For what reasons chickens sometimes lay small eggs and how best to solve the problem
Novice poultry farmers wonder why some chickens lay small eggs. After all, the same conditions are created for all birds. Egg production problems arise for a variety of reasons. Sometimes chickens fly poorly due to age factors or hormonal disruption. Such phenomena do not require treatment; over time, the situation will stabilize on its own. True, in some cases, small eggs appear as a result of chicken disease.
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Why do chickens lay small eggs?
Chickens of all breeds, except for dwarf ones, lay eggs weighing 50-60 grams. There are egg and meat crosses. Their eggs are approximately the same size. Breeds differ only in productivity, that is, in egg production. Egg species of chickens lay almost every day and produce about 300 eggs a year. Birds of beef breeds can lay 100-200 eggs in 12 months.
True, throughout life in chickens, the size of eggs can change. The one-time appearance of small testicles can be ignored. You need to worry if the problem has become permanent. There are several reasons for the appearance of small eggs.
Age factor
A chicken can live for about 10 years. Begins to rush six months after birth. In hybrid breeds, egg production begins at 3 months of life. The very first eggs in young hens are always small. It's just that the oviduct during this period is still too narrow and short, so the first testicles in it are formed of small sizes.
But small eggs of young hens are considered the most delicious. They have a standard size yolk and a minimum of protein. After 3-4 weeks, the situation will return to normal, and the hen will begin to lay eggs of normal size.
The laying hen reaches the highest productivity at the age of 1-2.5 years. Then the egg production in the bird gradually decreases. Older chickens usually fly very rarely or give small testicles.
Violation in light mode
Sexual maturity in layers of common breeds occurs 5-6 months after birth. At a certain period, birds begin to carry first small, and then a standard-sized testicles. If breeders want to get their eggs faster, they will increase the daylight hours for layers. In this case, chickens begin to lay 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule.
True, their testicles remain small for a long time. To solve this problem, you need to normalize the light regime. Birds should wake up at 6 am and fall asleep at 10 pm.
If, with a normal daylight hours, the chicken laid a small egg, then the cause of the problem is different.
Physiology of the body and stressful situations
It takes less than 24 hours for an egg to form in the hen's body. The ovum enters the oviduct, becomes overgrown with yolk, protein, film, lime shell. This entire process is controlled by the hormonal system.
True, sometimes, due to severe stress or improper care, hormonal disruption occurs in birds. In this case, the hen can lay a small egg or an egg without shell and protein. A similar phenomenon can occur after transporting a bird, a sudden change of feed, during starvation, or due to a loud noise that frightened the hen.
The chicken's hormonal background is restored on its own and does not require any treatment. You just need to wait a few days for the bird to calm down or get used to a new place, you can give it more green food or a premix with vitamins.
Features of the breed
Some large breeds of chickens produce testicles weighing 40-45 grams, while their counterparts of the same size lay 50-60 grams of eggs. Before buying chickens, it is advisable to ask the seller for their name. The Sultanka breed has eggs weighing 40-45 grams.
The testicles of dwarf chickens are even smaller. Such birds are increasingly found in poultry houses. Dwarf laying hens take up less space, not much grain is spent on feeding them, but they produce small eggs weighing 30 grams. True, such chickens rush every other day, moreover, they get sick less, since they come from wild species.
Foreign objects in the oviduct
Pebbles, feathers, litter elements or intestinal helminths sometimes enter the oviduct of birds through the cloaca. Such foreign bodies cause small testicles to appear. The reproductive system of the chicken perceives such objects as the yolk. They begin to overgrow with protein and shells, and the output is a small egg only without yolk. Such phenomena are usually one-time.
A similar problem is faced by those poultry farmers who do not take good care of the bird, rarely change the litter. If the rules of care are not followed, helminths appear in chickens. True, in adult layers, the immune system is stronger; foreign objects rarely enter their oviduct.
Inflammatory processes and increased peristalsis of the oviduct
The cause of the appearance of small eggs can be the inflammatory process of the oviduct. The disease is called salpingitis. With this disease, chickens do not eat well, but they gain weight a lot. Their belly enlarges, and the oviduct protrudes through the cloaca. The bird stops laying or carries small, misshapen testicles.
The disease can occur due to a lack of vitamin feed, after being hit in the area of the oviduct, when an infection enters the reproductive system.
Sometimes salpingitis appears after laying large eggs or as a result of increased egg production in young animals that have not reached sexual age. Protein-rich feed and increased daylight hours can provoke pathology and increased peristalsis.
The disease requires intervention, it is recommended to show the hen to a veterinarian. Usually, in this case, a little petroleum jelly is injected into the cloaca of the bird for lubrication and intramuscular injections of Sinestrol and Pituitrin are given to the chickens.
How to solve a problem?
If small testicles often appear in the nests, you must first determine which hen carries them. Then you need to find the cause and solutions to the problem. If small eggs appear in young chickens, you need to wait a couple of weeks, as the oviduct grows, the size of the testicles will increase until it reaches the standard size. It is undesirable to increase daylight hours in the hen house and stimulate early egg-laying. It is better to wait for the natural puberty of the birds.
In the chicken coop, it is advisable to change the litter, to clean it up.Birds are advised to give more vegetable feed, for example, fodder beets, greens. Vegetables have a laxative effect and eliminate constipation, due to which egg-laying in chickens is disturbed.
If eggs with blood appear in laying hens, the cloaca turns red, becomes dirty, the oviduct protrudes from it, then the bird needs to be shown to the veterinarian. The veterinarian prescribes treatment, after which the chicken's condition quickly returns to normal.
Problem prevention
The occurrence of such a problem can be avoided by keeping the chicken coop clean and changing the litter in time. Birds should walk in the fresh air, run, develop muscles. In this case, all organs, including the oviduct, will work harmoniously. Chickens should be given a complete diet rich in vitamins and minerals. The diet of layers should contain fresh vegetables, herbs, fruits. These foods improve the functioning of the digestive tract.
Birds should fall asleep no later than 10 pm and wake up no earlier than 5-6 am. In addition to the light regime, chickens, especially in winter, need to establish a normal temperature regime. In the poultry house, the temperature should be maintained above 15 degrees Celsius; at lower rates, the layers stop producing eggs. It is recommended to protect chickens from stress, loud noises, feed them at least 3 times a day.
