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It can be quite alarming when a poultry owner gets a consistent five eggs, daily, from five hens, only to find just one egg for a few days. This sudden drop in egg laying takes us all into detective mode – are they hiding the eggs? Are they sick? Below you’ll find some of the most common reasons for decreased egg production to put your mind at ease and hopefully get your girls laying consistently again. Why do hens stop laying eggs? Molt. At 15-18 months of age, and every year thereafter, chickens will replace their feathers. Feathers will fall out to make...

Fly control is a critical part of an integrated pest management system and reducing your overall production costs. While there may not be a silver bullet for fly control, there are steps you can take to build a season-long fly control program.  First, know your flies – house, stable, horn and face. They each have their own characteristics that effect productivity on beef cattle.   House flies have been implicated in the transmission of 65 disease organisms with populations that can burst out of control in a short period of time.  Stable flies have one of the most painful bites of any bloodsucking...

Delightful gifts that a hen gives the family caring for them are delicious eggs with shells of varied sizes, hues, and shapes. Some are speckled. Most are solid color. These gorgeous gems soon transition into tasty and nutritious food. Many flock owners keep several chicken breeds that lay a diversity of shell colors ranging from light to dark brown, blue/green, white, and virtually every shade in between. Some shells are smooth and glossy, while others are more textured. When arranged in an egg carton they are a delight to the eye and a striking contrast to the sameness of supermarket...

Weak, thin, or soft chicken eggshells can lead to loss of eggs and income, deformities in chicks, and other difficulties. There are several reasons why shell strength may degrade, and different ways to prevent it to ensure the most productive laying hens. Why Hens Might Lay Weak or Soft Eggs There can be several causes behind weak chicken eggs. While any hen might have an occasional soft egg and infrequent weak eggshells are nothing to be concerned about, if a hen is laying soft eggs regularly or with noticeably increasing frequency, she may be suffering from any of these conditions....

Understanding the basic dietary needs of your equine friend is an essential part of ownership. Horses are foragers, meaning they graze. Meeting this natural characteristic is imperative.• Hay: Hay is commonly the preferred source of forage. A safe calculation is 1 pound of hay to every 100 pounds of a horse’s body weight. Allowing a horse to have access to hay all day helps promote a healthy digestive process.• Best Practice for Feeding: The amount of feed given on a daily basis should be determined by the horse’s size and work load. A normal leisure walking horse might have a...