CHICKEN EGG PRODUCTION
All chicken hens lay eggs, but some will lay more than others. A good laying hens should give you 280+ eggs per year. The Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) is the breed used commercially. These hens, however, tend to be nervous and flighty so are not suitable for a cage-free or free-range system. There are a number of dual purpose breeds, as well as some sex-link crosses that can be used for egg production in a small or backyard flock. Refer to the section on chicken breed selection for more information.
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GENERAL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
The small laying flock (University of Minnesota)
The small laying flock (Texas A&M)
Small-scale egg production (organic and non-organic) (Penn State University)
Production of eggs and home-raised, home-butchered broiler and turkeys (Kansas State University)
PULLET MANAGEMENT
Rearing chicks and pullets for the small laying flock (University of Minnesota)
See also Lighting Programs
LAYER MANAGEMENT
Egg-type layer flocks care practices (University of California)
Management requirements for laying hens (Virginia Tech)
Evaluating egg laying hens (University of Kentucky)
Producing your own eggs (University of New Hampshire)
Prevention of egg eating (Virginia Tech)
Preventing hens from eating eggs (Kansas State University)
See also Lighting Programs
Managing heat stress - Part 1 - Layers respond to hot climatic conditions (World Poultry)
LIGHTING PROGRAMS
The reproductive system of chickens, as with all birds, is responsive to the number of hours of light in a day. Increasing day length (i.e., more hours of light per day, as happens in the spring) stimulates them to come into production. This includes both males and females. Conversely, decreasing day length (i.e., less hours of light per day, as happens in the fall) typically results in them going out of production. to allow for year round egg production it is important to use a lighting program to maintain egg production when natural day length is decreasing.
Lighting programs for replacement pullets (University of California)
Lighting programs for table egg layers (University of California)
Lighting for small flocks (University of Maine)
Light and lighting for poultry (University of Connecticut)
Proper light management for your home laying flock (University of Nebraska)
PRODUCT HANDLING
Proper handling of eggs: From hen to consumption (Virginia Tech)
Egg cleaning procedures for the backyard flock (University of Nebraska)
TROUBLE SHOOTING
Production
Why have my hens stopped laying? (University of Kentucky)
Factors affecting egg production in backyard chicken flocks (University of Florida)
Culling hens (Mississippi State University)
Molting and other causes of feather loss in small poultry flocks (Kansas State University)
Infectious Bronchitis and its effect on egg production and egg quality (University of Florida)
Product quality
Concepts of eggshell quality (University of Florida)
Factors affecting egg quality (Kansas State University)
Factors causing poor pigmentation of brown-shelled eggs (University of Florida)
DISCLAIMER: References to commercial products or services provided via this Web site are intended for informational and educational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky Extension, or the University of Kentucky as a whole.
