Duration of egg production in laying hens
Raising chickens is a profitable business, the main benefit of which is obtaining eggs and meat. These products have become 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 of how many years the chickens are rushing and is the livestock rushing every day with proper care and proper maintenance?
How many years chickens rush at home
Eggs and meat are rich in various useful microelements: vitamins and amino acids. In addition, the hen's egg itself is assimilated by the human body by 98%, which is why these products are so appreciated by the people. Having decided to keep layers at home, you need to know not only about the features of caring for them, but also about how many years the chickens are rushing.
When the birds start to fly
One of the most important factors that affect at what age birds begin to fly and how long chickens fly, is the breed of feathered. It is most rational for such purposes to contain egg varieties... Such a chicken is carried 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 8 months, the weight and size of the eggs increases, and the yolk decreases.
Chickens can start laying eggs earlier. It all depends on the emotional state of the winged. Keeping domestic chickens is not easy. The breeder should choose a safe, quiet place for them. If a chicken coop will be located next to a road, this may affect the period of egg production, its beginning and duration. In addition, if other birds live on the farm, this can also negatively affect productivity. Any psychological discomfort is reflected in how many eggs hens can lay per day, week, or even year. Therefore, the breeder should fulfill all the necessary requirements so that the layers give him the desired profit.
Conditions for the duration of the bird productivity period
In a household environment, chickens 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 due to the individual characteristics of crosses or common breeds. In addition, much depends on the correctness of the actions of the breeder. The egg production of poultry is affected by:
- Features of the diet. Balanced dietcontaining the correct proportion of protein, fat and carbohydrates, affects the health of chickens. The stronger their immunity, the better the productivity and its duration. In addition, it is important that the food consumed by birds has a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals found in vegetables, herbs, shells and other products.
- Conditions of detention. the chicken coop must be protected from drafts, have ventilation and a heating system that birds need during the cold season.It is also important that feeders and drinkers are installed inside the house so that birds can easily access them.
- Genetic factor. Layers that are of the egg breed will lay eggs longer than others. In addition, the characteristics of the bird's immunity to various diseases are also important, which also affect productivity.
- Chick hatch time period.
In households, the bird rushes 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 you do not cull chickens older than 2 years, the taste of the meat also deteriorates, so the breeder should consider in advance the need to rotate the livestock. The farmer must raise chickens or acquire new ones. But there are also 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 it
In order to maintain domestic chickens correctly, without losses and problems, you should also be aware that there are pauses during the period of egg production.
They can be caused by deficiencies in care and feeding, as well as by the characteristics of the immune system. Often, the interruption of the production period is caused by natural molt, which each bird undergoes once in its entire life. This process starts at one year of age and lasts up to 5 months. Some hens are more susceptible to molt, for which they should be discarded. Healthy chickens molt quickly and in parts.
Laying hens can also suffer from painful shedding, which also affects productivity. How long such a pause lasts depends on the state of the hens' immunity, as well as the actions of the breeder. Most often, the main culprits of this phenomenon are:
- content errors;
- lack of nutrients in the daily diet;
- stress;
- hormonal disruptions.
Household birds also experience an annual molt during the fall. The decline in productivity is rapid. Most often, laying hens are restored after 30-50 days. Some farmers go for the trick, independently causing molt in the entire livestock. The most favorable period is the end of summer.
In a home environment, the artificial molt method shows a good effect. After the completion of the plumage change, the chicken rushes more actively and better. Artificial molting can be caused in different ways (hormonal, zootechnical, etc.). The main thing is to consult a veterinarian before this, so that human actions do not lead to irreversible consequences.
Keeping productivity on the same level
The number of eggs per day, month and year will be produced by a laying hen, which is kept in a household, many factors affect. Some of them can be influenced in their favor by the breeder himself. To constantly maintain the level of your own profit, you should systematically change the livestock that rushes. Old, unproductive birds are discarded, leaving only profitable chickens. But not less important is the replenishment of the brood. The number of adult chickens that still continue to lay should not exceed 40% of all livestock. The remaining majority are young.
The process of replenishing the livestock also has its own characteristics, which include:
- The need to keep new chickens isolated from the old stock. The birds may not get along together, as well as contract infectious diseases from each other.
- The place where future chickens will live must be cleaned and disinfected, a chicken coop that was previously operated and not cleaned is dangerous for young chickens. They can get sick.
- The chicken coop should be equipped with a special aviary for walking. It is best to place it on the grass, which hens can eat, replenishing their diet with useful substances.
It is impractical to keep old birds. Already after 2 years, their productivity falls, the quality of their meat deteriorates. Plus, they eat the same way. As soon as the costs spent on feed cease to pay off, individual birds are culled. A novice farmer can also be guided by how many months are given to laying hens for existence. For production purposes, chickens are culled by 11 months. In a household, it is better to produce it up to 2 years.
In addition, every breeder should be aware of the peculiarities of bird care. Sometimes egg production rates decrease due to improper human selection work. Only healthy individuals, purebred chickens without defects in development should be left for further maintenance.