Egg production lately

[Erinnlyn]

I've been thinking of coin some fodder or sprouts. I happen to have some broccoli sprouting seeds. Have never sprouted, before.

Oh, I haven't looked into broccoli. I'm new at it, but I read that barley is one of the more nutritious grains to sprout. I ordered a couple small bags of barley and the same of red wheat from my patriot supply website. About $4 per 8 oz. bag, I think. I wanted a small amount since I had never done it before. They also have a small seed sprouting tower that is easy to use and my kids have fun setting it up.

 

[Sammster]

Oh, I haven't looked into broccoli. I'm new at it, but I read that barley is one of the more nutritious grains to sprout. I ordered a couple small bags of barley and the same of red wheat from my patriot supply website. About $4 per 8 oz. bag, I think. I wanted a small amount since I had never done it before. They also have a small seed sprouting tower that is easy to use and my kids have fun setting it up.

If it's convenient, may I see your set-up?

 

[Erinnlyn]

If it's convenient, may I see your set-up?

Sure, I have these pictures of what I did have. I fed out the last of it this morning. I need to set more tonight! The first set is barley, the second set is red wheat. The trays are 6 inches in diameter and there's 4 of them. You basically cover the bottom of each tray with seeds, stack them, then pour 2 cups of water in this tower, and it trickles down through all the trays and drains out to a reservoir in the bottom that you can pour over it again, or dump it and get fresh water.

 

[Sammster]

Sure, I have these pictures of what I did have. I fed out the last of it this morning. I need to set more tonight! The first set is barley, the second set is red wheat. The trays are 6 inches in diameter and there's 4 of them. You basically cover the bottom of each tray with seeds, stack them, then pour 2 cups of water in this tower, and it trickles down through all the trays and drains out to a reservoir in the bottom that you can pour over it again, or dump it and get fresh water.

Oh that's pretty neat! Thanks for sharing this. I have a couple varieties of wheat berries. Maybe I'll give those a try, too

 

[HayleyCrum]

Mine haven't either, but this is only my second winter with laying age girls. Thanks!

mine also havent laid this winter and this is my first winter as a chicken mom

 

[Erinnlyn]

Oh that's pretty neat! Thanks for sharing this. I have a couple varieties of wheat berries. Maybe I'll give those a try, too

No problem!

 

[Erinnlyn]

mine also havent laid this winter and this is my first winter as a chicken mom

Yeah this is only my second year. Both winters my girls stopped laying in October and started back up again in February. I don't put lights on them to get more eggs because once they're out of eggs, that's it!! Some people do, but to each their own!

 

[GreenAcres Homestead]

Not that I am worried...yet, but in a few chicken groups I am a part of, there has been a big uptick in people saying their hens are not laying. Aside from it being cold in most of the U.S., less daylight, some have/are molting, etc., many hen owners are saying they are getting very few eggs or none at all. They're now pointing towards certain feeds possibly causing them not to lay. So far people are pointing towards Tractor Supply Dumor or Producers Pride. They say they've had chickens 10, 20 years, whatever and have never seen production issues like this. Mine stopped laying in October (molted). I have 1 that lays throughout, just slow, and another one that has laid a couple eggs over the last 2 weeks. I suppose she's starting back to it. I don't use supplemental light. I just let them have a break.
So my question is, is anyone seeing production issues (aside from cold, light, molting) that seems out of the ordinary? If so, what feed do you use? Also if not, what feed do you use? Trying to figure out if there is anything to this or not!! Thanks!!

Ours too dropped and we too had started getting feed from Tractor Supply. We saw the videos about the feed industry they get their feed from and agree we now get ours from a local feed store and plan on grinding our own corn and making our own scratch. Anyway back to egg production ours dropped to only a few a day and we had 13 hens. We even added light to their coop and that didn't help but helped our quail. Yet my neighbor who had only 9 hens was getting feed from a feed store and not Tractor Supply and his hens was laying 6 eggs a day. Since we changed feed our eggs went to 7 a day then 3 days ago I decided to leave my radio on our favorite Christian music and just let it play for our chickens, Quail and Rabbits all night. Lol the next day and everyday since we have had 11 egg's. Hmm is it a coincidence or not?? I don't know but we are thankful for that will help our egg sells.

 

[CrystalAnon]

Ours too dropped and we too had started getting feed from Tractor Supply. We saw the videos about the feed industry they get their feed from and agree we now get ours from a local feed store and plan on grinding our own corn and making our own scratch. Anyway back to egg production ours dropped to only a few a day and we had 13 hens. We even added light to their coop and that didn't help but helped our quail. Yet my neighbor who had only 9 hens was getting feed from a feed store and not Tractor Supply and his hens was laying 6 eggs a day. Since we changed feed our eggs went to 7 a day then 3 days ago I decided to leave my radio on our favorite Christian music and just let it play for our chickens, Quail and Rabbits all night. Lol the next day and everyday since we have had 11 egg's. Hmm is it a coincidence or not?? I don't know but we are thankful for that will help our egg sells.

I love the Christian music idea. Maybe I’ll take out our construction site radio & bring it with me when I clean the coop.

 

[GreenAcres Homestead]

I love the Christian music idea. Maybe I’ll take out our construction site radio & bring it with me when I clean the coop.

We was very excited eggs went up to 13 today.