Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Fancychooklady]

I think the feed sounds pretty okay, as long as the protein composition is in balance. Can you find a breakup of the proteins for that feed somewhere? Methionine is usually the tricky one to get balanced. 17% sounds a bit high, I'd stay at 15%-16%, slightly higher during molt and of course younger birds require slightly higher protein. To me, all of those breeds sound like late bloomers too, and taking into account the fact that they have only been about 3-4 months old when the days started getting shorter there, you might still be waiting a while for the eggs. Additional lighting is the trick, as mentioned before, about 14 hours of light per day should work. Just know that if you trick them into laying with added light, you're also shortening their lifespan, or at least the time that they'll be productive.

Pullets are hatched with all of the ova that they are capable producing in their lifetime. By increasing the daylight hours you are simply not allowing them to ' winter down '.it won't alter the amount of eggs that any one hen lays.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/supplemental-light-in-coop-why-how.html

 

[vehve]

Fancy, I'm just saying that the added lighting stresses the body at a time when they might need energy for other things than just producing eggs. But it's probably a bigger issue in a colder climate where the need to keep warm is bigger.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Fancy, I'm just saying that the added lighting stresses the body at a time when they might need energy for other things than just producing eggs. But it's probably a bigger issue in a colder climate where the need to keep warm is bigger.

Yes, I agree with you but many people extend the light without detriment to their hens. I personally let nature take its course. As I said earlier most of the science behind chooks is targeted at highest production and best yield . We do the best that we can and learn from each other's mistakes.

 

[vehve]

Yup, that's why I would possibly limit the protein a bit too, the 16% recommendations are for production birds. Same with lighting, but I did have added light for the birds this winter to get some eggs out of them. I don't know how happy they would have been with 5 hours of light anyway. I might not add light next year, or at least not as much, but these were pretty young birds, all born about a year ago so I didn't see much harm in it.

 

[Steampunked]

I can't extend light as I have no power to their current coop - we will have it in the new coop, but the current one is a long way from the house and there's just zero light - they're not even getting street light. Carrying water down there is a PITA! By linking extension cables I can get a pressure washer juuuuust far enough to clean it, but it really is within an inch or so of not reaching.

I will try looking for a slightly higher percentage protein feed at the feedstore - I can also feed tinned sardines every so often, it might help general condition. They eat quite a lot of grubs, snails, worms, etc - we have huge witchety grubs they fight the kookaburras over.

I don't mind that much if it's a few months due to the daylight and their ages, but if it's a condition problem, I want to fix it

 

[vehve]

I'm guessing you'll be getting eggs once the days start getting longer again, the feed sounds like it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Yup, that's why I would possibly limit the protein a bit too, the 16% recommendations are for production birds. Same with lighting, but I did have added light for the birds this winter to get some eggs out of them. I don't know how happy they would have been with 5 hours of light anyway. I might not add light next year, or at least not as much, but these were pretty young birds, all born about a year ago so I didn't see much harm in it.

Young birds grow at such a rapid rate that they require extra protein. At the same time too much calcium in young birds causes organ damage. Once you have had 50 + birds on the same ground year after year protein along with iodine and magnesium becomes pretty scarce. By feeding a good quality, well formulated feed you are simply ' covering all bases '.
Originally extra daylight was given to hatchery birds when it was realized that the lack of vit D was causing cage layer fatigue and osteo perosis . Most of our birds even with the shorter days of winter, will derive enough vit D for strong healthy bones, provided the calcium / phosphorous levels are adequate .

 

[Fancychooklady]

I can't extend light as I have no power to their current coop - we will have it in the new coop, but the current one is a long way from the house and there's just zero light - they're not even getting street light.  Carrying water down there is a PITA!  By linking extension cables I can get a pressure washer juuuuust far enough to clean it, but it really is within an inch or so of not reaching.

I will try looking for a slightly higher percentage protein feed at the feedstore - I can also feed tinned sardines every so often, it might help general condition.  They eat quite a lot of grubs, snails, worms, etc - we have huge witchety grubs they fight the kookaburras over.

I don't mind that much if it's a few months due to the daylight and their ages, but if it's a condition problem, I want to fix it

Well you'll be happy to hear that my wyandotte and Silkie hens lay all through winter. Rose comb birds are genetically geared for cold climates .
I would be worried sick about the fire hazard involved with lighting . It would have to be solar for me to even contemplate it.

 

[IamSamSam]

Not yet!  I've been a bit quiet recently (my 3.5 year old human is going through a growth spurt, house has issues, so chicken stuff has had to go on the back burner).

It's Barastoc golden yolk layer feed - I was getting them the fancy shmancy all organic layer freerange feed from another brand, but they only picked out all of the goodies and hooked the pellets onto the floor to waste - just like everyone warned me they would.  Oh well.  Google tells me it's:

Crude Protein (minimum) - 15%

Crude Fat (minimum) - 2.5%

Crude Fibre (maximum) - 10%

Salt (maximum added) - 0.3%

Copper (added) - 6.5mg/kg

Selenium (added) - 0.1mg/kg

Calcium (minimum) - 3.8%

They also completely free range 4-5 days out of 7 in a bush back yard of about 1/3 an acre and occasionally get things like all the grubs in a wasp nest.  I plant forage for them sometimes, but it rarely gets to the point where they'd be getting much protein as they kill it too quickly.

I have heard that paprika and cayenne have other benefits as well, actually, including making it slightly more difficult for gut parasites to exist.

I've wondered if they're laying elsewhere, but sometimes they're forced to remain in their run for 3 days straight, and I haven't seen any eggs there either.

Hens, I have 1 Maran, 2 Anconas, 2 light sussex, 1 silver laced wyandotte, 1 silkie, 2 Belgian d'Uccles,1 lavender araucana.

Could they have a secret nest?

 

[vehve]

Fancy, yeah, you're so much closer to the equator that they get a lot of sunlight. I'm just saying that with lower output birds and without added light to keep the laying going year round, they would probably be fine on a slightly lower protein feed as well. For example, for the Finnish landrace birds, I think a 14.5% protein feed is recommended, although that sounds a bit low to me.

But my main point is that the feed mentioned earlier is probably adequate for the flock, especially if they're supplementing with snails and whatever creepy crawlies the birds can find. It's my understanding that given the chance, chickens are quite good at self regulating as well.

Here's what I'm feeding at the moment:


Ingredient
Hold'em Close Mix Wheat Oat Rapeseed pellet Pea Broad bean Linseed crush Sunflower seed Harmony Mix Horse Müesli Hemp Seed Milka Multi-vitamin Pellet Salt (NaCl) Total Target
Weight (g)

99​

249​

249​

99​

99​

0​

48​

0​

149​

0​

4​

4​

Weight (g)

1000​

Price/kg

0.5​

0.4225​

0.4225​

0.5​

0.76​

1.3​

10​

1.5​

Price/kg

0.493045​

Coefficient

0.10​

0.25​

0.25​

0.10​

0.10​

0.00​

0.05​

0.00​

0.15​

0.00​

0.00​

0.00​

Coefficient
Contents Contents
%DM

86​

86​

88.6​

86​

86​

90​

94​

%DM

64.433​

Crude Protein

0.115​

0.13​

0.127​

0.295​

0.23​

0.3​

0.314​

0.185​

0.115​

0.248​

Crude Protein

0.160​

0.16​

Crude Protein Digestibility

0.8​

0.73​

0.8​

0.86​

0.8​

0.56​

0.85​

Crude Protein Digestibility

0.572​

Oil/Fat

0.125​

0.022​

0.06​

0.227​

0.011​

0.15​

0.139​

0.44​

0.048​

0.355​

Oil/Fat

0.070​

Fibre

0.055​

0.033​

0.109​

0.133​

0.057​

0.08​

0.119​

0.155​

0.096​

Fibre

0.080​

NDF

0.15​

0.29​

0.23​

0.13​

0.16​

0.23​

0.31​

NDF

0.156​

Ash

0.02​

0.02​

0.038​

0.0054​

0.031​

0.036​

0.053​

0.035​

0.046​

Ash

0.029​

Starch

0.645​

0.44​

0.48​

0.38​

0.035​

0.29​

0.027​

Starch

0.361​

Lysine

0.004025​

0.0036​

0.0053​

0.017​

0.01633​

0.0177​

0.0126​

0.0065​

0.011​

0​

0​

Lysine

0.007​

0.0064​

Methionine

0.002415​

0.0021​

0.0022​

0.0053​

0.00207​

0.0018​

0.0047​

0.0043​

0.0015​

0.0065​

0​

0​

Methionine

0.002​

0.0032​

Threonine

0​

0.0045​

Tryptophan

0​

0.0014​

Isoleucine

0​

0.005​

Arginine

0​

0.0068​

Valine

0​

0.0055​

Linolic acid

0.0085​

0.016​

0.024​

0.0041​

0.00151​

0.09​

0.31​

0.27​

Linolic acid

0.01320​

0.012​

Calcium

0.0003​

0.0005​

0.0074​

0.0007​

0.001​

0.0045​

0.0026​

0.006​

0.00145​

Calcium

0.00211​

0.034​

Phosphorous

0.0036​

0.0035​

0.011​

0.004​

0.0057​

0.0089​

0.006​

0.004​

0.0116​

Phosphorous

0.00428​

0.0032​

Sodium

0.0001​

0.0002​

0.0007​

0.001​

0.0004​

0.002​

0.376​

Sodium

0.00200​

0.0015​

Magnesium (mg/kg)

1200​

1200​

460​

1300​

1300​

5100​

3400​

5000​

4830​

Magnesium (mg/kg)

1761.64​

500​

Zinc (mg/kg)

31​

28​

54​

27​

52​

68​

55​

83​

70​

Zinc (mg/kg)

38.341​

50​

Selenium (mg/kg)

0.14​

0.09​

0.1​

0.02​

0.02​

0.74​

0.62​

0.23​

Selenium (mg/kg)

0.13894​

0.1​

Vit A (IU/kg)

122​

1000000​

Vit A (IU/kg)

4012.08​

4000​

Vit D (IU/kg)

250000​

Vit D (IU/kg)

1000​

500​

Vit E (IU/kg)

0.0167​

0.0267​

0.05​

0.011​

0.017​

0.006​

3500​

Vit E (IU/kg)

14.017​

5​

Niacin (mg/kg)

1500​

Niacin (mg/kg)

6​

10​

Vit B12 (mg/kg)

3​

Vit B12 (mg/kg)

0.012​

0.004​

0​

kCal ME/kg

3487​

3009​

3128​

3081​

2770​

1480​

3248​

4900​

kCal ME/kg

2303.235​

2900​