Eggs aren't as tasty and other feed questions

[peony07]

Hi there,
I gave a dozen eggs to my mom last week and she didn't notice a difference between them and store bought!! I have to say in the spring and summer they were much more orange and flavorful. (My son wouldn't eat them because they had too much flavor!) but at this time they were free ranging all day. We can no longer let them do that as they were jumping the fence and scratching around the neighborhood compost piles, not so great for neighbor relations.

We feed them organic layer mash and they get scraps from the kitchen, but usually only carbs and produce and some cottage cheese or yogurt, BOSS and scratch for treats. I just read I can give them other animal proteins, didn't know that. It seems like a lot of people go through a lot more effort buying things from the store and cooking treats for their chickens, I was hoping they would be a little less maintenance than that.

What else am I doing wrong? I want to be sure they are eating enough of the right things. How do I get more greens? I pull up clumps of sod from a weedy area and throw that in there now and then, but that won't last long.

Thanks for the help.

BTW I have 5 girls and their run is dirt, if that matters.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Greens make more orange yolks. Maybe go to the produce section & ask for outdated veggies & trimmings. I know the local stores are glad to give it to people.

 

[pkeeler]

I would skip all that, unless you like the work. Just feed oats free choice. You can get them in 50# bags at the local Agway. Your yolks will be orange.

 

[dragonlair]

Around here the stores and other food places refuse to give anyone food leftovers or things that they can't sell...they go right to the dumpster. Talk abut a major waste!

 

[chookchick]

Yes I think the greens would make all the difference. You could try feeding them some alfalfa hay--some feel that it is the grasses that make them so nice and tasty. It would orange up the yolks.

 

[SoCalChick]

My local supermarket gives me wasted greens and i also throw my lawn cuttings from my mower in their run.

 

[LynneP]

Greens will help and the cheapest way to do that in winter is with some finely-shredded cabbage. A medium-sized one would last your hens a week. Avoid feeding the core or stem. And of course the other feeds mentioned above. I also offer handsful of wild bird seed this time of year.

 

[phoenix rooster]

visit your local bakery or store for expired breads, just make sure there is no mold on them.

 

[peony07]

Thanks for the thoughts. I bought a cabbage yesterday and will shred it for them and talk to my grocery store, they are pretty helpful there.

 

[felidaet]

Don't feed them very much bread. There is very little nutritional value for the chickens.