Egg laying equal to type of treats

[bow-chicka-bow-bow]

Ok, this may seem strange and totally non-related, but you decide. I have 5 Black star and 3 Americaunas. Between the 5 BS, I have been getting 3 eggs a day for the past couple weeks. They have just started laying. Last Friday, I got 4 eggs. I was so excited.

Then, Saturday, 3 eggs, Sunday 4 eggs, and Monday 4 eggs. Since Monday, I have only gotten 3 eggs. I told my husband we were back to 3 eggs a day and he said that is because he hadn't given the girls any figs for a treat recently. He said on Friday, Sunday and Monday, the day I got the 4 eggs, he had gone that prior evening and given the ladies some figs. So, last night, he went out and gave them some more figs. He went out early to check and saw 2 eggs already in the boxes and one of the girls was in the nest, so he said, "you will get your 4 eggs today, guaranteed." So, I go out a little later, and sure enough, there were 2 more eggs for a total of 4 today!

So, is it really related to giving them their figs or just the fact the BS's are only 22 weeks and just getting started?

Who knows, but I did give them a few more figs today, just to see if I get 4 tomorrow.

Of course, that is provided that Hurricane Irene doesn't give us too much trouble so I can go out to check on the ladies. They will be closed up inside their coop waiting out the storm.

 

[pippsqueak]

I am now curious about your fig theory and might try it. Are you using dried figs or fresh figs?

Best of luck through the nasty storm and I hope your girls stay safe and sound!

 

[bow-chicka-bow-bow]

I have been using fresh figs. I just pick them straight from the bush and put them in their treat bowl. They will start pecking at them like crazy. They love them!

 

[pippsqueak]

I will definitely try them! My chick-a-dees have a very sophistocated palate but, I will give it a try and see!

 

[kizanne]

mine seem to lay more when I give them black fly larva but it is still early so maybe it is just wishful treating LOL

 

[LovinChicknFarmn]

I fully believe the happier they are the more eggs they lay, so heck yeah they're probably laying more eggs when you give them the figs because they're super happy and treated up! It may not be scientific, but I'm convinced!

 

[Tracydr]

Figs are pretty nutritious, you're probably giving them something they are lacking a tiny bit of in their feed, or, they just eat more overall because they like them so much.
They are a good source of iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, calcium, vitamin A, some of the B vitamins, iron and calories. Plus, they are loaded with antioxidants. So, could be something in them that's boosting your girl's diets. I'm a big believer in fresh, whole foods being better than packaged, processed foods whenever possible. Commercial chicken food loses freshness quickly which can cause many of the vitamins to lose their value, especially the water soluble vitamins and vitamin A. Adding greens and sprouts, plus fresh fruits can really help boost this. Also, packaged chicken feed has almost no antioxidants. Imagine if all you ever ate each day was bowls of cheerios and white bread, eggs, plus a generic multi-vitamin. You would be healthy enough but not in premium health. We give our chickens the same, stale cereal day in and day out, just because the manufacturer assures us it contains " complete and balanced nutrition". But, it doesn't take into account the loss of freshness and the fact that you would probably like your chickens to live a little longer than the eighteen months expected of a commercial layer or 42 days for a broiler.
The other thing is that when you only have 3-5 chickens and need to buy a 50 pound bag of feed, that bag loses freshness by the time you get to the end of the bag, meaning it's lost many of it's nutrients, other than the protein, calories and minerals. When feed is tested, it's tested assuming that it's fed fresh. At a big egg factory or commercial broiler operation, they go through so many thousands of pounds of feed a day that the feed is always fresh.
Anyway, these are some of the reasons I supplement very heavily with produce scraps and kitchen scraps. Mainly, I really don't trust that my chickens are getting complete nutrition from a bag of chicken feed, especially where the vitamins and antioxidants are concerned.

 

[bow-chicka-bow-bow]

To Tracydr: I agree with the possible nutrient thing. I have been giving them other treats like watermelon, cucumber peels, grass clippings, and other table leftovers, but maybe something with the figs really has made a difference. I just know that I won't have figs much longer, so I hope they aren't missing anything major and will continue to lay at least 4 eggs. Would prefer 5 from the 5 BS, but I'll take what I can get. I'm also hoping my 3 Americaunas will start to lay soon. They are only 21 weeks, though. We will see what I get tomorrow because with Irene blowing through here today, they were in their coop locked up tight and I didn't have a chance to give them any treats. They only had their feed and water today.

 

[ChicKat]

Quote:
x2 LovinChicknFarmn--- I so agree with the mental state of the hens and egg production. They know for sure that stressed hens egg production goes down. I 'bribed' my Henrietta with a meal worm reward when I collected the egg -- and chickens can be trained by operant conditioning-- (stimulus response)--- Not sure if that applies to egg laying, as something that is trainable, and of course the hen would have to be highly predesposed to the behavior. I got 106 eggs for 106 days, and a lot of those triple digits temperatures....was there a cause-and-effect? I don't know for sure. Now she is back to an-egg-a-day, I wonder how long this run will last.

X2 on Tracydr's comments. I sooooo don't trust the chicken feed...... Not 100% sure why.... Maybe partly because my flock is only 3 and the bags have lots of time to get stale...among other things.....

Regarding OP, I think your husband is on to something there.... and of course the better the nutrition, the better the egg-laying.
bow-chick -- hope you have no problems due to Irene.

 

[bow-chicka-bow-bow]

ChickKat: no problems from Irene except we did loose power for most of the day. My Dad and family down east, on the other hand, didn't fair quite as well. He has several trees down, roof lost on horse barn, water backing up in hog houses due to no power for pump. Plus other family have trees down and no power. But, they are all safe and that is just stuff to be fixed, so I would say we all are lucky here.


So, if everyone believes that the nutirious treats could possibly be causing more egg production, what would you suggest to give them then when I run out of figs? I do give them other things and always have since they were little. I know......I"ll give them some of the fig jam I made last year. It is still quite tasty, but I don't eat it that much. My chicks will be the only ones getting bread and jam for breakfast every day.