You have noticed a decrease in the number of eggs in the chicken coop? There are many potential reasons for this phenomenon. It is important to understand these reasons in order to respond to them in the best possible way, especially through a grandmother’s remedy known to make hens lay eggs.
Why do hens stop laying eggs?
There are many reasons that can explain why your hens lay less regularly or even stop laying altogether.
- If your hens are losing their feathers, it means they are molting, which explains why they have stopped laying. They will resume laying once this unpleasant moment is behind them.
- If winter has arrived, your hens naturally reduce their laying rhythm. They enter a winter rest phase, which is important to respect in order to prolong their lives.
- Parasites (such as red mites, internal worms…), illness, or stress can explain the decrease in laying.
- Your hens may simply be getting older, which necessarily leads to a decrease in the number of eggs. In fact, it is only during their first two years of life that hens are capable of laying one egg per day (on average).
- Your hens’ diet may also be a factor. Adequate intake of vitamins and minerals is necessary to ensure laying.
Finally, keep in mind that not all breeds of hens lay eggs at the same frequency. Thus, while a hybrid hen can lay around 300 eggs per year, purebred hens generally lay a little less.
Grandmother’s remedies to stimulate hens’ laying
Overall, to stimulate your hens’ laying, you can:
- Provide them with calcium by giving them crushed and dried oyster shells, crushed eggshells, or fresh dairy products in a separate feeder.
- Regularly gather fresh nettle, grind it, and feed it to your hens by mixing it with other food.
- Regularly clean the chicken coop (a dry, clean, and healthy environment stimulates laying) and check that your hens are not infected with lice or mites.
- Support your hens during the molting period with a quality diet, increasing their protein intake by 20 to 22% and providing them with vitamin and trace element supplements.
A word about nettle: nettle is a medicinal herb rich in vitamins A and C, which explains why it is a precious aid in boosting hens’ laying. This very popular grandmother’s remedy is especially effective for poultry suffering from stress caused by heatwaves.
What is the record for the number of eggs laid?
It is a Leghorn breed hen named “Lindsay” that held a record by laying 371 eggs in 364 consecutive days between 1977 and 1978, according to the Guinness World Records.
An exceptional and non-representative case of the usual performance of laying hens. A typical laying hen usually lays between 200 and 300 eggs per year.
Some breeds specialized in laying, like Leghorn (which holds the record), can even exceed 300 eggs per year. Other breeds or older hens may have lower laying yields.
Egg laying tends to decrease with the age of the hen. Hens are generally more productive during their first years of life, and their laying capacity may decrease over time.
