A theory - your experience?

[Mrs. K]

I have full size standard egg laying mutts, I have had pure bred birds of several different breeds. (knock on wood and whispering) I have never had an egg laying issue in 20 years of keeping chickens. So I have a theory, that exercise is the reason. I have a large run, and roosts in several places, and platforms. My birds are always flying up to a roost or a platform. I originally started this to give birds away from each other. But after reading how so many people deal with egg laying issues frequently, I wondered if there was a causation or just a correlation.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I have full size standard egg laying mutts, I have had pure bred birds of several different breeds. (knock on wood and whispering) I have never had an egg laying issue in 20 years of keeping chickens. So I have a theory, that exercise is the reason. I have a large run, and roosts in several places, and platforms. My birds are always flying up to a roost or a platform. I originally started this to give birds away from each other. But after reading how so many people deal with egg laying issues frequently, I wondered if there was a causation or just a correlation.

Interesting idea! I can definitely see how this might happen, especially for birds that are always kept in the run (as opposed to out in the yard, on acreage, etc.)

Even our buff Orp is still very fit at 8 1/2 months, although I was expecting her to be a complete chonk by now.

If all they could really do is veg out in a corner of the run, I could easily imagine an overall muscle atrophy and general lack of fitness.

 

[Ridgerunner]

But after reading how so many people deal with egg laying issues frequently, I wondered if there was a causation or just a correlation.

I assume by egg laying problem you mean internal laying or prolapse. I've never had those either. I've had weird eggs and strange egg laying behavior (laying from the roost, for example) mostly from pullets that are just starting to lay.

I have a different theory though, certainly an unpopular one. I consider room and exercise good for them for various reasons, but I think my success is more from not over-feeding them. What I mean by that mainly is excessive amounts of protein but I also include large amounts of the same treat every day. I think a balanced diet is important. Mine forage for a lot of their feed anyway so they have some ability to balance their diet on their own. I'm not worried about them getting a lot of one specific thing one day, for instance a ton of beet skins when I can beets. But that is one day in isolation, not the same excess day in and day out.

For your poll, I do not have a bunch of stuff in the run for them to play on but they have a lot of room in the run. I think mine get enough exercise.