How to Get the Most Eggs from Your Chickens
May 21, 2014
Many chicken-keepers are shocked when I say I
expect one egg a day from my hens. Honest, I'm not a cold-hearted task master
who expects our girls to behave like egg laying machines. I do, however, expect them to do their job
on our homestead. And they comply, too - as long as I do my part.
Looking to optimize egg production in your
backyard? Here are my best tips.
1.
Be picky. When selecting chicken breeds, bear in mind that
some breeds are better layers than others. If eggs are a priority for you, select
breeds that typically lay 6 - 7 eggs a week. The easiest way to research this
is to check a breed chart, like this one. There is an exception to this
rule: Bantam hens. They are often terrific egg layers - plus they are cute and
small. But their eggs are cute and small, too, which means you'll need twice as
many in the kitchen. Bantams make sweet pets, but if you want lots of eggs,
there are better breed choices.
2.
Feed 'em right. Chicks require chick feed. Pullets
need starter feed. And once hens are of laying age, you must give them quality
layer feed. Make sure your hens have access to both feed and water 24/7, even
when you hope they'll mostly free range. Proper diet keeps chickens healthy,
happy, and laying properly.
3.
Avoid snacking. All chickens need regular access to
grit and oyster shell or ground up eggs. But feeding them lots of supplemental
food, like table scraps, mealy worms, or scratch, reduces their egg production.
I do give our chickens food scraps, but I can always tell when I've given them
too much; suddenly my hens take an egg laying vacation.
4.
Avoid stressing them out - because stressed hens don't
lay well. Stress can include keeping too large a flock, having an
overly-dominate or mean rooster, keeping chickens in a run that's too small, or
any major changes to your chickens' lives.
5.
Consider the light. During winter, there's less light each
day, and consequently all hens slow down in egg production. If you want to
encourage better laying, add a light to the hen house. Or simply choose a breed that tends to lay better in the winter, such as Australorps.
6.
Keep 'em young. It's sad but true; young hens lay
considerably better than older ones. After the 3 year mark, few hens continue
laying an egg a day. If egg production is important to you, dispatch older hens
and replace them with chicks or pullets.
By following these six simple steps, you'll have a
more productive flock - which not only gives you more eggs to eat or sell, but
cuts your homesteading costs, too. Now that's what I call a winning situation.
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LAst year we got chickens for the first time. Unfortunately, the first batch all got killed by some animal. The next 6 chickens we got, 5 were roosters. So we ate a couple, a couple ran away and we were left with a Top Hat pet hen. :) Then this spring, we got 8 sexed chicks and 3 different breeds. They were growing well and we had just moved them to the outside coup and then after a few nights, something attacked the coup and ate them all, including our pet hen from last year. WE got so sad that we gave up on chickens for now! Maybe in another year we will try again. The kids had such a great time collecting small eggs from our pet hen every day. She was small but gentle and sweet. So now Fluffly is in heaven.
ReplyDeleteWow, Tereza, that's awful! You really have to make sure those coops are predator-proof. Maybe that's a good topic for a new post.
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