How to Prevent Cage Layer Fatigue

Cage layer fatigue is a nutritional disease that often plagues caged laying hens during peak egg production. The disease can also affect turkeys and ducks. Lack of proper nutrition in affected birds results in soft bones, sometimes causing the bird's legs to bow, hampering its ability to stand or walk. Feeding the proper ratios of calcium and phosphorous and other nutrients can prevent the disease and even reverse it if caught early enough.

Things You'll Need

  • Calcium
  • Phosphorous
  • Vitamin D3
  • Exercise area
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Instructions

    • 1

      Provide birds with feed with a 2 to 1 ratio of calcium to phosphorous. The ratio of calcium to phosphorous is important for normal bone calcification. Excess of either calcium or phosphorous can cause rickets, another term used for the condition.

    • 2

      Supplement feed with vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 regulates absorption of calcium. In birds suffering with cage layer fatigue, up the dosage to three or four times recommended by the manufacturer.

    • 3

      Control mold and fungus. Toxins in mold and fungus are called mycotoxins and can interfere with a bird's ability to absorb nutrients. Replace any feed contaminated with mold, fungus or toxins.

    • 4

      Exercise birds. Layer hens that are confined to cages are most prone to cage layer fatigue. Allowing birds to exercise can help prevent and treat cage layer fatigue. Birds have spontaneously recovered from the disease when allowed out of cages to exercise.