15/02/2023
We've seen some posts from the US where feed was being blamed for a reduction in egg production in chickens, sometimes to zero. I just wanted to write this to clarify a few points regarding egg laying:
(1) It's not unusual at all for chickens to reduce or stop laying eggs because of factors like the cold, a reduction in hours with light, and fear (bears, skunks, birds of prey, etc.). This may be remedied with heat lamps, both creating warmth and longer periods of light, as well as secure chicken coops with major deterrents for hunting animals.
(2) Inconsistent and/or low protein levels in feed. We deal with a company that takes samples from every batch and regularly tests their feed. We have tested feed with other companies that have resulted in inconsistent nutritional levels, including protein levels. Often lentil screenings and such are added to increase the protein levels to result in consistent laying. We also carry feed to supplement protein levels when protein is deficient, as sometimes even consistent levels are insufficient for consistent laying when other factors are the cause or partial cause. Insufficient protein is also often the reason for birds pecking other birds, and increasing protein often stops this behaviour, though not always.
(3) Improper sanitization of feeders, waterers and overall living space may cause a reduction in laying.
It's also worth noting that periods of downtime for chickens is, in fact, recommended. It may considerably increase the life of your birds. We know a few successful chicken farmers that will rest their birds for a few weeks every winter when there are other factors that may be causing a reduction anyway.
(4) We've seen an article from the news source "Fortune" that states that these claims are an unfounded conspiracy theory. That said, it's true that all the factors above can indeed reduce laying; therefore, it was worth writing this for everything with chickens.
A general rule of thumb is that if your birds are huddled in the corner together in the winter and getting less than 12 hours of light per day, this may decrease laying. Also, if the protein level is less than 17% of their diet, and sometimes higher than this is required, this may decrease laying.
Please share this post, as these concerns have been circulating our valley. Please also feel free to add anything I may have missed.
