not been cleaned is dangerous for young chickens . They can get sick.
3. The chicken coop should be equipped with a special enclosure for walking.It is best to place it on the grass, which laying hens can eat, replenishing their diet with useful substances.

It is inappropriate to keep old birds. After 2 years, their productivity decreases, and the quality of their meat deteriorates. In addition, they eat the same way. As soon as the costs spent on food cease to pay off, individual birds are discarded. A novice farmer can also focus on how many months are given to laying hens for subsistence. For production purposes, chickens are already culled by 11 months. In households, it is better to do this up to 2 years.

In addition, each breeder should be aware of the peculiarities of bird care. Sometimes egg production is reduced due to improper breeding of a person. Only healthy individuals, thoroughbred hens without developmental defects should be left for further maintenance.