Egg Production Down...Is this my food?

[ctaynton]

Quote:
Can I ask why? I did it last winter and haven't started turning it on yet this winter.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
I keep hearing it on this site but I known people that have used it for years as a supplement with no ill affects.

So that you know Methionine is in all chicken feed.

Quote:
http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/poultry_feathers.html

If one is concerned about a High Level of Methionine that is in cat food then you could go with Floating Fish Pellets or even a small kibble dog food.

Chris

 

[burkehd]

We use 1# scratch to 2# crumble. We find them picking around the crumble to get the scratch. THe chickens that are molting are quoted to be 2yrs. I will never purchase chickens again, I will raise them from chicks. There are too many uncertainties. We have 15 that we got as chicks and 10 as adults. So for the light I should turn it on when my husband gets up at 430am and not in the evening?

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
With feeding 1 lb Scratch to 2 lbs crumble your 18% protein feed is now only 14% protein (that is if your scratch is 8% protein).
What you could do feed 1/2 lb scratch to 2 lbs crumble that would put you at 17% protein.

As for the light you would be better off turning on the light at 4:30 when your husband gets up then at night..

Chris

 

[Kittymomma]

Scratch is best used as a treat and fed seperately. Keep the crumble out all the time and just throw them a handfull of scratch once or twice a day as a treat. As you've already noticed they bill thru their feed (wasting a lot) to get to the scratch so they're probably eating 1/2 and 1/2 instead of the 1/2 ratio that you were trying to feed them.

 

[wendy]

Quote:
Can I ask why? I did it last winter and haven't started turning it on yet this winter.

I discussed the pros and cons of using a light on here before and someone brought up that 'it will shorten there laying production'. Can't remember if that was the exact way they said it, but that is what they meant. And I used the light for two winters, there bodies need the rest the shorter days bring if they are to lay as long as a usual chicken does. And this year my chickens have gone down in egg production, have changed nothing but used the lights two previous winters....(I have gotten info on here on this same subject from quite a few people, so it seems to be holding true...I wore out my hens

)

 

[dragonlair]

I've always used lights in the winter and so far I haven't worn out my hens. My last group were 5 years old and still laying every other day. I keep them until they die, even if they don't lay, but I would prefer that they do. The last bunch died from fox-a-tosis, so I don't know how much longer they would have laid.