About feeding for egg production

[Rizu]

Hi
Can a old white leghorn chicken disposed from farm can lay egg by just feeding rice and fish curry or it need layers feeds only?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Rice is very low in protein. What is in the fish curry?
If the bird is laying eggs, layer feed would be the way to go because it will have a better balance of vitamins/minerals/fats/amino acids appropriate for chickens.
If not laying, I would find a feed intended for younger non-laying birds.
Do you know how old the hen is?
If it was on an egg farm, it likely isn't that old. Probably 2 or 2.5 years at most.
What do her feathers look like? Has she finished molting?

 

[azygous]

Commercial layer feed, as all commercial chicken feed, has balanced vitamins and minerals that would be difficult to assemble by feeding just human food scraps. You might be able to get away with it if you give her a vitamin supplement. You will need also to supply calcium in the form of shell bits. Oyster shell is available where you buy chicken feed.

One way to see if the hen is getting the nutrition she needs for egg laying is to see if she lays eggs. You won't see many, if any, eggs from a hen that has poor nutrition.

 

[Rizu]

Rice is very low in protein. What is in the fish curry?
If the bird is laying eggs, layer feed would be the way to go because it will have a better balance of vitamins/minerals/fats/amino acids appropriate for chickens.
If not laying, I would find a feed intended for younger non-laying birds.
Do you know how old the hen is?
If it was on an egg farm, it likely isn't that old. Probably 2 or 2.5 years at most.
What do her feathers look like? Has she finished molting?

Yes
She is molting and must b 3 plus year old.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

OK. In that case, I would switch her to the broiler feed till she recovers from molt.
Then switch to layer when she resumes laying.
If the fish curry is economical, you can use some of that and rice to augment the feed but not a lot.
I saw your other post. At that age, you won't be getting daily eggs from her no matter what you do but she should still be quite productive.

 

[Welshies]

I would only feed layer feed to hens if you were running a commercial farm. See why.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I would only feed layer feed to hens if you were running a commercial farm. See why.

I think he is only talking about one rescued hen that is molting and not currently laying.

 

[Welshies]

I think he is only talking about one rescued hen that is molting and not currently laying.

I know, but the words "layer feed" rings my alarm bells...
I'm not saying he is feeding for production. But that is what layer pellets are designed for. My article is about why backyard flocks should consider avoiding them.

 

[Rizu]

I am just exprimenting, thats all

I think he is only talking about one rescued hen that is molting and not currently laying.

 

[Welshies]

Layer feed should generally be avoided especially for the backyard flock. It's intended for commercial use in battery cages.