OMG! I am surprised any of your chickens are even alive, much less laying eggs.
Those scratch grains are like candy bars for chickens, really tasty but zero nutrients. This happens a lot, it's one reason I always ask what's being fed. So you aren't the first.
It is imperative you change feed immediately!
From what I've seen, scratch isn't that much cheaper than other feed. But at this point, the life of your whole flock depends on it. They have probably been getting lots of stuff from your land, but that can change seasonally. And isn't usually enough to sustain large birds. Some smaller breeds do better than other on range alone, but the scratch might be making the nutrients they are getting diminished.....
And oyster shell is the only extra ingredient in layer but with the trade off of less protein. There is some calcium on pasture but each egg is about 2% calcium by weight. And so your hens will use the calcium needed for their own bones to make egg shells if they don't have a supply of it. They need it! It comes in 50# bags, don't buy the small one with your size flock especially. And don't mix it in the feed, provide it on the side and they will take what they need.
If you bring Mary in to quarantine, you may need to bring her a bowl of dirt. Because they use small bits of gravel to grind the food for digestion.
I urge you to pursue this matter today. And thank you for asking! I promise my info is valid and will make a difference in the life of your chicken no matter which feed you choose. Do not buy scratch again (please) at least until your flock is well on their way. And then, it should never be more than 10% of their total daily ration. Which has been described as 1 -2 teaspoons.
Those scratch grains are like candy bars for chickens, really tasty but zero nutrients. This happens a lot, it's one reason I always ask what's being fed. So you aren't the first.
It is imperative you change feed immediately!
And oyster shell is the only extra ingredient in layer but with the trade off of less protein. There is some calcium on pasture but each egg is about 2% calcium by weight. And so your hens will use the calcium needed for their own bones to make egg shells if they don't have a supply of it. They need it! It comes in 50# bags, don't buy the small one with your size flock especially. And don't mix it in the feed, provide it on the side and they will take what they need.
If you bring Mary in to quarantine, you may need to bring her a bowl of dirt. Because they use small bits of gravel to grind the food for digestion.
I urge you to pursue this matter today. And thank you for asking! I promise my info is valid and will make a difference in the life of your chicken no matter which feed you choose. Do not buy scratch again (please) at least until your flock is well on their way. And then, it should never be more than 10% of their total daily ration. Which has been described as 1 -2 teaspoons.
