Scratch and Treats Can Reduce Egg Production

[cincyfarmgirl]

All of us love to treat our girls, but the kinds of treats they get can lower egg production. It's just math. Laying pullets/hens need 16% to lay well. If 90% of her daily intake is 16% layer feed and 10% of her daily feed is 9% scratch, her protein intake is lowered to 15.3%. If you underestimate how much you are treating and you give her 20% scratch, her protein intake is now lowered to 14.6%. If you give her 30%, she's only getting 13.9% protein.
How easy is it to underestimate how much you are giving? Here are two pictures of 1/4 lb of feed, the total of what a laying hen will eat in a day. Under it is a picture of 1/10 of that in corn (by weight). On the lower right is how much a handful holds (4.5 times as much as the tablespoon each hen should get).
One handful of scratch for every 4.5 chickens is maximum to make sure they are only getting treated 10% of their diet. Or one tablespoon of scratch per chicken! How many of us toss them handful after handful? I know I was blithely guilty of this until I crunched the numbers. Now I don't even feed 9% scratch, because what is the purpose of lowering their protein? Instead, I give one handful per chicken of dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae. They are much lighter in weight than scratch, so .4 oz equals about one handful. Since BSFL is 45% protein, this results in raising their daily protein level to 18.9%.
Or I treat them with a fermented homemade organic whole-grain scratch of 17.9% protein consisting of corn, wheat, split peas, oats, alfalfa pellets, black oil sunflower seeds and kelp. They would like to skip the peas and alfalfa and just gobble the corn, but those are the main protein in the mix, so I only give enough that they clean their plates of every morsel.
Note: Free-range chickens, in addition to their 16-18% layer feed, are getting extra protein in the insects they eat. For free-rangers, garden produce treats are just another part of their balanced free-ranging diet and aren't crucial to limit.
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Yes I understand that they’re supposed to get a high content of protein, but frankly my hens have been laying better now that I have been giving them chicken scratch in addition to the pellets. In fact they avoid the pellets. I find them just scattered around on the ground uneaten. I buy a five grain chicken scratch that also containers oyster shells. And serve it with a layer pellet feed. But again their preference is the chicken scratch. They have doubled their egg production and they look healthier and they seem happier. So I think I will continue with that until I see diminished production and health.

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes I understand that they’re supposed to get a high content of protein, but frankly my hens have been laying better now that I have been giving them chicken scratch in addition to the pellets. In fact they avoid the pellets. I find them just scattered around on the ground uneaten. I buy a five grain chicken scratch that also containers oyster shells. And serve it with a layer pellet feed. But again their preference is the chicken scratch. They have doubled their egg production and they look healthier and they seem happier. So I think I will continue with that until I see diminished production and health.

They're probably laying better because the days are getting longer.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes I understand that they’re supposed to get a high content of protein, but frankly my hens have been laying better now that I have been giving them chicken scratch in addition to the pellets. In fact they avoid the pellets. I find them just scattered around on the ground uneaten. I buy a five grain chicken scratch that also containers oyster shells. And serve it with a layer pellet feed. But again their preference is the chicken scratch. They have doubled their egg production and they look healthier and they seem happier. So I think I will continue with that until I see diminished production and health.

Correlation is not causation. The lengthening of daylight is a more likely cause of the increased rate of lay - which they are achieving by raiding their own bodies for nutrients. On/about the winter Solstice, Cincinnati was seeing about 9.5 hours of daylight per cycle. You are (as of today) already back up to 10 hours, 27 minutes of daylight. False dawn and dusk add almost another hour. That's quite close to the 12 hours generally offered as a minimum for most hens to lay. Such explanation has the benefit of being consistent with study, science, and experience.

There is no such data to suggest that cutting nutrition below certain minimum levels (approx 16%, here in the US, without significant amino acid supplimentation) will result in greater rate of lay, or, frankly, all the commercial egg ops would be doing it. Its a near 0 margin business, and cheaper feed would save them both on input costs, and disposal costs for the waste.

Appreciate the anecdote, but the offered explanation as to cause is "inconsistent" with the way the world has repeatedly been demonstrated to work.

 

[cincyfarmgirl]

They're probably laying better because the days are getting longer.

That maybe I’ve taken that into consideration. But to counter that the days have been colder it’s been down to zero. And yet they’re laying twice as well as before. So there are several factors to consider when evaluating it. But even when the days were longer and it was warmer weather and they were being fed pellets as well as free ranging, they weren’t really eating the pellets nor were they laying quite as well. In addition to that, our rooster was more active as now I suppose he’s aging and he slowed down a little bit in his activities. I don’t know how much this affects our hens and their health and well-being. It will be interesting to see over a period of time which factors work well for them. For example as the days get longer and warmer and they’re free ranging more I’m not as likely to be giving them chicken scratch. It’ll be interesting to see what the result is. Thanks for your comments.

 

[cincyfarmgirl]

That maybe I’ve taken that into consideration. But to counter that the days have been colder it’s been down to zero. And yet they’re laying twice as well as before. So there are several factors to consider when evaluating it. But even when the days were longer and it was warmer weather and they were being fed pellets as well as free ranging, they weren’t really eating the pellets nor were they laying quite as well. In addition to that, our rooster was more active as now I suppose he’s aging and he slowed down a little bit in his activities. I don’t know how much this affects our hens and their health and well-being. It will be interesting to see over a period of time which factors work well for them. For example as the days get longer and warmer and they’re free ranging more I’m not as likely to be giving them chicken scratch. It’ll be interesting to see what the result is. Thanks for your comments.

What intrigues me the most is finding pellets that my chickens will like. Even when those were the only choice - when winter was upon us and free ranging was not productive and I had not started chicken scratch - they did not like the pellets which is why I changed brands. They don’t like those either. So does anybody have any recommendations about a brand and type of pellets with which they have found great success?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

What intrigues me the most is finding pellets that my chickens will like. Even when those were the only choice - when winter was upon us and free ranging was not productive and I had not started chicken scratch - they did not like the pellets which is why I changed brands. They don’t like those either. So does anybody have any recommendations about a brand and type of pellets with which they have found great success?

It would help (and maybe I read past it, didn't note, lacking coffee at the time) if we knew what pellets you had tried.

I don't feed pellets now, but have fed several of the Nutrena pellet offerings successfully. Locally, I can't get the Purina pellets (and now fget feed from the local mill instead (non-pelleted).

 

[3KillerBs]

That maybe I’ve taken that into consideration. But to counter that the days have been colder it’s been down to zero.

Temperature has nothing to do with laying unless you get into great extremes of cold or heat that are challenging their survival.

they did not like the pellets which is why I changed brands. They don’t like those either.

What do you mean by "not liking" the pellets?

If you mean that they ate less, that is likely to be due to the pellets or crumble providing a higher quality of nutrition. I noticed when I had to buy an emergency bag of cheap layer from Wal-Mart over the holidays when I couldn't get to the farm store that it lasted the flock two days less time than the same 50lbs of the 20% all-flock should have -- 6 days instead of 8 days the previous week and the subsequent week.

I believe that they had to eat more bulk of the lower-quality feed to get the nutrition.

If you mean that they spill a lot, that's often an issue with the design of the feeder. When mind spill a lot I simply don't refill it until they've cleaned up what's on the ground.

 

[cincyfarmgirl]

It would help (and maybe I read past it, didn't note, lacking coffee at the time) if we knew what pellets you had tried.

I don't feed pellets now, but have fed several of the Nutrena pellet offerings successfully. Locally, I can't get the Purina pellets (and now fget feed from the local mill instead (non-pelleted).

Yes I did mention it before but the thread is long. I formally fed Southern states pellets but evidently they quit making chicken pellets. The chickens liked theirs OK but relied heavily upon free ranging which I’ve reduced somewhat to protect them from predators but they still have adequate amount of time during the right weather I did not introduced chicken scratch until recently when it appeared they weren’t liking the pellets. Then I switched a year or so ago to Formax brand layer pellets. And currently I am feeding mini pellets purchased at tractor supply.

Temperature has nothing to do with laying unless you get into great extremes of cold or heat that are challenging their survival.



What do you mean by "not liking" the pellets?

If you mean that they ate less, that is likely to be due to the pellets or crumble providing a higher quality of nutrition. I noticed when I had to buy an emergency bag of cheap layer from Wal-Mart over the holidays when I couldn't get to the farm store that it lasted the flock two days less time than the same 50lbs of the 20% all-flock should have -- 6 days instead of 8 days the previous week and the subsequent week.

I believe that they had to eat more bulk of the lower-quality feed to get the nutrition.

If you mean that they spill a lot, that's often an issue with the design of the feeder. When mind spill a lot I simply don't refill it until they've cleaned up what's on the ground.

I mean that in contrast to when they were on the southern states brand which has been discontinued now much of it spills and is left on the ground and never eaten. But you have a point maybe the reason why they were cleaning up the previous brand is because it was low quality and they needed to eat more of it to get the same nutrition. But they sure do run and gobble up the chicken scratch and seem to ignore the pellets even if I put them both in the same container. They choose the chicken scratch over the pellets.
Perhaps I will use that tactic to not refill the container until they clean up what is on the ground. It is just different from how they were in the past - And therefore I was drawing the conclusion that perhaps they did not like the food. Especially since they gobble up the scratch. Thanks for all your input. The chickens are looking good and healthy right now. And producing many high quality eggs.

 

[3KillerBs]

much of it spills and is left on the ground and never eaten.

Perhaps I will use that tactic to not refill the container until they clean up what is on the ground.

I find it very effective.

No healthy animal will starve itself in the presence of food.

Also, consider the design of your feeder. I find that my traditional, metal hanging feeder with the deep pan and the good rolled rim is almost completely spill-proof if hung at the height of the chickens' backs.

The plastic feeders, not so much.

They choose the chicken scratch over the pellets.

A plate of cookies usually vanishes faster than a plate of veggie sticks.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I feed my flock a 50/50 split of local milled pullet grower crumble and fermented wholegrain wheat/peas/oats with meat meal and seaweed meal added. Free choice oyster shell and fed back egg shell. Some table scraps. Plus they have a range of pasture species to graze on and whatever bugs they can find. They get garden waste and weeds and I fertilize with liquid fish so there should be some good trace elements there.
They're super healthy and shiny, moult quickly, their eggs taste amazing and the yolk colour is astounding, their eggs hatch strong healthy chicks, and my chicks grow well. Commercial feeds are formulated for laying hens that are supposed to lay like machines for a maximum of 18 months and then be culled. That's not the situation I'm dealing with. My flock are not production hybrids and I expect them to live 5+ years.
If I can be trusted to feed my own child a healthy balanced diet I'm pretty sure I can feed my chickens a healthy balanced diet. My child is also healthy and growing well, although I can't brag about her pre-teen attitude