EGG Laying

[11langenkamp_w]

Will my chickens still lay a good amount of eggs and stay healthy if i just feed them corn?

 

[swtangel321]

No, you need to feed some kind of layer feed. Either pellets or mash !! Corn is just a filler !!

 

[11langenkamp_w]

Alright, because my freinds brother and neighbor feeds them corn all year round and they lay a little less eggs but about the same and there fine, and i also heard corn is better to feed them in the winter for some reason i dont know why. Please keep posting so i know what to do.

 

[swtangel321]

This is how I feed mine, I get a 50 pound bag of layer pellets (about $11.00 here) and mix it with about 1/4 of a bag of cracked corn (a 50 pound bag around here is about $8.00) The cracked corn mixed with the layer pellets makes the feed last a little longer and when you have 40+ chickens that is nice. I mix the corn and layer pellets in a plastic tote. And they have access to that all day in there feeders.

I also throw out some scratch in the pen when they come out in the morning (there is no need for a lot of this, its more like a treat) but gives them somthing to do during the day.
A bag of that goes for around $10.

Like I said corn is a filler & cheap (thats why you always see a lot of corn in dog foods) It fills them up for cheap $$. In order for chickens to lay good they need a good diet and layer pellets have everything they need in there.

Let me know if you need anymore help !!

 

[11langenkamp_w]

Alright because im tryin to sell eggs and in the spring i hacth them but this is my first year raising my own chickens i usally just got the eggs from a freind of mine and then i sell the chicks or eggs but i got 55 chickens now. Right now im feeding them about a 60% corn and 40% soybean meal which seems to be working pretty good but i didnt know if there was anything better for about the same price.

 

[swtangel321]

Try what I told you and see if things change at all, How old are your girls ?? Is the layer much more $$ than what you are paying ?

 

[11langenkamp_w]

There mostley pullets that been laying for a month now. And im am mixing soybean meal with the corn because it high in protein and the corn is low in protein so i mix them together 40 pounds soybean meal and 60 pounds corn which makes it 18% feed and thats what pertcent protein your suppose to feed them right?