Age old Question about feed

[Chickenman623]

Our 7 hens are right at 5 months old. I'm a bit surprised but one of our Buff Orpingtons started laying yesterday. Got an egg yesterday and one today. They are quite small.............which is surprising because the Buffs are supposed to lay large eggs. But she isn't full grown at 5 months is she? None of our hens will go in the nesting boxes. I've got 6 wooden eggs on order that should arrive tomorrow. (monkey see-monkey do) Right now she scratches out a nest in the wood chips on the floor of the coup. I can reach her eggs just fine but I'm a stickler for conformity and would prefer to retrieve her eggs from the outside of the coup via the door that opens up the nests. I'm hoping that putting some eggs in those nests will let all of the "girls" see the eggs when they go to roost at night. These "girls" have literally had to be taught how to do everything but poop! My previous experience with chickens wasn't like this. They all did what chickens do............all the time!

Oh, I've a question about feed. I've been feeding Purina Flock Raiser Crumbles since getting these birds. I know you can feed the hens that for their entire life, but wouldn't it make more sense to go to the Purina Layena + High Protein Layer feed?...................or the Layena Crumbles? My Grandmother always used to scatter chicken-scratchin's as she called it. Is that to promote scratching in their pen? Is that still a recommended daily ritual these days?




Ha

 

[U_Stormcrow]

First, there is no "one right way".

Having said that, your chickens are no more your grandmother's chickens than your car is what your grandmother drove at your age. And the feed regimen that your grandmother relied upon almost certainly includes some unpoken assumptions not applicable to your lifestyle and situation.

If you define "making sense" as costing less, then feeding Layena Crumbles makes more sense. If you define it almost any other way, sticking with the Purina Flock Raiser with free choice oyster shell in a seperate dish, makes more sense in most every situation. Layena+, unless your local store is following some unusual pricing scheme, tries to split the difference and generally ends up failing at both - less nutritious than the Flock Raiser, and more expensive than the plain Layena.

I have yet to hear a good reason to buy "scratch".

 

[sdm111]

Get em some lay pellets thats what they're for. Also the eggs will get larger as they mature. They're gonna be small at first till the factory gets up and running smooth

 

[U_Stormcrow]

agree with SDM above that egg size increases as your hens work out the kinks in their plumbing.

 

[Kiki]

I too would switch them to a layer feed ASAP

Giving them a layer feed does not give them the option to eat offered oyster shell on the side.
Birds that are given the option to eat it on the side don't always eat it and it can become a problem.

 

[Brooks_]

I like the better nutrition of flock raiser. Kiki does point out a slight risk above, though I would consider it rare.

 

[Chickenman623]

Okay, thanks to all. I'll stay with Flock Raiser Crumbles with Oyster shell on the side........just as I did with my last flock 12 years ago.