If you have a flock of your own, you may have noticed that the number of eggs your hens lay seriously drops in winter, but do you know why?
The egg cycle is stimulated by sunlight and lasts approximately 25 hours, beginning roughly 45 minutes after the previous egg has been laid meaning for majority of the year you can expect one egg per day from each hen but as the days get shorter the egg cycle is thrown off and it may turn into one egg every few days or they could come off laying entirely.
Diet plays a big part in the wellbeing of your chickens and how they handle the colder months, as the days get colder it’s common for your flock to start eating more to maintain energy levels to keep themselves warm, this is also a key reason why hens lay significantly less. Not only are the days shorter but more energy is being used to keep themselves comfortable, meaning there’s hardly any energy left for laying, a key factor of seeing a little bit more productivity includes a high energy and high protein diet along with plenty of fruit and vegetable scraps. If you feel there are still gaps to be filled in their diet, Vetsense Avi-VITAL is a great and easy way to make sure your flock is still getting all the vitamins, minerals and amino acids that they need while also improving their gut health. Ensuring they are kept well-fed will also see stress levels decline as they are very anxious animals and the weather can play a big part in that. An easy way to check if your flock is doing their best during winter is by their feathers, a stressed chicken will often start dropping feathers out of moulting season and in winter that’s the last thing you want as their feathers act as insulation from the weather while offering a shield from the wind.
Keeping your flock stimulated is important all year round but in winter it can be a great way to distract them from the cold and keep them relaxed and happy. It might seem a bit odd but it’s actually very easy - and affordable! Chickens love sparkles and things that reflect the light, if you have an old mirror laying around, secure it to something in their yard and off they go. You can also DIY some sparkly new toys by collecting some empty bottles, putting a bit of tinsel in them and tying it to a branch or the fence at pecking height or head to your local Just For Pets store and check out their range of chicken toys and activity centers. Other ways you can ensure your flock is thriving even when the weather is bleak include planting shrubs or bushy plants on the windward side of your coop to stop as much cool air blowing in, keeping up with regular parasite prevention (worms, lice, mites, etc), making sure they have access to clean, unfrozen water and cleaning out the coop regularly to make sure unwelcome animals aren’t calling it home as well.
It’s key to remember that winter is hard on all of us and to cut them a bit of slack while they take their much-deserved rest from laying. If in doubt
