Feeding chickens fruit

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Tmatthews

Tmatthews

In the Brooder
10 Years
Jul 17, 2009
84
7
41
Cadiz
I just read in a magazine that you shouldn't feed laying hens fruit because it will make them stop laying. The magazine said it could take them up to 6 weeks to start laying again after eating fruit. Is this true? And if so, why??

Thanks!!
 
too much acidic fruit can slow them down.

all things in moderation.
smile.png
 
Hmm . . . evidently my chickens don't read.
wink.png


Feeding chickens too much of any treat can throw off egg laying, but mine regularly get watermelon and other fruits in the summer and lay just fine. Did the article mention a specific fruit, by any chance?
 
Mine love fruit, but I don't over do the serving. I have 7 chickens. So 1/4 to a 1/3 of watermelon or canteloupe. I cut up seedless grapes (they go wild over grapes!!!) 1 or 2 plums. A chunked up banana.

I get 4-6 eggs per day from my 6 layers.
 
A good rule of thumb is use 90% laying mash, a good one, and the other 10% can be other stuff.

Fruit will give them runnier droppings, however. Vegetables slightly steamed that have alot of beta-carotene are better choices. They still love them. And they're more nutritious.

The reason for not feeding a lot of other stuff to hens is that their calcium/phosphorus balance is important and you don't want to mess that up.
 
Quote:
We must read the same magazine:) So to clarify (I had the same questions)
1. Citric acid will lower egg production (therefore no oranges, lemons, etc)
2. Other fruit (apples, grapes, watermelon) are fine to give as treats, in moderation.

Is this the general consensus?
 
Well, personally I just don't feed a lot of citrus because it's quite acidic. But that makes sense.

And yes - fruit, all treats really, should be in moderation. But particularly fruits, sugars.
 
i agree with threehorses. anything that makes up more than ten percent of their diets (when pasture raising-incorporates some sort of grained feed) is just too much. acidic foods throw off laying.
 

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