feeding Chickens Black pepper

[NanaLantana]

Long ago a friend of mine said that back on the farm, they simply fed the chickens whatever feed the cows ate, but added cayenne pepper for egg stimulation. This is a very old trick, seems like! Well, a few years back, one of my old hens who did not lay anymore began stealing sips of coffee out of my cup in the morning - ugh, wasted my coffee! It had cream and sugar, so I guess she liked the taste. Then she began to lay again! Laid on and off, more on than off (except for moulting) for the next 5 yrs. (I kept giving her some of my coffee, so she wouldn't get it out of my cup) Died of old age and moult at 9 yrs. So I'm a believer in coffee, as well as pepper. Now I have hens that are one year old, who don't need the stimulation yet, but I'm surely going to give them coffee when they slack off.

 

[Bigdtc]

My girls are still laying with very little pepper added to their feed.. I'm convinced that the pepper helps somehow. I now get 3-4 eggs daily from 6 hens, 2 of them are quite old too...

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
Coffee is very interesting! My girls all like my coffee too, but I use the flavored creamers! LOL I can't put my cup down when I go outside to sit with them! Especially the SS girls there always up to mischief! LOL Never associated it with egg laying though, they are my best layers right now though.

 

[Grumpypantsmomma]

I am convinced that the pepper truly works as I got 4 eggs yesterday and got another 2 this morning. But unfortunately I need to stop feeding the pepper unless it gets rid of gape worm. I have to really badly infected gals and all the others showing beginning symptoms. So Every One got treated with Safe Guard (Fenbendazole) paste, as Ivermectin has no withdrawl period and I can't afford to throw out eggs for to long a time! Especially since hatching season is coming upon us and I already have chick orders!
I will put my chickens back on the pepper after I am done treating them for Gape worm. Wish me luck in not losing any Chickens!

 

[thailand]

Ok, I'm in too!

But, not for my molting hen just yet.

Is anyone familiar with Thai chillies? I live in Thailand and powdered cayenne pepper is hugely expensive. So - can I just crush up dried Thai chilli peppers? (There are 3 kinds - hot, hotter and WOW THAT'S HOT).

I'm assuming that the chilli peppers might be good for de-worming too? And what about for sucking lice?

Thanks - this thread is fantastic!

 

[chickened]

Although this is not scientific but my guess is it is the capsicum that is in the peppers so any pepper would probably work... which it does indeed work.

 

[flewdacoop]

cool i will have to try this on my girls when they slack off on laying

 

[Cyndi in Iowa]

I saw a link to this thread on pinterest… I am wondering if coffee grounds will have an effect that is similar to the pepper results? I read way back into 2011 and I am thinking the pepper and/or coffee stimulates their metabolism, thereby increasing water intake as well, which is always good, of course.

(Please caution me if this is a bad idea.) Here's what I'm thinking-- I hate coffee. my husband makes a pot every morning. he drinks the coffee. grounds get pitched. (yes, i should compost them, I know, I know, but ick. But for the hens, I am willing to handle coffee grounds … if our 2 hens would enjoy the coffee grounds and if that might help stimulate egg production, can it hurt?
If this is something to try-- should I just toss the grounds in with the feed, or should I dry it out first?
Coffee grounds are free, and my husband actually sometimes uses them 2x before pitching them.-- my only concern is the caffeine naturally found in coffee? Tho most of the caffeine winds up in my husband's coffee… then again, maybe it's the caffeine that stimulates some hen's metabolism/water consumption/egg laying?

please advise.
Thanks!
Cyndi in Iowa

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I would not feed caffeine to my chickens... not even a little.

 

[epeloquin]

what ever you feed chickens thats the eggs will taste like.

The oly think that affects the taste of eggs is garlic and onions. Nothing else.