6 Popular Hens For Egg Production | Off The Grid News

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6 Popular Hens For Egg Production

Written by: Jessica W How-To August 2, 2013 1 Comment

Chickens ha e been bre! "or hun!re!s o" years to #ay eggs "or most o" the year$ %ut e en the best egg #ayers ha e rest &erio!s, es&ecia##y !uring the co#!, !ark winter$ Howe er, since the egg in!ustry starte!, #arge-sca#e "actory "arm egg &ro!uction "aci#ities ha e use! arti"icia# #ighting to "orce their hens to #ay year-roun!, an! many homestea!ers an! backyar! "armers are !u&#icating this &ractice$ There's no !oubt that arti"icia# #ighting works to ma(imi)e egg #aying !uring the winter, but is it rea##y the best !ecision to make* How Light Affects Laying +ike other anima#s, a chicken's natura# cyc#es are contro##e! by the en!ocrine system$ This system re#eases arious hormones throughout the bir!'s #i"e, in"#uencing "unctions such as mo#ting, broo!ing, an! egg #aying$ ,#aces with !ark winters ha e co#!er winters that are too harsh "or a hen to success"u##y raise chicks$ The en!ocrine system, there"ore, reacts to the #ength o" !ay#ight, turning the re&ro!ucti e cyc#e -o"",. or at #east s#owing it !own, when sun#ight !i&s to be#ow 1/ hours a !ay$ Problems Caused By Artificial Lighting 0es&ite count#ess generations o" bree!ing "or goo! egg #ayers, there's no !oubt that egg #aying takes a #ot o" work an! &uts a #ot o" stress on a chicken's bo!y$ When the weather is warm an! "oo! is wi!e#y a ai#ab#e, these bir!s can han!#e the a!!e! strain on their system 1ust "ine$ 0uring mo#ting an! in co#! weather, howe er, they nee! time to rest an! "ocus their energy e#sewhere, such as on raising chicks, growing "eathers or staying warm in "ree)ing tem&eratures$ Another im&ortant thing to consi!er is the #ong-term e""ects o" "orcing hens to #ay: 2n

the #ong run, it !oesn't actua##y increase the number o" #ai! eggs$ 2t's a sim&#e matter o" bio#ogy$ +ike humans, "ema#e chickens are born with a## the eggs that they'## &ro!uce in their #i"etime$ They !on't make more to re&#ace the ones they' e a#rea!y #ai!$ Chickens that are "orce! to #ay in the winter o"ten wear out by the time they're on#y a "ew years o#!, whi#e hens that are a##owe! to rest continue &ro!ucing eggs seasona##y "or 3 years or more$
Interrupts Proper Molting 4ne !rawback to arti"icia##y #ighting a chicken's en ironment in the winter is that it a#so a""ects their natura# mo#ting cyc#es$ +ike their #aying cyc#e, mo#ting is contro##e! by the bir!'s en!ocrine system, which is in"#uence! by the number o" hours o" #ight in a !ay$ These bir!s e(&erience an incom&#ete mo#t !uring the #ong !ays o" summer, an! their bo!ies are tricke! into mo#ting the same way in winter$ 5ot on#y can this &re ent the chickens "rom &ro!ucing a "u##er -winter coat. o" !owny "eathers, it can a#so !ecrease egg &ro!uction, accor!ing to 4regon 6tate 7ni ersity's 84679 :(tension 4""ice$ 2" you !o use arti"icia# #ighting, 467 e(&erts recommen! gi ing your chickens a &ro&er break, without #ighting, !uring their secon! winter "or at #east ; weeks$ <any #ong-time chicken raisers a#so c#aim that "orcing a bir! to #ay throughout e er winter raises the chances o" her !e e#o&ing egg-bin!ing an! other re&ro!ucti e issues$

This han!book &ro i!es an intro!uction to key as&ects o" raising an! bree!ing chickens$
A common counter-argument is that chickens are !escen!e! "rom 1ung#e-"ow# o" the tro&ics, an! that chickens near the e=uator !o #ay year-roun!$ Howe er, the tro&ics are !i""erent "rom the higher #atitu!es in more ways than 1ust sun#ight$ Winter tem&eratures !o not !ro& be#ow "ree)ing, an! nutritious "oo!s "oun! "oraging are a ai#ab#e a## the time$ 2t's there"ore easy "or these bir!s to "ocus their nutrients an! energy on #aying rather than staying warm$ The #ight tro&ica# chickens recei e !uring the !ay a#so comes "rom the sun, which a##ows their bo!ies to &ro!uce much more itamin 0 8a necessary nutrient "or immune system "unction an! egg !e e#o&ment9 than bir!s ke&t un!er a #ight bu#b a## night$ Other Options Chickens that aren't ke&t un!er arti"icia# #ighting !o not necessari#y sto& #aying$ : en in the mi!!#e o" winter, ha&&y an! we##-"e! hens in goo! con!ition wi## continue to #ay

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6 Popular Hens For Egg Production | Off The Grid News

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eggs, a#beit at a s#ower rate than in summer$ >ather than trick their hens' systems into acting unnatura##y, many "#ock owners "in! that there are other, more natura# ways to he#& ensure some eggs !uring the co#!er months$ As Much Natural unlight As Possible :(&osing chickens to natura# sun#ight in winter not on#y kee&s the bir!s ha&&y, it a#so &ro i!es them with a !ose o" itamin 0, which in turn he#&s their bo!ies absorb ca#cium to &ro!uce eggs$ 6ome re&ort that a##owing sun#ight into the coo& an! chicken runs in the winter works 1ust as we## as arti"icia# #ighting$ This cou#! ery we## be true too, but it may not he#& much in &#aces c#oser to the &o#es where !ay#ight on#y #asts "or a "ew hours$ !uality Nutrition 6taying warm !uring co#! winter weather takes u& a #ot o" energy, an! so !oes #aying$ Chickens o"ten nee! to eat 10 &ercent more than they !o in summer 1ust to "ue# their bo!y tem&erature$ A chicken's !iet is a#so #ess arie! in the wintertime, #acking many o" the nutrients "oun! in "resh greens$ %ir!s that natura##y #ay in the winter are o"ten "e! a =ua#ity !iet with a!!e! &rotein an! minera#s "rom e(tra "oo!s #ike chicken scratch an! #ea"y greens$ Low tress Winter can be a ery stress"u# time "or chickens$ ?e&t containe! in c#ose =uarters more o"ten, they e(&erience a more restricte! !iet !e oi! o" the greens an! insects that were so &re a#ent in s&ring an! summer$ Chickens a#so use u& much o" their energy kee&ing warm, an! may ha e to !ea# with su!!en !ro&s in tem&erature, &utting them in a sur i a# mo!e$ ,re!ators are another a!!e! stress in the winter$ With the !ro& in natura# &rey, &re!ators #ike raccoons, coyotes, "o(es an! other anima#s may turn towar! chickens instea!$ : en i" their coo& is com&#ete#y &re!ator-&roo", the e(treme stress o" being hunte! can cause a hen's egg &ro!uction to !ro&, e en i" you !o use arti"icia# #ighting$ "inter Laying Breeds 6ome chicken bree!s are more suite! to thri ing, an! #aying, !uring the !ark an! co#! winter months$ <any o" these bree!s ten! to be the hea ier, !ua#-&ur&ose heritage bree!s, a#though most commercia# hybri!s are a#so great natura# year-roun! #ayers, &ro i!e! they're ke&t warm enough$ 6ome o" the most &o&u#ar winter-#ayers inc#u!e: %#ack an! 6i# er Austra#or& %u"" 4r&ington @rench <aran %#ack an! >e! 6e( +inke! >e! 6tar >ho!e 2s#an! >e!

2n an age where "ruits, egetab#es, eggs an! other &ro!ucts are a#ways a ai#ab#e at the grocery store year-roun!, it's easy "or &eo&#e to "orget where their "oo! comes "rom, or what it takes to make it a ai#ab#e a## the time$ The i!ea o" eating seasona##y has "a##en out o" &ractice, so it's no won!er that so "ew =uestion the &ractice o" "orcing hens to #ay in the wintertime through unnatura# #ighting$ Howe er, there are &#enty o" o#!-timers an! newbies a#ike who are &utting the we##-being o" their chickens be"ore &ro!uction, an! en1oying their eggs whene er the hens are natura##y rea!y to #ay$

A 2013 4"" The Bri! 5ews

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