Many poultry farmers in our country prefer to breed various breeds of chickens. This is not only a favorite pastime, but also a profitable business. Most beginners when buying poultry ask themselves the question: how to find out the exact age of a laying hen in order to purchase young chickens? There are methods for determining the age of a bird, which you will learn about in our article.

Only young chickens are able to please the owner with a high degree of egg production, so the desire of breeders to determine the age of the bird when purchasing is quite natural. There are ways to approximately determine how long ago a bird was born. Chickens tend to lay eggs well in the first years after their birth, after which the egg production rate invariably decreases. The average laying hen can easily live up to 15 years if the owner does not have the desire to use her for cooking.

The experience of many poultry farmers in breeding chickens confirms that at the 5th year of life, laying hens stop producing eggs. To determine how old a chicken is, there are methods that have been used for years. But first of all, you should ask the seller about this. Pullets are hens that are just about to start laying eggs. Their age ranges from 4 to 6 months. Egg crosses begin to produce eggs at 5 – 5.5 months.

A young bird's comb will be warm and elastic, red in color, its eyes will be clear and clean, its beak will be yellow and even, the skin on its paws will be yellow and clean, its claws should not peel off, and there should be no cracks or calluses on its heels. The hard tip of a chicken's keel indicates its venerable age, because in a young bird it is soft and gristly.
Since all types of birds have increased egg production only in the first year of life, most farmers who are interested in this particular indicator keep the birds in their

farm No matter which method you use, you are unlikely to be able to determine the exact age of the bird.

In this case, the error can easily range from 1 month to six months. Experts advise inviting an experienced farmer for inspection after purchase. Such an expert, having checked the condition of the beak, scallop, belly, and legs, will be able to accurately say whether you have acquired young individuals or not.

Despite the fact that existing methods can only approximately determine the age of a bird, almost all farmers have been willingly using them for many years. Beginners try to find out on their own how old the laying hens are. How can you do this at home?

Beak appearance

You can determine whether the bird you have come across is old or young by carefully examining the surface of the beak. Young laying hens have a beak of a bright light shade; they have a characteristic yellowish color. Older chickens have a duller stratum corneum on their beaks. Gray shades are clearly visible on its surface. Examination of the beak only allows you to distinguish young from adult individuals, but does not make it possible to find out more precisely how old the chicken you purchased is.

How to feel a comb

By nature itself, every hen is genetically endowed with such a property - the redder the color of its comb, the higher the degree of egg production of the hen.

Based on the color of the comb, you can roughly determine whether you bought a young or old bird. If it has a comb that is red in color and warm to the touch, this individual is young. If the scallop is colored light pink and cold, you are dealing with an over-aged laying hen. Scallop temperature is another important parameter in determining the age of a chicken. Since in an old individual the blood circulation process occurs much more slowly than in a very young bird. This explains the fact that in young chickens the comb will be warm when touched, and in old ones it will be cold.

Abdominal condition

Pay attention to the chicken's belly. It should be carefully felt. During the test, you can find out whether there is a layer of fatty tissue on the abdomen. If it is there, and the belly is hard to the touch, you can rest assured that the hen is no longer young. Over the course of its life, a chicken gains weight, becomes lazier and less active. She develops a subcutaneous layer of fat; it is this indicator that helps distinguish an adult bird from a young bird.

Old chickens most often stay away from the feeder and rarely walk around the enclosure. The young are very active - they quickly rush towards food and absorb it with appetite. In a young laying hen, when you feel the breast and belly, you will feel firmness and softness. So it is possible to determine that the chicken has not reached the critical point of decreasing the degree of egg production and is still productive. Owners prefer to breed young chickens to produce eggs, and then send the fat hens to the kitchen.

By type of paws

You can find out the age of a chicken if you take a closer look at its paws. With growths, rough in appearance, with large calluses - this is what the paws of old laying hens look like. Young individuals that have not yet reached the age of 2 years have the surface of their paws without scales. You will not see keratinized particles or other growths on them. They will be uniform in color and feel smooth when touched. On the soles of the paws of aged chickens, many deep cracks are visually clearly visible. Young laying hens have smaller cracks, and the skin on the surface of their limbs is in a more presentable condition. The skin of the paws of young animals is distinguished by the fact that the scales on it fit tightly to each other. They are small in size and have a characteristic smooth surface.
Experienced zoo farmers are able to almost accurately indicate the age of the laying hen you purchased. Therefore, if you are new to this matter, do not hesitate to invite a specialist to help.

Video “Choosing healthy and young chicken”

In the video, a man gives advice on choosing chickens when buying.

I have a small flock of chickens, 15 of them, I have a rooster, but there is some problem with egg production. I can’t get more than 7 eggs from my laying hens, although the living conditions for the birds are excellent. Usually they carry even less. It seems to me that some feathered ladies are “shirking” from their direct responsibilities. Therefore, the question arises: how can you determine whether a chicken is laying eggs or not, in order to let careless laying hens go to soup?

In fact, this issue seriously worries most novice poultry farmers. Indeed, is there any point in feeding and maintaining that pestle that simply absorbs food, but flatly refuses to lay eggs? However, before jumping to hasty conclusions, it is worth comparing several factors and answering the following questions:

• does the chicken molt?
• whether the pestle is hatching eggs;
• how the chicken is kept;
• what breed does the bird belong to?

The fact is that even the best laying hen will not produce eggs during the molting period or during incubation. You may also not get eggs if the chicken lives in inappropriate conditions - poor diet, lack of exercise, and so on. There are also some breeds of chickens that are not distinguished by abundant egg production and themselves produce few eggs.

Thus, the absence of eggs does not always mean that the chicken is bad - this can often be due to its physiological state at the moment.

But, fortunately, there are several methods that allow a farmer to determine whether a chicken is laying eggs or not, among which are the following:

• by the appearance of the bird;
• according to the condition of her cloaca;
• by palpating her body.

First of all, examine the bird and evaluate its appearance. Good layers have a small amount of feathers on their heads, and the earrings, earlobes and comb are brightly colored, warm to the touch, slightly swollen, smooth and soft. These body parts in chickens are secondary sexual characteristics; their condition directly depends on what changes occur in the bird’s ovaries. The enlargement of the comb and earrings occurs at the same time when the size of the yolks in the appendages increases, since the blood flow to them increases by about 20%. If the hen does not lay eggs, then these parts of the body will be wrinkled, pale in color, and cold. They become the same during the period when oviposition ceases.

The comb of representatives of such breeds as the Minorca, Partridge and White Leghorns can serve as an especially good indicator of productivity.

The eyes of an egg-laying bird are bright, lively, with a clearly defined pupil, the beak is slightly curved, dim (in a bad laying hen it will be long and of a rich color). The skin of a laying hen is light, soft, tender, while that of its antipode is bluish, yellowish, with clearly visible fatty deposits.

A consistently laying hen has a short and strong back, widely spaced, straight legs with pale-colored integument. In certain breeds of birds (these are Plymouth Rock, Leghorn, Russian White and Rhode Island), the color of the legs and beak can be bright yellow due to the special xanthophyll pigment. And depending on the saturation of the shade, one can also judge the egg-laying of hens - gradually the amount of dye in the laying hen’s body decreases, as it goes into the yolk, while the integument of parts of the body turns pale.

In the tail area of ​​a good laying hen, the feathers are often broken off, and the belly is large and elastic. This is due to the fact that during the laying period the chicken eats a lot, which is why the gastrointestinal tract becomes enlarged. Also, the volume and weight of the oviduct and ovary increase (about 5-6 times). A bird that does not pamper its owner with eggs has a long back, cross-shaped legs, an elongated belly, and dull, rumpled plumage.

There are “cheater” hens that look quite healthy and seem to be good layers, but it is impossible to expect eggs from them. They can only be distinguished by the condition of the abdomen, which is small in size and quite hard to the touch. Fortunately, such birds are rare.

Inspection of the cloaca will help identify birds that do not produce eggs. In good pieds, this organ should be clearly visible (if you look under the tail), be enlarged, partially open, moist and soft to the touch. In hens that do not produce eggs, the cloaca is dry, covered with folds, and difficult to see.

You can determine whether a chicken produces eggs by measuring the distance between the pubic bones - these are the protruding bones of the thighs. For a flying bird, 3 human fingers folded together fit into this gap. The one that does not produce eggs has no more than 2, or even 1. But between the end of the keel and the tips of the pubic bones of laying hens, 3 or even 4 fingers will fit. 2-3 fingers should fit freely between the chicken’s legs, but a lot depends on the size of both the person and the bird itself.

Another method is considered one of the most reliable and widespread - palpation of the bird’s body. In the evening, take the chicken in your hands and gently, with light but confident pressing movements, feel the upper part of the body above the cloacal opening with the palm of your hand. If the bird is laying eggs, you can feel the egg inside it. And the hen’s tummy should be soft, resembling a sponge to the touch.

All these methods will help, if necessary, to sort the chicken stock, leaving high-quality birds, and using the rest for meat. However, if all the parrots at once stopped producing eggs, and at the same time they are experiencing unnatural molting, then it’s time to pay attention to the conditions of their keeping and, perhaps, call a veterinarian. This is a cause for concern.

In order for your chickens to delight you with high egg production, you need to keep only young, highly productive individuals on your farm. Sometimes it is not so easy to distinguish a pullet from an old chicken, especially if you are a novice poultry farmer. Therefore, today we will talk about how to determine the age of a laying hen without problems!

How can you tell how old a chicken is?

Imagine - you have perfectly equipped your chicken coop, purchased high-quality feed and grain, in a word, you have done everything to make your farm or chicken business prosper. But at the same time, you were “caught” and bought already adult, aging laying hens - here all your efforts can go down the drain. The fact is that the productive age of laying hens is 2-3 years, and only in the first year can one expect the maximum number of eggs from them.

Therefore, most experienced farmers conduct an audit of their livestock annually and update it with the help of replacement young stock. A chicken can live for about 15 years, but what’s the point if it doesn’t lay eggs anymore?

Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine the exact age of the bird. The error will range from 1 to 6 months. Connoisseurs of chicken exterior identify a number of external signs by which you can determine the age of the bird. As for behavioral signs, it is obvious that the young chicken is more active, she is always on the move, and is the first to rush to the feeder. She herself is more graceful, has a smaller bone structure.

How to distinguish an old chicken from a young one?

As we have already said, there are some external features by which farmers know how to determine the age of chickens. You need to be especially vigilant when you buy birds at the market. Some novice farmers focus on the size of the chicken, they say, pullets are smaller and miniature. This is partly true, because most egg-laying breeds are characterized by a miniature size and light weight at any age, which is why unscrupulous sellers can “slip” you an older laying hen. What exactly in a chicken’s appearance will help you determine its age, read on.

Scallop condition

When examining a chicken to determine its age, pay attention to its comb and lobes. In a young individual it will always be bright red, because the pigment that colors the chicken's comb and the eggshell is the same. As egg production declines, the color of the comb and lobes will fade and turn pale. In addition, the comb of a young hen will be much warmer to the touch than an old one, which helps to distinguish them from each other. The fact is that the blood circulation of an aged chicken is no longer the same, which is why such a temperature difference arises.

Beak type

For experienced poultry keepers, the condition of the beak is the main indicator of the age of the bird, allowing one to distinguish a young bird from an old bird. The fact is that a young laying hen, which is not yet a year old, has a smoother beak and is of a rich yellow color. As the beak matures, it acquires a grayish, duller tint, and cracks and other irregularities characteristic of age appear on it.

Palpation of the abdomen

Another sign by which the approximate age of a laying hen is determined is her belly. If, upon palpation of the abdomen, you determine that it is hard, then the chicken is obese and clearly not young. A chicken in the first year of life certainly cannot have such a belly, so such a laying hen is only suitable for broth.

Leg condition

When purchasing laying hens, also pay attention to the condition of her legs. In young individuals, the skin on the paws is somewhat reminiscent of the skin of small chickens - it is yellow and evenly colored. With age, the skin on the paws, as well as on the comb, becomes dull, and roughness and cracks appear on the soles. The scales on the paws of a young laying hen are not as large as those of an adult; they fit tightly together and have a more attractive appearance.

When purchasing young animals, keep in mind that laying hens begin laying eggs at the age of 4-5 months and promise to maintain high egg production for about 2 years. If you have a small farm, conducting an age audit among them is not very long and difficult, however, as the livestock grows, the time costs will increase. Therefore, we would advise dividing chickens into age groups. This is very convenient, you will always know which group’s productivity is coming to an end. In addition, laying hens of the same age get along better with each other and quarrel less.

Photo gallery

Video “What future laying hens look like”

If you want to learn how to determine the age of chickens, we suggest you watch a video in which the main participants are chickens - future laying hens.

How to find the age of chickens?

at 2011-01-16, 21:22.

?

at 2011-01-16, 23:34.

I have observed this with both turkeys and ducks.

This is the essence of breeding. those that are larger are considered better. and those who fall behind are discarded.

at 2011-01-16, 23:54.

at 2011-01-17, 00:13.

at 2011-01-17, 08:55.

I read information on forums, in books and articles, and simply observe the development processes of birds. For example, I noticed that one of my black hens lays eggs that constantly hatch a chick with a crooked toe.

Now we need to calculate it)))))) in order to eliminate it.

although it may well be that this is homogeneous blood. The problem can be solved by replacing the rooster from another line.

]AlexeyNN, what kind of chickens do you have? And how can one really calculate such a laying hen?

at 2011-01-17, 10:47.

I read information on forums, in books and articles, and simply observe the development processes of birds. for example, I noticed that one of mine is black chicken lays eggs in which a chicken with a crooked toe constantly hatches.

Now we need to calculate it)))))) in order to eliminate it.

although it may well be that this is homogeneous blood. The problem can be solved by replacing a rooster from another line. AlexeyNN, what kind of chickens do you have? And how can one really calculate such a laying hen? black Leghorn, and black Moscow, this is from the black ones.

and a total of 8 breeds.

how to calculate? install a security camera))))

or place each one separately until the eggs are laid.

Label the egg and see which curve it hatches from.

but you don’t have to do all this at all, a crooked finger is not a big problem, the whole chickens are normal - nimble and large.

at 2011-01-17, 12:14.

Mine will probably start in two or three weeks too. What if later? How do you know when it's time to build a nest for them? Will it be obvious from their behavior, or, so to speak, will they be presented with a fait accompli?

at 2011-01-17, 12:38.

Mine will probably start in two or three weeks too. What if later? How do you know when it's time to build a nest for them? Will it be obvious from their behavior, or, so to speak, will they be presented with a fait accompli? The farm is small, about 45 chickens in total.

put a nest and let it be, the chickens will decide for themselves when to lay eggs. I had 25 eggs laid once before I noticed. They started laying eggs at the age of 5 months, by the way)

at 2011-01-17, 12:55.

at 2011-01-17, 13:06.

at 2011-01-17, 13:17.

at 2011-01-17, 14:23.

at 2011-06-06, 11:35.

at 2011-06-06, 12:58.

at 2011-06-06, 13:31.

at 2011-06-06, 14:04.

and lay eggs, egg production simply decreases, and the meat becomes woody.

at 2011-06-13, 19:13.

at 2011-06-13, 22:07.

at 2011-06-13, 22:10.

at 2011-06-14, 13:29.

at 2011-11-27, 22:16.

at 2011-11-27, 22:26.

A Chicken has LEGS like a Woman's HANDS - AN INDICATOR OF AGE ALL HUNDRED But there are ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS to the RULES: JOKINGLY:

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Store-bought eggs are no fun. They contain significantly fewer nutritional components than homemade products. Therefore, poultry farmers prefer to breed egg breeds of birds on their own backyard so that fresh and healthy eggs are always present on the table. But now you have purchased a dozen small chickens, but it’s too early to expect results. It’s worth finding out the basic points for yourself in advance, for example, when chickens start laying eggs and how to contribute to this.

The first thing you need to clarify for yourself, if you are just starting the process of breeding poultry, at what stage of development do laying hens begin to lay eggs? Determining exact dates is not so easy. The thing is that many factors influence this process. It also matters what kind of care you were able to provide for the chickens, and how spacious and equipped the chicken coop they live in.

Walking poultry, as well as diet, is important. Only by observing all these nuances will you get a complete result.

Some farmers use various methods in the hope of speeding up this very period of puberty. However, this will not lead to anything good. If a hen lays her first eggs too early, the hen is likely to develop health problems. Therefore, you should not try untested methods: the safest thing to do is simply to provide all the conditions for the bird to feel comfortable in the chicken coop.

Video “When chickens start laying eggs”

From the video you will learn when chickens begin to lay eggs.

Number of eggs

When the chicken begins to lay eggs, each farmer moves to a new stage of poultry keeping. Now all efforts should be aimed at ensuring that the productivity of laying hens does not decrease, and even vice versa. Many poultry farmers argue about the optimal number of eggs that can be obtained from one chicken, as well as the frequency of laying this chicken product. The most common assumption is that the process is repeated daily. However, some experts are convinced that eggs can be obtained at least every other day. Much also depends on the breed: there are several varieties of poultry that produce eggs literally once a week.

In order not to make a bad choice, carefully study the characteristics of the breed before purchasing its small representatives. If your key goal is to produce a large number of eggs, the investment will be wasted if you buy chickens with sufficiently poor production characteristics. Another important point is that laying hens, as a rule, should lay eggs in the warm season. However, the poultry farming sector is actively developing, and now a domestic farmer can do everything to ensure that egg production remains intense even in winter.

Is there a need for a rooster?

Knowing when your pullets begin to lay eggs, you can provide them with comfortable living conditions. But before your hen begins to fully lay eggs, the novice farmer has to figure out one more important nuance: is the participation of a rooster necessary in this process?

Many people believe that without the presence of one or two males in the population, the egg-laying process will not be effective or will not be able to take place at all. However, this opinion is actually not true. The whole point is that the chicken lays eggs, as this is genetically inherent in it. The presence of a rooster does not solve anything, nor does its absence.

There is one minor caveat: without a rooster in the flock, the eggs will not be fertilized. That is, you can eat them without any problems. But if you decide to start raising poultry on your own, having a rooster is a must. Take care of the condition of your hens if you want their egg production to remain high for a long time. It is worth making every effort to ensure that your chickens start laying eggs on time. This is not difficult to do, the main thing is to strictly adhere to the recommendations from specialists.

Video “How many eggs does a chicken lay per day”

From the video you will learn how many eggs a chicken lays on average per day.