Can foods you feed your chickens effect egg laying

[swimchick]

Can foods you feed your chickens effect egg laying?

Two of my 5 chickens are laying (for almost a week)but the other day I did ot get one egg.

I was jut wondering.


Marissa

 

[crazyhen]

Yes! As with everything else a good diet is esential for a healthy hen who can lay well. Protein that is digestable, calcium for egg shell strength, grit to help their gizzard grind up their food. Greens are a nice addition too. Limit treats to small amts. that do not lower their overall protein percentage. Gloria Jean

 

[swimchick]

one of my layers is eating to much could that effect it to?

 

[phalenbeck]

All my animals self-feed, and do not eat TOO-much, and are not fat. Birds should self-feed and will self regulate there 'balanced' diet we give them.

 

[LynneP]

My alpha is a fattie...heh

Both diet and length of day affect laying.

You are in a gentle climate (except for your hurricanes) and I'm sure they have access to lots of plant enzymes...

 

[write2caroline]

Swimchick, the original poster of this question is my daughter, and I have to agree - one of our pullets is a bit of a glutton and when she is free ranging she comes back looking like she ate about 16 oz of icecream or jello in her front. I know they are self regulating but the others are free ranging too and she really seems to eat large quantities of food. It is all good stuff, greens, bugs, berries. We ran out of layer crumbles until tomorrow and so they free ranged most of the day.

Caroline

 

[rancher hicks]

With all due respect, I wonder sometimes if some have gotten chickens on a whim, with out doing any research. Chickens can get fat and if they are too fat it will affect their laying. Yes what chickens eat can affect their laying as well. That is why you feed them "layer". It has the right ingredients for a laying aged hen. They don't need anything else in the way of basic food. However free range chickens, true free range chickens, may not lay as often depending on the breed. Breed can also affect the rate of lay. Sorry if this sounds harsh, I'm not really good at writing with a gentle tone. I too have asked questions here cause it's easier than looking it up and the books don't cover all the bases but feeding is elementary and definitely covered. The time to do the research is before getting chickens, they really are complicated animals. Or immediately after coming home with cute chicks. They are hard to resist. Which begs the question if AA is for Alchoholics what would the initials be for Chickenholics? BYC?