Useful hints and tips

PROBLEM	CAUSE	CURE
Soft shelled eggs	Stress or sudden shock, change in weather, pests, beginning or end of lay in older hens, calcium deficiency	Check the bird's environment, provide suitable shelter & the correct nutrients
Rough or slab sided eggs	Possible disease	Take advice from your Vet
Floor laid eggs	Unattractive, inhospitable or not enough nest boxes	Provide suitable nest boxes
Reluctance to go into poultry house	Humidity, cold, red mite	Treat house appropriately, increase ventilation
Egg eating	Lack of water / food, heat, infrequent egg collection	Ensure enough food & fresh water is provided. Collect eggs daily
Prolapse	Force feeding for production of larger eggs	Ensure you follow a natural, healthy, balanced diet
Soft ended, distorted eggs	Possible infection if occasionally occurring	Take advice from your Vet
Blood smear on eggs	Straining from producing too large an egg	Feed your birds less intensively
Loss of egg shell colour	Too much sunshine on hens, reduced feed intake, lack of cool, fresh water, possible infection or red mite infestation	Provide shade & shelter outdoors as well as indoors, cool, fresh water, daily. Ensure feeding conditions are suitable for your bird's daily intake, treat where required for red mite & take advice from your Vet
Less eggs being laid	Cold weather conditions, moulting, fright, lack of water, age of hen	Keep the henhouse warm & free from draughts, although allowing correct ventilation. Chickens will focus on feather reproduction rather than just laying when moulting - just leave her be. Keep shut away during the evening & around bonfire night. Always provide fresh water.
Aggression & / or feather pecking	Flock size too large (max 50 / flock), not enough nutrients in diet, boredom	Don't exceed your recommended flock size, ensure the birds are getting a balanced diet
Central banded eggs	Temperature caused due to shock or stress, halt in passage of egg through oviduct	Provide your birds with a stress free environment

Coat your chickens comb and wattles in Vaseline during the winter, to prevent frost bite.

By law you are required to register with DEFRA if you are responsible for or own poultry of 50 or more birds. Although not yet required by Law, 50 birds or less, you are not obliged to register with DEFRA but keepers are encouraged to do so of their own accord.

When selling your eggs on, at the "farmgate" for example, your eggs must be clean, but not washed. Damaged or cracked shells should be kept for your own use, rather than sold on and used as quickly as possible.

You must display a Best Before Date, to comply with the Law. Eggs are usually expected to last up to approximately 4 weeks from the date of lay.

Farmgate Smallholder

Useful hints and tips