Does cayenne really help lay better or start up? Why? Water or food?

[moving coops]

Does this really work and why does it? How much do you use and I am guessing it it in their water! Ration water to cayenne?

Maybe heard black pepper too, maybe this does not work as good?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hot pepper has about as much influence on a hen and her eggs as feeding a chicken rubbed sage and then you expecting her eggs to be sausage flavored

 

[moving coops]

Why are some suggesting it?

 

[moving coops]

I would expect it to help maybe deworm, but have seen people on here saying to use it to help with laying....

 

[mobius]

you are free to experiment.

I add the following once in a while to fermented feed:

Yogurt
Cayenne
Garlic
Cinnamon
Other herbs I have on hand like rosemary or oregano

And then:

ACV to water

Just maybe one of those once a week or so. Won't hurt and might help. No great studies done about these additions.

 

[Dmontgomery]

Does this really work and why does it? How much do you use and I am guessing it it in their water! Ration water to cayenne?

Maybe heard black pepper too, maybe this does not work as good?

I tried adding cayenne pepper a couple years ago when I had a small flock of 14. I just sprinkled it in with the regular layer feed. The first day I got a couple extra eggs but I think it was just a fluke. Over a couple weeks there was no increase in production at all.

 

[azygous]

I've had ten years to test this theory. No, hot peppers, whether cayenne, Asian, Mexican, black, or any other kind have no effect on egg laying. This myth gets perpetuated because people are desperate to try anything to jump start egg laying after the winter dry spell, and by simple coincidence the hens begin laying mainly because they are getting ready to start anyway.

All hot peppers do is to disintegrate into the dusty substrate and cause sinus irritation when the human chicken care giver disturbs the dust. Talk about sneezing fits!

Go ahead and feed the peppers. The chickens adore them. But don't expect it to improve egg laying. There's no scientific reason why it would.

 

[moving coops]

Thanks everyone!