Does type of feed increase eggs?

[PAJerry]

Feed is everything. I sprout wheat and sunflower seeds for my hens, and if I miss a day, production drops by half. Now that the snow is gone, weeds are going into the run daily and I can really notice a finer taste to the eggs.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Here is a thread that has a couple of ideas you might try:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=148409

I would be very hesitant to reduce her nutrition. I do know you can slow down or stop egg laying temporarily by putting them by themselves in a darkened cage.

Why don't you start a thread in the emergencies section? There are so many people on here who know a WHOLE lot more than I do!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I just posted this in another thread but I'll copy and paste. I think it applies here.

This article on egg nutrition was in Mother Earth News. I'm not sure of the actual science that went into this as I think the values would depend greatly on the pasture (bugs and greens), the time of year, how long they are on pasture each day, etc, but the basic premise makes sense to me.

In my opinion, you don't have to free range over fifty acres all day every day to get a benefit. Just do the best you can with what you have and you've done your best.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2005-08-01/Free-Range-Eggs.aspx

 

[tulie13]

WARNING - Do NOT feed your chickens onions or radishes or their greens. The eggs will taste NASTY!!!

 

[vermontgal]

Quote:
Unfortunately, not just like onion-flavored eggs.

I think this was the cause of my "fishy" eggs a couple months ago. My BF likes lots of onions in his salads.

I've started to instead compost any leftovers he tries to give me to give the chickens.

 

[lone cedar farm]

Quote:
Hens are born with just so many egg cells and that regulates how many eggs they will lay in their lifetime, at four eggs a day she'll be layed out in a year or less, Unless she has an unusal high amount.

 

[digitS']

Hens are born with just so many egg cells and that regulates how many eggs they will lay in their lifetime . . .

Really off the question by the OP.

Birds are unlike mammals. Cells (oocytes) from which an egg may develop are nearly infinite.

The number of oocytes was counted about 50 years ago. It was found that around 480,000 are present in the female chick. PubMed Of course, a hen will never lay 1/2 million eggs.

Birds lose their reproductive abilities for some other reason than running out of egg cells.

Steve​