feeding Chickens Black pepper

[CrazyCatCulby]

Quote:
This concerns me too as I read these posts (although I am trying the pepper boost using tabasco sauce). I've read that a hen only is able to produce a certain number of eggs during her lifetime (depending on the breed). I want my hens to lay over a long period of time since they will not be killed once they stop. There is no need to have them lay every day so I intend to use this pepper thing (if it does indeed work) only after they molt.

I will keep this in mind, and only "pepper" them for a few days to a week, just to see how it works.

 

[Backyard Hencam]

Everyone raises chickens for differant reasons. My original intent when I very first recieved my chickens was to have enough eggs for me and my family to eat. After I caught the "fever" I want to make a small profit on my chickens. I know it is not a get rich thing just mainly enough to pay for their own feed and anything extra is just great. So mine are not as much pets as they are friendly livestock. I have dual purpose birds and will eat them as well. I guess the saying differant strokes for differant folks definately applies here. I do not criticize anyone for keeping them as pets. I can definately see how chickens would make great pets.

Thank you, daddy-roo, for the reminder that not everyone wants to keep their hens as pets when they finish egg laying. I meant no offense and offer my apologies. I do understand that if you are raising poultry for profit, you are more restricted in the time you are able to keep hens while doing that. When I grew up, there was egg producer near us that kept lights on day and night, then threw the year-old "spent" hens on a truck to be taken to the butcher, then sold the meat to a soup manufacturer. Not the most humane situation but certainly not wasteful.

I admire your efforts to feed your family and others through your own endeavors. Best of luck.​

 

[PHILMAN]

I have to say I've been peppering the girls with cayenne pepper and I havent seen anymore eggs than before maybe I have to give it longer but what I read they should have upped the egg production by now. ( its been a little over a week ) . I have the light on extra hours too . So far I did everything except LAY MY OWN EGGS ! LOL !

 

[cottagechick]

I have no idea if this is true, accurate or anything...but I found this while searching for info...

Studies have been done since the early 1940's in Japan, the Caribbean and elsewhere.
While the feeding of hot peppers and vegetation containing high amounts of capsaicin does not seem to bother the hens the only benefit appears to be egg shell thickness. Egg production is NOT significantly effected. The influences of dietary red peppers on daily food intake are negligible in egg production and minimal in yolk color according to the Roche color fan. Adipose tissue weight was somewhat effected and suggests a winter diet of red peppers over 1% of total feed in cold climates may be adverse.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_red_...er_hot_peppers_Chile_powder_etc#ixzz1huP88Ydw

 

[Backyard Hencam]

the only benefit appears to be egg shell thickness

Thank you "cottagechick" for your research. I'm curious about the above. My hens have never had thick shells even with oyster shell supplementation. I've used Tabasco sauce in cottage cheese for three days now. Tabasco has a hotness rating of 30,000 -50,000 (same as cayenne) on the Scoville heat rating charts see http://ushotstuff.com/Heat.Scale.htm. Sorry, I don't know how to do a link.​

 

[harveyhorses]

Just FYI black pepper comes from pepper corns. Cayane and
Other 'hot' peppers do not have the same chemical
Makeup. Black pepper will not burn your skin as many of
The 'hot' varieties will.

 

[daddy_roo]

cambriagardener I took no offence to your coment. I was more or less explaining the logic behind me trying to push my girls.

Also have one hen myself that I will keep past her laying years. Im keeping her for the shear story behind her. My lab has gotten ahold oh her and pulled every feather out of her butt. She feaned dead and layed there and took it. then when the lab left and i ran down to see if she was ok she flew strait up in the air. So she is definately a keeper.

 

[Daphne16]

Well I am just reading this post and am fascinated. My hens are only 9 months old, but haven't laid since Nov. probably because of the shortened days. I have given only a few extra hours of light (12 total daylight hours).
I just gave them a bowl of peppered oatmeal. Hmm maybe I will get some eggs.

 

[v.cyr]

got 3 eggs on Tues, and 5 yesterday... yay... gonna stop the pepper treatment tomorrow( partly because I ran out this morning), and see if they keep laying... I read a couple of the studies on the pepper/egg production correlation, and none of them seemed to convincing, or horribly scientific, for that matter... my guess is the people doing the studies decided beforehand that it was just an old wives tale, and they tailored the studies to give them the results they wanted... most used chickens whose production was already pretty good(mid to high 80% production rating), none of them that I read gave the chickens much pepper(usually <5% of daily intake), and most used pepper which they claimed was unfit for human consumption... whereas it seems those of us who were seeing results are using food grade pepper, in fairly high dosage, to birds who's production has tapered off due to molt/season... I bet if they conducted a study with those parameters, the results would be different...

 

[Sarahnl]

IT WORKS!

we've been lucky if we've gotten even one egg a day from our flock of five. Our Amerucana hasn't laid since probably July or August! I fed them oatmeal with cayanne yesterday and two eggs already and ONE IS FROM OUR AMERUCANA!

I'm shouting this tip from a mountain top!