Egg laying

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Good morning all.
Last night I was pondering and I was thinking ,if hens have egg problems that can cause death.
Light is the activator.
If this time of year we have good days ( not I believe to be normal ) and then overcast /dark days.Does this give their poor body system a good mess about.
If this is the case would it be better to put a solid temp roof to stop the light a bit all the time or should one supply as much light as possible.
I have just let the girls get on with it I . E natrual.
This question is based on the need to keep the girls healthy.
If it can save a few girls egg laying problems I would do either -lights or solid roof .
Views please.
Bob

[Grannyof4]

Personally I think for the domestic hen keeper, DON'T mess. Chickens work hard enough to provide us with eggs so let them do it naturally.

[bmpsands]

I wonder, Grannyof4, if the question was about preventing health problems rather than promoting egg laying?

The science of all this defeats me really but I think it may well be to do with chopping and changing light levels. Some of my older girls made it through the long winter last year but we lost a couple early in the spring when they came back into lay just in time for another gloomy spell.

[Grannyof4]

I replied as I read and understood the post.

[sandy]

Bob I know you are worrying laying at odd times may upset their systems arent you? Yes one day bright sunshine one day dull confusing for us let alone our girls. Like me I know you have lost girls to the dreaded eyp but I don't think we can control it by the natural light. Your girls (and boys) are the most spoilt chickens in the world so don't worry , I am sure eyp will happen whatever we do

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi , Blimey that started something . Eggs are the least of my problems , VET bills are far more concerning. I was just wandering about the latest deaths and things might be due to the doggy weather.
I was going to stop light to reduce the egg laying rather than force light to make the eggs.
I have taken no offence and it is nice to hear people feeling strong about methods in the egg industries .
My writing is not the best and not the first time understood or mis read.
Do not ask ,do not get .
I thought though that the weather maybe the cause of some of the egg laying problems that the flocks have been having .
I will no doubt ask more question and get someone to translate into english ,french ,german as my double dutch is differantly questionable.
Thanks to all .
Bob

[KarenE]

I have found - this is my theory - that the most problematic times are when they have been off lay and are coming back on. So after moulting, and after winter is when I have lost the most girls to egg related problems. You may reduce light levels to stop laying, but restarting could be where the problems lie. And that won't stop moulting either.

Sandy's right - there's nothing we can do about it. They're bred for it and that's brought the problems.

Good thought though Bob

[ChookDee]

I lost two of my first girls to EYP and had a few girls that laid soft eggs on a regular basis, not nice to see the poor girls in pain. But as KarenE said there is not much we can do about it, apart from give them the best care we can which you obviously do Bob. I would be interested to know if Hybrid hens have more egg laying problems than pure breeds.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

I have a split of 20 non brown hybrids 3 cockerels (not a egg problem there) 21 brown hybrid . Now I have lost 2 peds must be 20 hybrids . Various reasons , Had peds for 6 months Hybrids 20 months.
Must be some statistics there. peds kept well as pets . Hybrids from down and out places like cages ,barns and farmers throw aways....
The Hybrids are nosey . Eat everything and get freightened easy (to death poor Penelope )
Peds are safe players follow and run away quick . Eat what they know is good only .


As was said it is what happens in the chicken world . So much to keep an eye on . I heard that they are making robots to go in the chicken sheds to follow chickens and pick out the sick and patrol the floors for non moving hens . Cam corder for human observations .
Thanks again . at least I can go to sleep and think of another stupid question that I need answering .
Bob

[Grannyof4]

Sorry Bob if I misunderstood your post. No matter what we do for our pets we cannot stop certain ailments happening. A good life, good care, good food is what we should aim for but nature will do what it wants.

[Mo]

I think Karen is right.
The hens that are bred for high production in the first year will have been selected for that & no attention to long life since they are designed to be culled.
My first 3 hens were 2 Black Rock (Rhode island / Plymouth Rock hybrids bred with free range robustness in mind) & 1 White Star (a battery hybrid though I had them from Point-of-Lay).
The White Star was an egg machine for the first year but started having shell problems after that and looking miserable for days.

[Katiee]

Bob......you can write your blog in Japanese, Mongolian, Yoruba or English . Just keep them coming--you brighten the day.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all, Well that is the answer to that . Let them do what they like live in the south and a large free ranging area with no preditators....
Bob

[Susan59]

Hi Bob, thanks for starting the discussion.

I can't offer any advice, but I appreciate you raising awareness of potential problems. As a relatively new chicken keeper, this will be the first year that two of my girls will start to lay again after the Winter. (The other 3 are younger so should start to lay for the first time soon).

Shows my ignorance but I hadn't anticipated that there may be problems as the girls start to lay again, clearly that is not always the case. My girls are Peking bantams so not prolific layers anyway. I shall pay extra attention over the next few weeks in case of difficulties.

Hope all goes well with your girls, keep us posted :-)

[Mo]

Hi Susan. I think some of the problems can be due to thin shells. Older hens don't absorb calcium as well as younger ones. So instead of a thick hard shiny shell you might see a thin rough pale one. Or even just a papery membrane round the egg.* Give extra calcium if you see that. Oyster shell grit is often given, but limestone flour can work wonders. People on here have recommended it and I was surprised how well it works. Horse feed stores sell it.
Thin shells are harder work for them to lay. And if they break inside them it can lead to infection.

*You sometimes see funny or no shells when hens are first coming into lay too. And double yolkers or tiny sparrows eggs. But they soon learn to do it right.