Creative laying feed? I ran out of laying rations

[SilkieCanada]

I got to the seed place 7 minutes after they closed. DAM. Do you guys know any creative foods I can give my birds that is similar or good for laying some hatching eggs?

 

[Judy]

For a couple of days, you can feed about whatever you have. Cook up some rice, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, give them canned or frozen beans or veggies, most any leftovers lying around. It's hard to match the calcium as chickens cannot digest milk sugar (lactose) though meat or certain veggies (I think spinach) will help. Look through the BYC treats chart and see what ideas it gives. Also if you feed another animal like a rabbit, their feed won't hurt for a couple of days. If you happen to have some Tums or calcium supplement in the house for people, you could crush this up and add it. And if you feed them some eggs, I'd include the eggshells; lots of people just break up the shells and add them to the eggs when scrambling for chickens.

 

[SilkieCanada]

Quote:
Will they start eating their own eggs if I start feeding them eggs?

 

[Ivy061]

As long as you scramble 'em and don't give it to them raw or boiled they won't even know what it is.
Tuna and oatmeal is good too.

 

[AlabamaChickenLady]

I've given mine some rabbit pellets (high in protien) in a pinch. I've also grated carrots, chopped brocoli, lettuce, sliced cabbage, cooked oatmeal and rice, sliced celery, cooked noodles, yogurt, boiled eggs and ground egg shells. Just realized ~ I may be spoiling my chickens!

The chickens can't make the connection to the eggs they lay to the eggs that you boil and then 'finely smash' up for them to eat. You can scramble them or boil them. Just make sure they are cooked very well. You will need to finely ground the egg shells so it resembles the grit and not the egg shells. Then just blend them in with the smashed up boiled eggs or the scrambled eggs.

They will love you for it.

 

[SilkieCanada]

Walmart had a sale on blueberry and blackberry mix yougurt with probiotics. I mixed that with rolled oats. WOW they went NUTS.

 

[Tala]

Layer feed is made to most effectively produce eggs. In a pinch, I wouldn't worry about trying to formulate something to get them to lay.

If you can get back to the feed store in a day or two, just concentrate on keeping their tummies full. They might not lay as well for a few days afterwards, but it shouldn't affect their overall health.

They can eat anything we consider cereal, rice or grains. Oatmeal, bread, wild birdseed, breakfast cereals, cooked noodles, etc. Canned or fresh veggies you might have on hand, tuna, etc. pretty much anything you eat. I'm lactose intolerant myself so I really don't eat anything that they can't digest. They like pretty much any other animal's food - I think mine might kill the dog for canned dog food, also horse food, rabbit food, etc. I get them leftover food from work all the time - it's kinda nice that they can eat almost anything.

The benefit is that you can usually get wild bird seed and rabbit pellets at places like WalMart that are open more hours than your feed store. Just give them some of that and some kind of veggies for variety, and buy some real chicken food the next chance you get. That's what I'd do.