How to stop early laying

[Pampered chicken girl]

This morning I lost one of my pullets to egg binding. She was 11 weeks old. Why are they laying so early we live in FL and it's not dark till 8:30 but there is no supplemental lighting and they are on all flock crumbles not layers and they are EEs. I read they can get egg bound if they lay to early so how can I prevent this?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Can't. Most breeds nowadays are bred to lay rather early. Granted 11 weeks is still pretty early even for production breeds

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Can't. Most breeds nowadays are bred to lay rather early. Granted 11 weeks is still pretty early even for production breeds

Okay thanks

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I would start supplying oystershell just incase the others begin laying too, so they can hopefully get a bit of a headstart on their calcium needs

 

[nuthatched]

She was far, far too young to lay, that's why she died, her body wasn't big enough or developed enough yet. I'm sorry you lost her.

 

[aart]

Did you actually confirm that she had an egg stuck when/after she died?
I know it sounds gruesome, but it would be good to know for sure.

 

[NatJ]

This morning I lost one of my pullets to egg binding. She was 11 weeks old.

You're positive there was an egg, not something else wrong?

Why are they laying so early we live in FL and it's not dark till 8:30 but there is no supplemental lighting

Chickens naturally lay eggs when the days are long in spring and summer.

Supplemental lighting only makes a difference in laying during the times of year with naturally short days.

Chickens who grow up as the days are getting longer will tend to start laying at a younger age, as compared with chickens who grow up as the days get shorter in the fall and winter.

11 weeks is definitely younger than normal, even for this time of year.

and they are on all flock crumbles not layers

Layer food does not MAKE them lay. All it does is provide the extra calcium that laying hens need. (The amount that is right for layers is too much for chicks.)

If you are not already providing oyster shell to your chickens, I suggest you put out a dish of it. That way they can each get the right amount of extra calcium when they start to need it.

If they start laying and have too little calcium, they can lay softshell eggs and can have various health problems. But if they have too much calcium when they are young, they can have other health problems. When you provide calcium in a separate dish, they are pretty good at eating the right amount at each age. It's especially useful when some are maturing at different rates, because some of them need more calcium than others at that time.

and they are EEs. I read they can get egg bound if they lay to early so how can I prevent this?

Other than providing proper food and conditions, there really isn't a practical way to prevent it.

You could make them experience "short" days by shutting them in a totally dark building each evening, and keep them there until well after the sun comes up. But any building that keeps out light will also keep out air, so it gets stuffy and in Florida it will also get too hot, and that is bad for them too. So you would have the extra bother of doing it, with probably no health benefit for the chickens.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

You're positive there was an egg, not something else wrong?


Chickens naturally lay eggs when the days are long in spring and summer.

Supplemental lighting only makes a difference in laying during the times of year with naturally short days.

Chickens who grow up as the days are getting longer will tend to start laying at a younger age, as compared with chickens who grow up as the days get shorter in the fall and winter.

11 weeks is definitely younger than normal, even for this time of year.


Layer food does not MAKE them lay. All it does is provide the extra calcium that laying hens need. (The amount that is right for layers is too much for chicks.)

If you are not already providing oyster shell to your chickens, I suggest you put out a dish of it. That way they can each get the right amount of extra calcium when they start to need it.

If they start laying and have too little calcium, they can lay softshell eggs and can have various health problems. But if they have too much calcium when they are young, they can have other health problems. When you provide calcium in a separate dish, they are pretty good at eating the right amount at each age. It's especially useful when some are maturing at different rates, because some of them need more calcium than others at that time.


Other than providing proper food and conditions, there really isn't a practical way to prevent it.

You could make them experience "short" days by shutting them in a totally dark building each evening, and keep them there until well after the sun comes up. But any building that keeps out light will also keep out air, so it gets stuffy and in Florida it will also get too hot, and that is bad for them too. So you would have the extra bother of doing it, with probably no health benefit for the chickens.

Thank you I have oyster shell out for them but I am thinking she passed away from getting stepped on now not egg bound when she passed away her come with starting to get blacker as if she wasn't getting enough oxygen