Summer Egg Production…kind of sounds like a play, doesn’t it? Maybe I should say Summer Egg Production (or lack there of). Or, how ’bout Summer Egg Production (yes, no, maybe).
Remember back when it was Spring time? The grass and trees were turning green. The flowers were budding, some even flowering into their full beauty. The sun was warming the soil. Garden beds were being turned in preparation of new growth. The chickens were becoming consistent egg layers once again. It was as if everything was waking up from a long winter’s nap.
Fast forward to the heat of summer…we’ve been in the 90’s a lot here in my neck of the woods of Ohio. I’m talking muggy, sticky, hot! For humans, extremely hot weather affects people in different ways – some love it, some have trouble breathing in it. It affects animals also, chickens included.
In my last post, I talked about some things we do for our ladies to help keep them cool in the heat of summer. And although all of that is important, fact is extreme heat also affects egg production. For chickens to remain fairly consistent in their egg laying routine, they prefer temperatures between 50 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit. When it’s hotter than 75 degrees F they use a lot of their energy to stay cool. That extra energy they use to stay cool takes away from the energy used to produce eggs. It’s hard work being a chicken!
So, I guess this is one of those situations where I say “It is what it is”. 😉 As we dwindle down in temperature, the ladies will lay more consistently…that is until fall molting occurs. ‘Tis the life of chickens…and chicken keepers.
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9 Comments
It’s been in the upper 90’s and low 100’s consistently here in central Texas. I have a soaker hose entwined in the trees that border the chainlink fence enclosing their area. They enjoy the mist and the pools of water that form. When the hose is turned off, and the ground starts to dry, they like to dig in and rest during the heat of the day.
Also, frozen 1-gallon water jugs piled up in a shallow pit make for a nice air conditioner. At the end of the day, rinse off and refreeze.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing.
I live in Redding, CA where it is normally over 100 and sometimes higher. I keep large bowls/crocks full of ice in the coop and put their goodies on top. I also bought a cheap mister that they actually roll under. My egg production has not suffered. Moulting is the only thing that seems to hurt it.
Great! Cool treats are much appreciated by chickens, although I don’t put any type of food/treats inside our coop.
I only have one mature hen, the rest are 3 months old. She’s not been laying but I would prefer she lay no eggs as long as she’s healthy, although I do miss those good eggs. At first, I thought she was egg-bound cause she wasn’t laying. She seems to handle the heat better than my 3 month old rooster who is constantly panting.
I live in the South West where triple digits are common.Refrigerated treats like salad greens,apples,watermelon and a hosing down with water. No chicken should pant from the heat. Have a lovely day.
A healthy flock is definitely important! It’s part of their natural cycle to have a break from laying which can be caused from things such as molting, weather, or age.
I love all the info you have for us! I fairly new at this ( 1 year in ) so I like all the the info I can get!
Happy to hear that you are receiving lots of good info. Enjoy your flock!