Entrepreneurs are trying to develop their business to the maximum. Farmers are no exception. Every owner of laying hens tries to understand how many eggs a hen lays per day. This indicator is very important and characterizes how you take care of the livestock: whether the feeding is correct, whether the coop is suitable, whether there is enough light, whether the temperature is optimal, etc. We will talk about all this now in the article.
Features of the egg-laying process of laying hens
They consist in the fact that hens will lay eggs only in one case – if they decide to have offspring. If unfavorable conditions are created for laying hens, they will not lay. Therefore, it is important that the chicken is comfortable and safe.
When the chickens start laying
No expert can tell the exact age, down to the day. Proper care, feeding and biological factors influence.
The vast majority of birds begin to lay after reaching a weight that is 75% of the weight of an average adult laying hen. This weight is reached with the onset of puberty.
How much a hen carries depends on many factors. The first egg can be obtained from a bird at the age of about five months. In the case of an earlier start of the process, it is worth contacting a veterinarian to check the person’s health.
Factors influencing the bearing capacity
There are a number of factors that affect the number of eggs laid:
- maintenance and care;
- breed and biological orientation;
- seasonality;
- age;
- health status.
What points should you pay special attention to when breeding laying hens:
- Conditions of detention. The room should be dry, well ventilated. A place for walking is being equipped. No more than five laying hens should be placed on one square meter.
- Temperature in the room. In winter, the indicator should not be lower than 15 °С, and in summer not higher than 25 °С.
- sat down The ideal location of the seat is the wall opposite the window. Nests for laying hens with an egg collector can be placed in the corners of the chicken coop.
- Floor. The entire area of the chicken coop should be covered with straw – laying hens will not freeze in winter.
- Lighting. Birds fly when there is enough light. It is recommended to leave the lighting on for up to 13-14 hours a day.
- Food. The right diet is the key to the health of chickens. Feed should be rich in vitamins and trace elements. The standard portion for one adult is 140 grams in summer and 120 grams in winter. Meals are provided 3-4 times a day.
- Feeders The main thing is that there are enough feeders and drinkers for the birds.
- Vermin. If parasites are found in a laying hen, you can give her a mixture of ash and sand.
- Noise. Birds do not like loud sounds and noise. It is necessary to ensure the maximum possible silence in the room.
How the breed affects the laying
There are three types of breeds:
- Eggs. They are characterized by low weight and size, full plumage, stable comb. Puberty ends by 4-5 months. Laying begins in the 18th week.
- Meat and egg. Such breeds are produced by crossing meat and egg-laying birds. Their weight is greater than that of eggs. They have high productivity. They reach reproductive age a little later – in six months. Laying begins at 20 weeks.
- meat Heavy and bulky birds. The weight of one individual can reach 7 kilograms. Among the distinguishing features: short legs and sparse plumage. They are grown exclusively for meat. They do not live to reproductive age. The reproductive system is finally formed by 7-8 months of life. Egg-laying from the 28th week.
The process of egg formation lasts 25 hours, subject to the conditions of care and feeding. How the egg is formed:
- The yolk ripens.
- After ripening, the yolk passes through the reproductive organs, becoming covered with protein.
- Finally, a protective film and shell is formed.
Already forty minutes after the release of the formed egg, a new yolk is formed in the genital tract.
Do you need a rooster to lay a hen?
If the main goal is eggs, then you can do without a rooster. A chicken egg is a large female reproductive cell. It is constantly formed in the chicken’s body. The rooster fertilizes this cage. If the farmer decides to increase the number of birds, he will have to get a rooster.
How many years do chickens lay?
Maximum productivity in birds is observed from 7 to 20 months of life. Then the egg-laying rate drops. Annually, the indicator decreases by 10-20%.
In poultry farms, the stock is renewed annually. At home, a laying hen can live up to three years. It makes no sense to keep the chicken any longer, because the feed consumption will remain at the same level, and the egg-laying rate will decrease to negligible levels. The meat will become inedible (rubbery).
Breeding chickens, left for breeding, can live up to five years. After reaching the age of five, the eggs become unsuitable for incubation.
The average lifespan of one individual is 3 years. During this period, food costs are justified by the number of eggs laid, meat that can be eaten.
The best breeds
The best breeds of laying hens (the number of eggs is indicated per year):
- Leghorn – their productivity reaches 300 pcs.;
- Laurent Brown – 315;
- Minorca – about 200;
- Russian white – up to 200;
- Hamburg – 220;
- Andalusian – 200.
It is interesting! In 1930, a laying hen of the Leghorn breed was entered in the Guinness Book of Records for 361 eggs laid in a year.
How many eggs can a hen lay?
Spring is considered the most favorable season for egg laying. This period accounts for up to 90% of the reproductive potential. With the beginning of seasonal molting or with the onset of cold weather, productivity indicators decrease significantly.
In order to know how many eggs you can count on, you need to study the average statistics of egg laying.
In the day
In spring, under favorable conditions, a laying hen will lay one egg per day. In winter, the indicator drops to one egg every two days. This applies to egg-laying hens. Egg hybrids lay once every two days, and meat hybrids lay one egg every three days.
In a week
If we look at the indicators for seven days, then from laying hens they get 4-6 eggs, from egg-meat chickens – 3-4, from meat chickens – 3 eggs per week.
Per month
In 1 month, you can count on the following indicators:
- scrambled eggs – from 17 to 26 pieces;
- egg and meat – from 13 to 15 pieces;
- meat – from 10 to 13 pieces.
In a year
Average statistical annual indicators:
- Egg individual – from 200 to 240 pieces.
- Universal – from 160 to 180 pieces.
- Meat – from 120 to 160 eggs per year. Although meat birds lay fewer eggs, each egg weighs more compared to others.
It is important to take into account the period of seasonal molting and the manifestation of the brooding instinct. In such periods, hens take a break in egg-laying. And in winter, the reproductive instinct of laying hens is dulled – productivity drops sharply.
How to increase the number of eggs
To begin with, you need to understand why the rate of egg laying is decreasing. Factors that reduce performance indicators:
- Linka The change of plumage lasts from 14 days to 3 months. During this period, the bird stops laying eggs.
- Age. Every year the productivity decreases.
- Seasonality. In a cold winter or a hot summer, chickens stop laying if the temperature in the chicken coop is not suitable.
- Disease. If an individual is ill, then the body’s forces will be directed to the fight against the disease, and not to procreation.
- Lighting. If there is a lack of light, laying will be slowed down.
What must be done to increase the productivity of birds? It is necessary to exclude irritating factors. Get as close as possible to ideal chicken conditions.
Optimal temperature
It is necessary to insulate the chicken coop. This is done to achieve the most comfortable temperature. It is ideal if the temperature does not fall below 15 °C in winter, and does not rise above 25 °C in summer. It is necessary to let the birds out for a walk every morning.
Lighting of the aviary
The chicken coop must have windows. Birds love daylight. For the winter period, additional lighting will have to be carried out. The longer the daylight hours, the more eggs the hen lays. The optimal day length is 13-14 hours.
Proper feeding
Proper feeding of laying hens is a whole science. It is important to follow the rules so that the chicken is healthy and productive.
- Compliance with the regime. Feeding takes place at equal intervals. The first meal is immediately after waking up, the last meal is one hour before bedtime.
- The right components. In the morning hours, it is better to give a mixture of boiled mashed potatoes, groats, previously crushed, shell and bran. In the evening, whole grains, for example, corn, wheat and others.
- Special attention should be paid to the composition of the feed. The work of the reproductive system depends on the balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and minerals in the diet. With an unbalanced diet, productivity drops to 100 eggs per year. If you approach the issue of nutrition wisely, feed consumption will be reduced by two times.
- Adherence to dietary norms. The amount of feed depends on the weight of the bird. An average chicken weighing 2 kilograms eats 130 grams of feed per day. If the bird is overfed or underfed, the number of eggs laid will decrease.
In addition to the standard diet, it is recommended to introduce supplements. It is worth giving laying hens sprouted grains and a yeast supplement.
To germinate a cereal crop, it is necessary to pour a certain amount of cereals with heated water. The readiness of the supplement is determined by the appearance of green shoots.
The yeast supplement is prepared as follows: 30 g of fresh yeast is diluted in one and a half liters of warm water. A kilogram of crushed grain is added to the mixture. Leave for 9 hours. The supplement is ready.
The right choice of breed
The breed of the bird affects the egg laying. A laying hen can lay up to 330 eggs a year. Laying hens of other varieties are much inferior to them.
In addition to the breed of chickens, farmers carefully study the appearance of individuals. The bird is characterized by a dense skeleton, a graceful constitution, a large red comb, and a soft belly. Mandatory criteria are low weight and compact size. The plumage is smooth.
Good performance is noted in hyperactive individuals who run from morning to night, and do not sit on the bench.
Possible problems
Chickens are prone to diseases. If the problem is not solved, livestock may die. Diseases are divided into three types:
- Infectious. They develop when pathogens (infections) enter the chicken’s body. The most common infectious diseases are colibacteriosis, tuberculosis, pasteurellosis, salmonellosis, and Newcastle disease.
- Non-infectious diseases. They are not contagious, but they pose a great danger to the health of chickens. The most common: goiter atony, gastroenteritis, vitamin deficiency, cloacitis.
- Parasitic – contagious diseases. Parasites can be internal or external.
Some diseases can be cured at home, but most of them require the intervention of a specialist. Dangerous symptoms:
- elevated temperature;
- apathy;
- increased thirst;
- decreased appetite;
- wheezing;
- change in the color of the comb and earrings;
- diarrhea;
- secretion of mucus from the nostrils;
- lacrimation;
- conjunctivitis;
- lameness;
- a sharp decrease in weight;
- hardening of the goiter, sagging;
- scabies;
- shedding of feathers not during the molting period.
If symptoms are detected, you should contact a veterinarian for qualified help. Otherwise, not only the sick chicken, but also the livestock may die.
How high the productivity of laying hens will be depends only on the farmer. If you follow the rules for caring for chickens, treat sick birds in time, and periodically update the stock, you can count on high productivity.