nedward
Veterinarian
Is it normal for laying hens to skip laying eggs, and if so what's the cause?
In egg production with birds that have been confirmed to be good layers, there is always a naturally occurring period within which the birds don't lay (called skip) and period of laying (called clatch).
This skip and clatch, however natural, can be controlled by manipulating the photoperiod, as light triggers the process of egg formation (also known as oviposition).
Remember that birds kept in complete darkness will never lay even a single egg even with balanced nutrition! The birds should be exposed to much natural light as possible, hence the east-west orientation rule in construction of the poultry unit.
That notwithstanding, should you experience prolonged skips despite the birds receiving enough light and balanced feed, then it time to start culling the poor layers.
And never over feed layers they will deposit a lot of fat within the body resulting into poor laying.
In egg production with birds that have been confirmed to be good layers, there is always a naturally occurring period within which the birds don't lay (called skip) and period of laying (called clatch).
This skip and clatch, however natural, can be controlled by manipulating the photoperiod, as light triggers the process of egg formation (also known as oviposition).
Remember that birds kept in complete darkness will never lay even a single egg even with balanced nutrition! The birds should be exposed to much natural light as possible, hence the east-west orientation rule in construction of the poultry unit.
That notwithstanding, should you experience prolonged skips despite the birds receiving enough light and balanced feed, then it time to start culling the poor layers.
And never over feed layers they will deposit a lot of fat within the body resulting into poor laying.