How to Increase Egg Production in Chickens
Whether you have been raising chickens for a while or are just getting started, low egg production is likely something you’ll deal with at one point or another.
Typically, you can expect a chicken to lay about one egg per day during its egg-laying years — usually around two to three years long. As chickens age, this rate will naturally decrease.
What Causes Low Egg Production?
It takes the right conditions — and a lot of energy — for your chickens to lay eggs. Many factors can affect their rate of egg production, including:
- Age — either too young or too old.
- Breed.
- Molting.
- Not having enough feed — or feed that’s lacking nutritional value.
- Not having enough daylight hours.
How to Get Your Chickens to Lay More Eggs
If you are interested in increasing egg production in your hens, you can change a few different things in their environment.
Add Light
On average, chickens need around 14 hours of sunlight to lay an egg. So, as daylight decreases during the fall and winter months, your chickens will begin to produce fewer eggs. To get more eggs from your chickens, you can add a lightbulb in their coop to recreate the required hours of sunlight they need. Be sure to keep your light on a timer, though, so your chickens don’t get any more than 16 hours of “sunlight” per day.
Create a Clean, Safe Environment
Your chickens need a clean, safe coop and nesting area to lay their eggs. If they are stressed due to predators or unfavorable weather conditions, their egg production rate will decrease. Minimize any threats and keep their coop warm — you want to ensure it stays around 40-90 degrees Fahrenheit. If you need to, you can always add a heat lamp for extra warmth. Also, make sure your chickens have a soft surface to nest in.
Feed Them a Balanced Diet
It’s important to supply your chickens with the right feed, so they have the nutrition they need to grow, stay healthy and lay eggs. During the fall and winter, your chickens will benefit from having some extra protein. It’s important to feed chickens enough nutrients, specifically calcium, so they lay eggs.
Along with ensuring your chickens have a balanced diet, it’s important to give them access to fresh, clean water at all times.
Keep Your Chickens Happy and Healthy With Nature’s Best Organic Feeds
If you’re not sure what to feed chickens so they lay eggs, we can help. At Kreamer Feed, we are proud of our organic brand, Nature’s Best Organic Feeds. We’re the leading certified organic feed manufacturer in the United States, and our feeds are all formulated by nutrition experts to ensure your chickens receive a balanced diet.
If you are looking for an organic, nonmedicated, Non-GMO Project Verified poultry feed to help increase egg production in your chickens, use our store locator tool to find our premium feeds in a store near you.