One of the most common questions that people ask about chickens is ‘why are my chickens
not laying?’
Well, I recently did a very long video that explores all the possible reasons, but if
you just want a quick checklist, here are twenty questions to ask if your chickens are
not laying.
1.
Is she too young?
It depends on the breed and the time of year she was hatched, but most chickens will start
laying at between four and eight months old.
2.
Is she too old?
As they get older, the number of eggs that a hen lays each year will usually get less
and less.
3.
Are you expecting too much?
Even great layers take a day off occasionally.
4.
Is she a good-laying breed or has she been bred for show or as a meat bird?
5.
Are there enough daylight hours?
Hens typically need at least 14 hours a day of daylight to lay eggs, although some breeds
are better winter layers than others.
6.
Is she Moulting?
She usually won’t lay eggs and make new feathers at the same time, so if it’s autumn
and she looks a bit scruffy, be patient with her.
7.
Is she Broody?
If you don’t want her to hatch chicks, or if the eggs are not fertile, you should gently
discourage her broodiness for her own good, but also because a broody hen will stop laying.
8.
Has she recently been brooding eggs?
It is likely to take at least six weeks after hatching chicks before she comes back on the
lay again.
9.
Is she getting enough protein?
Choose a good quality feed with at least 16-18% protein.
You can also give her high protein treats like mealworms.
10.
Or are there other dietary problems?
– Make sure she has plenty of calcium so her eggshells are strong.
You can give her extra shellgrit to help.
Fresh greens are always a good idea.
And make sure her feed is fresh too – vitamins deteriorate in stored feed, and mouldy food
can contain mycotoxins.
11.
Is she actually getting access to the food and water?
Hens lower on the pecking order may be chased away from the food by more dominant hens.
Make sure everyone gets a chance at the food and water.
12.
Is water fresh, available and appealing?
Even a few hours without adequate hydration can slow down egg production.
13.
Is she overheated?
Dehydration and heat stress can easily put your chickens off the lay.
Cold is less of a problem as long as she can stay fairly dry.
14.
Stress of any kind can interfere with egg production.
A common source of stress is when you introduce new chickens into your new flock.
15.
Is she suffering from internal or external parasites such as mites and lice and internal
worms?
16.
Or is she getting Sick?
Because chickens hide their illness from other flock members and from you, the first sign
of illness might be a decrease in egg production.
17.
Could she be too fat?
Heritage breeds that get too much starchy treats and not enough activity can develop
so much excess abdominal fat that they can’t lay.
18.
Is she actually laying, but laying her eggs somewhere other than the nest box?
Make the nest box as attractive as possible so she wants to lay in the right place.
19.
Is something stealing the eggs from the nest box Even pet dogs can be to blame, not just
wild predators.
It could even be her or one of the other hens eating the eggs.
20.
And finally, Are you sure she’s not a he?
It’s not always easy to tell, especially with some breeds and if you’re not very
experienced at spotting the sometimes subtle differences, but eventually if that young
chicken crows, you will have your answer.
I hope you enjoyed that.
I’ll put all of the links in the description below.
Thanks fro watching.
If you want more detail, here is the long version of this video.
And some others that I’ve made.
I hope you enjoy them too.
Thanks for watching.