feeding Chickens Black pepper

[daddy_roo]

OK people sorry for the lack of the update lately, things have been kinda hectic at my house. I have been continueing the pepper with my chickens and believe it or not I got 6 eggs today. 4 at 9 am, 1 at noon, and and another one at 1:45pm. I went to check out the hens before I went to work because they were awefull noisy. I am begining to believe that The pepper is causing them to drink a lot more water. And this increase in water is what is increasong my egg production. I have a 3.5 gallon waterer. I usually fill it up every 3 days. when I started this pepper expiriment, I could of left it on the same pattern but It would of been pushing it, so I began to fill it every day. I placed a few news papers under the waterer to make sure it was not just leaking out. Around the outside of the "bowl" there was water spots and the normal shrinking that a paper that has been wet will do. but in the middle directly under the waterer was dry and smoothe like it should of been. So I figure no leaks. They are drinking more water, and in turn giving more eggs in return.

 

[daddy_roo]

Also tsiecz I have not given mine pepercorns. I have been popping pop corn and peppering the ever,living, chicken poop out of it. I would say it averages about 5 Tbl of pepper to a bag of popcorn. My question to you is did your girls accually eat the pepper corn?

 

[mnabity]

I have joined in the experiment. Yesterday morning I peppered my girls morning oatmeal. I used red and black just to be sure. I'm not sure if I gave them enough though. It probabaly totaled 2 TBSP so I will give them more today. I have 16 pullets but only 3 are laying right now(26+ weeks old) so I am hoping this will get them in gear.

Daddyroo congratulations on getting 6 eggs! When was the last time you got six? How many layers do you have? Thank you for the idea I hope it gets my girls in gear.

Tsiecz, I am wondering if the reason it didn't work for you is that maybe they aren't getting whatever it is that causes this from whole peppercorns. Just thinking it may be hard for them to digest the whole corn. Maybe try cracking it first if you don't have a pepper grinder just crush some with a hammer inside a baggie.

Best of luck to everyone let's keep up the experiment and updates. I'm very curious to see if this was just a coincidence. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 

[Blue Ninja]

I gave the girls oatmeal with lots of ground black pepper on Fri. Saturday I got 5 eggs. That had never happened before. Most I would get was 4 but usually 2. And one of my more productive birds is currently brooding a couple eggs in a separate area. So I think a couple of my 6 month olds got jump started! I also noticed a higher rate of water consumption. They are gonna keep getting a peppery breakfast for now!

 

[chickened]

My father fed his hens cayenne pepper to bring them out of molt and it worked way too many times to not believe it.

 

[real_redhead]

Too funny that I just saw this post...a friend whose father raised chickens told me he used to give them crushed red pepper in the winter to keep the eggs coming. Thought it wouldn't really work til I read these post..

 

[chicken farmer 1997]

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

 

[mnabity]

Well, I am a believer! I've been getting 2-3 per day(my girls just started laying last week). But today I got 5 and they tasted just fine, I always put pepper on my eggs anyway so I probably wouldn't notice if they did taste peppery.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

But that would mean all those weeks I fed my chickens cabbage and tuna, my eggs would have had that taste, and they Don't.

 

[hamilton3475]

Quote:
Pre-peppered does sound nice to me as well