If your hens have instantly stopped laying eggs, you are not alone—and there’s generally an excellent explanation guiding it. In keeping with Gail Damerow, highly regarded poultry pro and writer on the Chicken Well being Handbook and Storey’s Manual to Raising Chickens, egg-laying is a posh approach motivated by a number of environmental, Organic, and nutritional components. Here i will discuss the highest five explanations your hens may well end laying, as defined by Damerow, along with simple guidelines to aid your flock get again on the right track.

one. Molting Period
Molting is a pure method where by chickens get rid of aged feathers and increase new kinds. Damerow emphasizes that molting normally takes place yearly, commonly in late summer time or slide, and it demands an incredible degree of Vitality. All through this time, hens usually pause egg output to conserve nutrients for feather regrowth.

What to do: Be patient and supply excess protein (including mealworms or significant-protein feed) to support the molting approach. At the time your hens are finished molting, egg manufacturing need to resume.

two. Lessened Daylight
Chickens are extremely attentive to mild. As outlined by Damerow, hens require a minimum of 14 to 16 hours of daylight to sustain typical laying. As daylight hrs shorten in drop and Winter season, hens In a natural way lower or prevent laying completely.

How to proceed: You could nutritional supplement with synthetic lights from the coop in the darker months. Utilize a very low-watt bulb over a timer to simulate a longer day, but steer clear of excessive lights, which often can strain the birds.

three. Inadequate Nutrition
Diet is one of the most overlooked explanations for diminished egg creation. Damerow warns that even tiny imbalances inside a hen’s diet—like much too minor calcium, protein, or crucial vitamins—may lead to a visible drop in laying.

How to proceed: Assure your hens have entry to an entire layer feed, as well as thoroughly clean h2o, oyster shells for calcium, and occasional clean greens or kitchen area scraps. Keep away from overfeeding treats or scratch grains, which dilute the nutritional value in their diet.

four. Stress and Environmental Improvements
Tension provides a direct impact on a hen’s reproductive cycle. Damerow notes that sudden modifications—such as a predator attack, new flock customers, coop relocation, or extreme climate—might cause hens to halt laying.

What to do: Lessen disruptions and retain a relaxed, steady natural environment. Give new birds time to integrate little by little, and provide a lot of Area, perches, and Nhà Cái Fun88 nest containers to lower competition and nervousness.

5. Age and Health Issues
As hens age, their egg production Normally declines. Damerow explains that most hens arrive at peak laying all over 18 to 24 months and progressively taper off over the years. Health issues, parasites, or underlying health concerns might also interfere with laying.

What to do: Watch older hens for indications of sickness, and consider common wellness checks. While older hens might not lay as normally, they nevertheless lead to flock dynamics and will Reside content, healthy lives.

Last Ideas
As Gail Damerow correctly advises, egg-laying is not just about biology—it’s about stability. Whenever your hens halt laying, it’s usually their method of telling you anything’s off. With notice to lights, nourishment, and treatment, you may help your flock prosper and retain All those egg baskets whole.