How do commercial chickens lay eggs under such poor living conditions?

[SamLockwood]

First and foremost I would guess that selective breeding is a factor: they breed out a lot of the chicken's natural instincts. When I was looking for hatcheries last year, I discovered the majority don't really sell to the general public and the breeds are just known by code-numbers.

Secondly, those "poor living conditions" are the only thing those commercial egg-layers ever knew. As far as they know life is just a tiny little cage and I doubt it's as stressful as if you were to take the average pampered backyard chicken and suddenly put them into a small nesting box 24/7. I would bet if I tried to do that with my birds that have free ranged since six weeks old they'd go insane within an hour.

Third, they've got down to a science on how to feed, watering, light and climate control those factory farms to maximize egg-laying.

 

[quackingdom]

They have not been able to breed the natural decline in egg laying out of them, after the second adult molt the amount of egg laying declines enough that feeding them through a molt is not economical. So they are bred to lay for one or two seasons and then be replaced. The commercial egg laying hybrids have a deserved reputation for having medical problems, just like the commercial Cornish X meat birds. They have been bred to fulfill their function if raised and maintained in certain ways and not have long lives.

I have some commercial laying hens (Novogen). They lay pretty much no matter what, throughout the year. They don't molt well at all. They lose their feathers, but they can't grow them back. I've only ever had one Novogen hen that fully molted. (Higher protein feed might help, but 17% is the highest I can find where I live other than broiler feed.) I know someone who had commercial hens that were about four years old, and one of them was nearly featherless. She was still laying, though. They just put all their resources into eggs.

I usually process them after two years. Sometimes they die before that.

 

[3KillerBs]

They are not fed a 16% protein feed because the commercial people are cruel and mean and enjoy torturing their chickens, it is a way to keep them healthy.

Interesting information on the flip side of the argument that our dual purpose birds are likely to do better on 18+% all-flock than 16% layer. I wonder if people who are having reproductive issues with their layer-breed birds might benefit from separating them from the dual-purpose flock members and reducing their protein?

I find that my California Whites lay a consistent US XL, averaging 65g, on the all-flock -- larger than the commercially-desirable US L (60g/2oz).

NO one makes money if animals are not kept as healthy as possible. Healthy animals produce at an optimum rate.

Amen!

While any group might harbor a random sadist or psychopath, anyone who wants to make money off their animals has that motivation to treat them well even if they don't want to do it for moral reasons.

One of my pastors is a commercial broiler farmer. He walks his land praying over his birds.

One of the things people forget about broilers is that they are babies in gigantic brooders -- and some people here keep chicks that age in tiny plastic tubs.

 

[Ponyiqandhens2]

Actually per the Department of agriculture as of 2021 74% of all US hens are still in battery cages/enhanced battery cages ( commercial flocks)

 

[Mrs. K]

I am sure the statistic is right, and I realize that it does not fit the general rule of animal husbandry here. However, if this was killing birds, or making them sick or reducing their production - well people would not do it that way.

So it must work. Those animals are protected from wild temperature swings, from winter storms, from predators, from parasites and are active and laying.

A lot of our back yard places, - do have predator attacks, do pick up worms, do have to deal with weather...it is just not as cut and dried - This is wrong, that is right.

Mrs K

 

[3KillerBs]

I am sure the statistic is right, and I realize that it does not fit the general rule of animal husbandry here. However, if this was killing birds, or making them sick or reducing their production - well people would not do it that way.

So it must work. Those animals are protected from wild temperature swings, from winter storms, from predators, from parasites and are active and laying.

A lot of our back yard places, - do have predator attacks, do pick up worms, do have to deal with weather...it is just not as cut and dried - This is wrong, that is right.

Mrs K

Well said.

I lost at least one bird to a hawk this spring.

I would not want to keep my birds in battery conditions, but if those birds weren't reasonably healthy they wouldn't be laying and if they weren't laying they wouldn't be making money for their owners.