Apples inhibit egg-laying??????

[bawkbawkbawk]

I noticed a mention of this in a somewhat non-related thread. Two people mentioned that feeding apples to chickens will keep them from laying eggs.

Is this true?

Just last week I saw a different thread that mentioned how much chickens enjoy eating apples so I've been cutting them up for my girls. Now I read that it can take as long as a month after eating apples for chickens to lay again. Mine are just 16 weeks old and not laying yet anyway, but I'm certainly not interested in postponing things - very keen on getting eggs!

Anyone with info on this subject?

 

[Amyable]

Does that mean I shouldn't plant an orchard where the chicken run will be?

 

[Mahonri]

 

[Beekissed]

Bull pucky!

My chickens free range all day each day in my orchard and eat their fill of apples all the time. I have 29 laying hens, all in some stage of moult, and I am getting 16-23 eggs per day.

Apples are good for them and keep them healthier!

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Here is the thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=248937

And here are the two posts re apples:

"Stop feeding them apples! Some apples, or a few peels/scraps are one thing, but a lot of apples seems to interfere with egg laying. No idea why, but this is 'old wisdom' that I was taught by an elderly friend, and an aunt long ago.

"Cut out any and all fruit. For some hens it will stop laying altogether. Show people feed fruit to stop laying to keep pullets in feather better since laying drains color. No fruit at all for your hens. that should fix the problem in a month. It will take at least that time to get the emzyns out of their system.

Anyone else have experience with this one way or the other? I've been reading everything I can get my hands on about chickens the last few months and have not come across this, but that doesn't mean it isn't true...

 

[Beekissed]

Been doing this for better than 33 years....never heard of this at all.

 

[gumpsgirl]

No fruit? I have never heard such a thing! That is very interesting. During the summer, my hens and pullets eat fruit all of the time and I've never once seen a drop in egg production because of it. Hmmm...

 

[PortageGirl]

LOL, I was one of the ones quoted there, it's what my Auntie and also a long time chicken raising neigbor told me. I feed mine apples, just not a LOT of apples. I was told that having chickens in an orchard is great since they eat insects and worms etc, but that once the fruit starts to fall (and rot), they tend to move the hens out of the orchard, because eating a lot of fruit causes reduced laying. I've followed that advice for years and though it may be promoting old wives tales, I'll continue to do so and stand by this. I may not understand why it's true, but there are sometimes reasons for those things working.

(ok, putting a knife under the mattress won't cut the pain of labor, but there could be something in apples that interferes with egg laying!)

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Whew, well I'm relieved because I've been feeding my girls apples all week.

I did a Google search and the only thing I saw that was remotely related was a recommendation to not give chickens apples more than once a week or two because it might cause them stomach upset. Mine must have cast iron stomachs because they've really enjoyed the apples they've had every day this week.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Mine eat fruit all the time. I have many fruit trees in my yard, loquats, 3 kinds of plums, 2 kinds of apples. The girls love the fruit drop. It has never interfered with egg production. Moulting slows them down a bit. Maybe the timing of apple season coincides with the fall moult? Just a thought.