Poultry homes have slaughtered thousands and thousands of chickens in the USA to cease the unfold of avian flu. The illness spreads rapidly and might contaminate egg manufacturing. Together with different elements, this has triggered a scarcity of eggs and a spike in costs. However even some wholesome populations have stopped laying eggs, and that has led to the good hen egg conspiracy.

This previous week, I spent an hour on my radio present speaking about a problem I knew nothing about simply 24 hours earlier than. I had gone residence from my workplace and my daughter requested me about hen eggs. Her trainer has some chickens and the chickens had stopped laying eggs. Rumors had been circulating that firms had been placing one thing new within the hen feed that stopped egg manufacturing.

Then, a listener messaged me on Instagram. She wished to know if I had heard all of the conspiracies about hen egg manufacturing. Some farmers had been posting movies. It appeared some had been suggesting firms or the federal government had been attempting to close down egg manufacturing.

A reader, after I talked about this on radio, chimed in with, “I recommend that when you don’t have chickens, don’t know plenty of people that do have chickens, and haven’t witnessed the fairly uncommon change within the laying sample, you cease calling folks names. We at all times have a lull in manufacturing within the winter. However seldom, if ever, do they cease for months. And once more, that is taking place it doesn’t matter what celebration an individual helps.” She was fairly indignant that I’d snort on the conspiracy.

It seems there’s a downside. It is usually an issue lots of people are solely simply experiencing as a result of they solely took up proudly owning chickens for eggs in the course of the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, I’ve the reply to an issue that I didn’t even know was an issue till final week.

Sure, it’s true that a number of yard chickens unaffected by the hen flu have stopped laying eggs. It is usually true some persons are discovering that altering the chickens’ weight loss program can get them to begin laying eggs once more. It is usually true that many chickens do lay eggs within the winter, however this winter they stopped, and a few scientists have been very dismissive, claiming chickens don’t lay eggs in winter.

Seems it isn’t that difficult. Again throughout Christmas, the nation froze. The Southeast skilled colder temperatures over extra days than the South usually experiences. Individuals who have owned chickens for the final half-decade haven’t skilled such a chronic chilly snap. Chilly climate does scale back hen egg manufacturing. Actually chilly climate over many days stops egg manufacturing altogether.

Throughout the winter climate within the South, coupled with quite a few days of no solar, a number of chickens stopped laying eggs. A number of farmers, veterinarians and meals scientists all inform me that is regular. To the extent altering from hen feed to, as one residence treatment prompt, goat feed to get egg manufacturing up works is both a matter of surprising the hen’s system into egg manufacturing or simply coincidence on timing. Many of the egg manufacturing issues began going away as states began warming up.

A farmer I talked to who focuses on chickens advised me lots of people have taken up the behavior of elevating chickens prior to now few years. He has offered a lot of chicks. He advised me lots of people are actually three to 5 years into having chickens for eggs and it takes a decade or extra to see all of the cycles and patterns. Chickens have a tendency to supply eggs when the times are longer and the climate is gentle. Spring to midsummer tends to be when most eggs are laid. Cold and warm climate deter manufacturing.

The ethical of the story is persons are extra accustomed to issues and have extra data about subjects than ever earlier than. However that data comes with gaps and shortages of data we have no idea we must always know. Others can manipulate that lack of information into conspiracies the place no conspiracy is warranted. Sure, hen egg manufacturing could also be down. However the eggs will come again even when it takes a while.

To search out out extra about Erick Erickson and skim options by different Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, go to the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.