On your farm, egg production is another important reason for keeping kienyeji birds. You can have your kienyeji chicken produce eggs for commercial or hatching purposes. There are specific egg-laying kienyeji breeds. They produce an average of 250 eggs per year, which is a respectable number.
You may be wondering, “How do I get my kienyeji chicken to lay eggs?” This article simplifies the procedure, which will serve you well.
Amazing Ways to Get Your Kienyeji Chicken to Lay Eggs
Here are some of the ways to get your kienyeji chicken to lay eggs:
Proper Feeding
Feed your chicken with layer mash at the age of 4 to 5 months. Layers’ mash contains minerals and nutrients that are required for egg formation. Besides, supplement the diet with chicken pellets for proper nutrition.
Good Laying Environment
For a kienyeji chicken to lay eggs, you must provide a good laying environment. Provide dry litter materials in the laying nest. Ensure adequate space for all your hens to lay eggs, as overcrowding minimizes the laying of eggs. Also, maintain a dark and quiet environment in the chickens’ nest.
Light
Kienyeji chickens require light exposure of at least 15-16 hours. Natural light is conducive to the production of eggs. Ensure your flock is exposed to full light to produce many eggs. If the weather is gloomy and perhaps you don’t want your chickens out of their coop, you can install artificial light to help in egg production.
Treatment
Once your birds show any sign of illness, treat them at an early stage. Have a veterinarian who will administer good drugs. Treatment helps in maintaining the excellent production of eggs.
Why are My Kienyeji Chickens Not Laying Eggs?
Your kienyeji chicken may stop laying eggs due to the following reasons:
- Stress
Birds face trauma. A traumatized chicken cannot lay eggs. This stress can be caused by harassment by other birds, a noisy environment, lack of water, etc. It is therefore advised not to give your birds any form of stress. Eradicate all the causes of trauma.
- Old Age
Kienyeji chickens are highly productive during the first year of laying eggs as they can produce an average of 210 eggs per annum. This production starts to decline as the hen continues to age. Once your chicken is old, it will stop laying eggs. You can decide to slaughter them or allow them to keep other birds company and act as their leader.
- Molt
Molting is defined as the stage at which a bird loses its feathers for regrowth. Molting occurs in the autumn season, leading to a reduction in egg production. Sometimes, a chicken fails to produce eggs at all. Once molting is done, your chicken will get back to normal and start producing eggs as usual.
- Light
Lighting is essential when it comes to egg formation. Once you deny your flock light, there will be less production of eggs or poor egg quality. If your chickens are not exposed to natural light, then install artificial light in their coop to serve them.
- Poor nutrition.
Nutritional imbalance is a significant concern when it comes to egg production. It is best to provide kienyeji chickens with a healthy diet for egg production. Added treats and scraps can dilute the nutrients in a chicken’s feed, leading to low or no production of eggs.
- Broody Hens
When a hen goes broody, it will not lay eggs, no matter how nourishing the diet may be. A broody hen sits on the eggs for 21 days until they hatch. Therefore, do not expect eggs as the hen is ready to sit on the eggs.
- Chicken Illness
Illness can cause chickens to not lay eggs. Some illnesses affect the body badly, preventing egg formation. It is essential to treat the flock early to avoid further losses like the death of the birds, etc.
- Extreme Weather Conditions
Harsh weather conditions like too much sun or too cold may affect the egg production of your eggs. You can only remedy this situation by having a good housing structure to safeguard your birds against adverse weather conditions.
- Poor Coop Environment
The minimum space for the laying birds drastically affects egg production. Providing a spacious environment will do your chickens well. Besides, overcrowding your birds may lead to the failure of egg production. Consider separating birds to maintain a good number of birds per square. Also, having an active nest may alter the production of eggs as chickens require a dark and quiet nest.
What to Do if Your Chickens are Not Laying Eggs?
It is your duty as a farmer to find out why your chickens are not laying eggs. Feed your chicken with a proper diet full of nutrients to facilitate the egg-laying process. Also, ensure that the environment surrounding your birds is conducive to the egg-laying process of your kienyeji chickens.
Treat your birds in case of illnesses and spray the coop area to kill parasites. These are also some ways to stimulate egg laying in kienyeji chickens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my chickens not laying eggs in the winter?
During the winter season, there is insufficient sunlight to stimulate the ovary to release yolk. Due to the failure of yolk production, chickens will not lay eggs during winter.
It is typical for this to occur; therefore, do not panic when your chickens fail to lay eggs during winter.
Why aren’t my chickens laying eggs in the summer?
The daylight hours decrease during the summer season, and hens reach the end of their laying cycle. This is the stage at which molting occurs for regrowth. The molting stage causes birds not to lay eggs at all.
Related Articles
How Many Eggs Does a Kienyeji Chicken Lay?
How Do I Start Kienyeji Chicken Farming?
