Chickens Only Lay Eggs In The Winter During Their First Year

It in reality it's Avian Influenza ( I will refer to as AI ) not feed, and yes increasing light increased production.

It's AI, there are 300,000,000 layers in America. We've lost 65,000,000 and counting to Avian Influenza. That's roughly 22% of all layers in production.

We manipulate the light 💡 in the houses, so they will mass produce all year round.


When the chickens get sick, they stop producing eggsSo when a positive AI is reported. The producer can't take a chance on it spreading so entire flock is eliminated.We had a bad outbreak in 2015 as well. This one is much worse.
Spread usually occurs on from wild birds that usually hang around chicken ranches. Such as Crow, Ravens and Egrets. Most of the contamination this time around came from back yard flocks in peoples backyards. They learned in 2015 that the virus can attach itself to your vehicle or clothing.

Vets went out to contaminated farms and inspected the birds. Then unknowingly when they'd go to another ranch and nothing was contaminated, after they'd leave the birds started getting sick. That's how they figured out the spread can be caused by humans bringing it to an contaminated environment on their clothes or cars. Because the virus 🦠 would live long enough in these conditions to find another host.

Since then, Biosecurity has been set up in almost all the production plants around the nation. We have to check in at a gate before being let in. Then once thru the gate all vehicles and trucks have to drive through a chemical sanitation wash that sprays the entire car including the under carriage. No truck drivers are aloud into the processing areas and each employee has to step into a sanitizing wash for their shoes prior to entering a building. No employee at the plants including USDA are allowed to own birds of any kind. If we have to send relief to another plant for a USDA employee, there has to be a full 24 hours in between before allowed to enter another facility.

The shitty conditions of the facility are the cause of illness, not somebody's pet parakeet. Don't pretend blame backyard flocks, utter horseshit.

The shitty conditions of the facility are the cause of illness, not somebody's pet parakeet. Don't pretend blame backyard flocks, utter horseshit.

The shitty conditions of the facility are the cause of illness, not somebody's pet parakeet. Don't pretend blame backyard flocks, utter horseshit.

It in reality it's Avian Influenza ( I will refer to as AI ) not feed, and yes increasing light increased production.

It's AI, there are 300,000,000 layers in America. We've lost 65,000,000 and counting to Avian Influenza. That's roughly 22% of all layers in production.

We manipulate the light 💡 in the houses, so they will mass produce all year round.


When the chickens get sick, they stop producing eggsSo when a positive AI is reported. The producer can't take a chance on it spreading so entire flock is eliminated.We had a bad outbreak in 2015 as well. This one is much worse.
Spread usually occurs on from wild birds that usually hang around chicken ranches. Such as Crow, Ravens and Egrets. Most of the contamination this time around came from back yard flocks in peoples backyards. They learned in 2015 that the virus can attach itself to your vehicle or clothing.

Vets went out to contaminated farms and inspected the birds. Then unknowingly when they'd go to another ranch and nothing was contaminated, after they'd leave the birds started getting sick. That's how they figured out the spread can be caused by humans bringing it to an contaminated environment on their clothes or cars. Because the virus 🦠 would live long enough in these conditions to find another host.

Since then, Biosecurity has been set up in almost all the production plants around the nation. We have to check in at a gate before being let in. Then once thru the gate all vehicles and trucks have to drive through a chemical sanitation wash that sprays the entire car including the under carriage. No truck drivers are aloud into the processing areas and each employee has to step into a sanitizing wash for their shoes prior to entering a building. No employee at the plants including USDA are allowed to own birds of any kind. If we have to send relief to another plant for a USDA employee, there has to be a full 24 hours in between before allowed to enter another facility.

It's backyard chicken ranchers probably still feeding summer feed.

The egg supply issue is do to farms culling their herds. Avian flu or something. Also heard of shutdowns from some of the largest manufacturers and a few fires.

Get some calcium and peas into those chickens.

As for the farms closing.....blame gates and government red tape.

I don't know how many people know this with all the talk of chickens not laying in the last months. Egg production is based on sunlight, the longer the day the more eggs are laid.

I have chickens from almost one year old up to nearly ten years old (she lays about 3 eggs a year), and my one year old chickens have laid fine this winter. I was using Tractor Supply until a couple months ago, and then moved to a local feed and seed, and their chicken food is also made locally in the state.

My chickens free range daily, and I don't light their house at all as it shortens their lifespans.

Anyway, it doesn't seem to be common knowledge that only first year chickens lay in the winter, which is why I got hatchlings last March, they started laying over the summer, and have laid eggs this winter, my older girls don't lay in the winter hardly at all.

I don't know if someone is adding something to the feed, but I've not had any problems and I've had chickens for the last ten years, and only first year chickens lay in the winter.

Lots of long time chicken keepers are getting frustrated by this particular conspiracy theory because they think it's just new chicken owners freaking out.

Not to mention, buying your chickens from Tractor Supply is a recipe for disaster :(

From just the responses in this thread clearly egg laying is based on many factors, not just a few.

I don't know how many people know this with all the talk of chickens not laying in the last months. Egg production is based on sunlight, the longer the day the more eggs are laid.

I have chickens from almost one year old up to nearly ten years old (she lays about 3 eggs a year), and my one year old chickens have laid fine this winter. I was using Tractor Supply until a couple months ago, and then moved to a local feed and seed, and their chicken food is also made locally in the state.

My chickens free range daily, and I don't light their house at all as it shortens their lifespans.

Anyway, it doesn't seem to be common knowledge that only first year chickens lay in the winter, which is why I got hatchlings last March, they started laying over the summer, and have laid eggs this winter, my older girls don't lay in the winter hardly at all.

I don't know if someone is adding something to the feed, but I've not had any problems and I've had chickens for the last ten years, and only first year chickens lay in the winter.

Lots of long time chicken keepers are getting frustrated by this particular conspiracy theory because they think it's just new chicken owners freaking out.

Not to mention, buying your chickens from Tractor Supply is a recipe for disaster :(

Sorry to say bullshit but have been keeping hens for forty years. Only have seventeen at moment, eight of which were hatched in 2019 still getting seven to nine eggs daily. Some say not to use lights but I keep the coup well lit 24/7 and feed them twice a day. Feed them a lot actually. Neighbor keeps a hundred or so in large barn and only is getting nine or ten eggs daily, but no lights and fed only once a day. Believe the secret is the light and over feeding
Use Blain's layer crumbles and table/ kitchen scraps. Oh I'm in Illinois and I keep two 250 watt heat lamps on each end of layer boxes. Breeds are only Rhode Island reds and Americanas. Hope everyone has better luck than what I have been hearing about.

We cull approximately 1/3 of the flock at the end of their 3rd summer and replace them.

After 3 years laying drops off fast and they become food consuming "pets" not food producing stock. Your choice.

Don't play innocent. You ain't gonna sneak the sun past this rooster.

Another good post. These folks keeping chickens for 8 years, I’m a bit shocked honestly. It’s so darn easy to “make” new ones, why would anyone tolerate the drop in egg production? Plus, chicken broth is a poor man (or smart man)’s antibiotic. If you cull and create you always have the same number of egg layers plus you get some great soups as a bonus.

Stop eating babies

Lol. Silly. The eggs you eat are infrtilized. Meaning they are not CHICKS. Lol

My chickens laid year round for 20 yrs. They were Japanese Silkies, I also had Aracaunas and they did as well. My Silkies were laying around 5 -7 eggs a week even at the ages of 8+ yrs old.

I had eggs running out of my ears because I had like 10 hens, all from the same clutch. I fed them scratch and tofu, hamburger, various other scraps and in the summer I went out almost every night with a flashlight and caught a bunch of spiders and grasshoppers for them for a treat. Also dirt dobber larvae and everything else tasty to them that I found in the garden.

I also scrambled and fed them their own eggs when I had too many. All you preppers should have some because they’re so broody. They will set your other chickens eggs gladly. They’re so mommy oriented I could put baby chicks I got in the mail under some of them that weren’t setting at night and by morning they had claimed them as their own and raised them. I love those chickens. Maybe someday I can have some more.

Have you tried the French chickens the Bresse ? Beautiful eggs, great tasting meat, they love to forage, what's not to like.