Layer Cages: What Should You Do If Hens in Layer Cages Stop Laying Eggs?

Whether it comes with a chicken coop Layer cage Whether it’s a free-range farm that produces both meat and eggs, or a barn‑raised flock of older hens, any hen that stops laying represents a significant loss for the farmer. With that in mind, here are the common causes of egg production decline and some possible solutions.


If a hen has just begun laying eggs, it is easy for the egg to become malpositioned. In such cases, the hen may have difficulty laying or may fail to lay altogether. At this point, the poultry keeper should assist the hen. The procedure is as follows: one person gently grasps the hen’s wings and thighs, positioning the head upward and the abdomen outward; meanwhile, another person applies vegetable oil to their right index finger, inserts it into the hen’s cloaca, straightens the egg’s position, and carefully removes the oviductal mucosa covering the egg. Simultaneously, with the left hand, gently press on the hen’s abdomen to help expel any remaining egg.


The methods described above are intended for addressing egg‑laying difficulties during the early stages of production. Typically, if these measures are implemented promptly in the initial phase, they can effectively resolve the issue of hens failing to lay eggs. However, if a hen continues to refuse to lay and exhibits frequent defecation, it may indicate inflammation of the cloaca. In such cases, the poultry farmer should administer oxytetracycline to the hen twice daily—morning and evening—and simultaneously cleanse the cloacal area with iodine dissolved in warm water. Afterwards, gently turn the hen onto its back and lightly palpate the oviduct to help it return to its proper position.

Some poultry farmers report that the hens’ combs are bright red and that they “lay eggs” in the coop every day. When they leave the coop, the hens cluck loudly, but by the time they return, there are no eggs left. What’s going on? In fact, this is a classic case of yolk peritonitis in chickens. The tricky thing about this disease is that, aside from the presence of pseudo‑eggs, there are usually no other external symptoms. Only upon necropsy do veterinarians find yellowish fluid and degraded fragments of yolk in the hens’ abdominal cavities.


The cause of yolk peritonitis in hens is usually stress or fright. During the laying process, hens should not be chased or startled violently, as this can easily lead to mature eggs entering the abdominal cavity instead of the oviduct. Poultry farmers often encounter certain types of yolk peritonitis, but these typically do not result in obvious symptoms. Here’s a folk remedy: grind rhubarb into a fine powder and form it into pellets, feeding each hen three times daily at about 2 grams of crude medicine per dose. Feeding in this manner for roughly one week usually restores normal egg production. Thereafter, continue this regimen for another week to consolidate the effect and prevent recurrence.