How to get more eggs from chickens - Learn How

Are your backyard chickens not producing as many eggs as you would like? Want to learn How to get more eggs from chickens?

A healthy hen in its prime will lay one egg per day. So if you are expecting a dozen eggs from one hen, you are really going to be disappointed. But what if your hen is producing an egg daily?

There are a number of reasons this could be the case. It could be age-related if they are too young to produce eggs as well as if they are too old. As chickens get older they lay fewer eggs. Typically, their egg-laying years are limited to 2-3 to years of production. limited to If they are not getting enough sunlight. Alternatively, the days in winter are- shorter which also reduces the sunlight they require. Your feed may simply not be nutritious enough.

So here are some super tips to help increase egg production and How to Get More Eggs from Chickens.

1. Give Chickens the best diet

   If you are using seed or grain mix stop. This encourages chickens to simply pick out what they like which is not always nutritious for them. It is recommended to use a Quality Pellet Mix. This type of feed is high in protein that is essential for laying eggs. Gradually introduce the pellet mix into the scratch mix and slowly over a week or two remove the seed mix from their diet. Also provide free access to a good quality shell grit. Healthy treats such as Bok Choy, Legumes and Dried Mealworms offer a healthy variation to their diet.

2. Clean the Nesting boxes

   No one likes sleeping in smelly sheets or stale linen. Same goes for Chickens. Soiled bedding puts chickens off laying eggs. Check the nesting boxes and replace the bedding regularly. Straw or shredded newspaper is a cheap and comfortable solution which can be replaced regularly without much expense.                                                 

3. Create a stress free coop.

   If your chicken coop and pen are overcrowded this will also lower egg output. A great way in How to Get More Eggs from Chickens is to give the chickens a larger area to roam if possible and make certain there are enough nesting boxes. You should have one nesting box for every four to six hens.

4. Help prevent the hens being anxious.

   Hens stress easily and so they need to feel safe. If you have predators such as foxes or wild birds hanging around make sure the coop and pen is secure so your hens feel as safe as they can.                                                                                   

5. Clean fresh water is essential

   It takes a lot of water to make an egg. Also, when using pellet mix as the feed, chickens need water to soften the pellets and help digest them. It is essential your chickens have adequate water which is clean and also uncontaminated. Make sure there is at least 500 - 700ml per hen per day, everyday. We recommend chicken drinkers with lubing cups or drinker nipples to help eliminate contamination in the water.

6. Eliminate Chicken mites.

   Chicken mites can infiltrate the cleanest chicken coops. Once every week, pop out to the coop and check your chickens. If they have mites you will most likely find them on the chickens head. Generally they are a red brown colour and easy to see. We recommend Avian Insect Liquidator.

If you still find your chickens are not laying consider the overall health of the chickens. If they are in poor shape see if you can spot some symptoms on our Chicken Health page. Alternatively read some more in-depth articles in our chicken coop blog. If you find this article on How to Get More Eggs from Chickens has helped you, we'd love your feedback so send us an email.