feeding Chickens Black pepper

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

 

[bobbieschicks]

Is the pepper helping those that are already layers to continue laying or helping the chicks that are close get to POL or both? If it's helping get to POL I might consider trying this after Christmas week so I can keep a close watch on what happens. Very interesting thread...

 

[Jay262]

How long would it take to see a difference i tried it yesterday on my ducks and silkies who are all around laying ages no eggs as of day 1. Only difference i found this morning was all the water buckets were empty.

 

[canesisters]

Those who are feeding pepper on a regular basis now, have you eaten any of the eggs yet?
I'm dying to know if the taste changed or not.

 

[daddy_roo]

Ok I guess it is time to give out a few more details about what I am doing. I have not used bagged pop corn. I use the orval Redinbaucher popcorn like you would use in a popcorn machine. I throw a little oil in the bottom of a pan with a lid turn the stove on high, put some popcorn in and put the lid on. I have 11 hens and 1 Roo that I give my popcorn to. I use a little over half a cup of pepper to 12-16 cups of popcorn. Since I always use the same treat container to take them their treats no matter if it is lettus or popcorn, it has measurements on the side and it is an 8 cup container, I have and use 2 of them. Some days they are a little fuller than others but it is always roughly equal. I pour a little popcorn out of the pan into the container, and sprinkle a bunch of pepper on that. pour in some more and more pepper and continue the process untill I have used all the popcorn. My hens eat a 16% layer pellet meal every morning, and while they are eating I fill the waterer up so they have water. They have been going through about 3/4 gallon of water a day before the pepper expiriment. Now they are going through 2.5 gallon a day. As I have said I do not know if it is the pepper or the increase in water that is causing them to lay more eggs. They have the layer pellets free choice and all the water they can drink. And I have noticed that some of you had a point about brining a chicken out of moult. It definately seems to do that. I will post again later about todays results as I did feed the pepper yesterday.

 

[daddy_roo]

canesisters I have eaten the eggs since I have started this pepper thing and the only thing I have noticed is they taste like extra egg flavor was put in. But that could be because my layers have been laying longer now. That is the only differance I have noticed. Although prepepperd flavor eggs in the morning would be nice. I honestly dont know anyone that dont put pepper on their eggs any ways.

 

[Blue Ninja]

I have a 9 month old silkie that laid 3 eggs in Oct and not one since. I also have 4 that that are about 7 months old. The first day after giving them ground black pepper 3 of them laid me and egg. I only used about 3tbsp of pepper mixed into 3 cups of oatmeal w/ yogurt, the next day I tried it with chopped romaine and cheese, and yesterday they shared about a 1/2 dozen scrambled eggs with pepper. I have never gotten 18 eggs in 4 days (that includes the 2 EE and 1 BBB that were already laying). I don't plan on giving them any more. I figured all I needed was a jump start. Either it works or is a very weird coincidence!

And the eggs taste like fresh eggs from happy chickens to me!

 

[geoff40]

Interesting results. For 2 days they got peas with very generous application of black pepper. 80% of my flock laid both days, but I am not sure they wouldn't have anyway. They are still pullets, and my egg production is not consistent right now anyway.
On the other hand, I got a giant sized egg yesterday, the size of a large duck egg. Coincidence?
Maybe I'll sauté and mash up some ancho or something mild like that, and mix it in to some old scraps.

 

[mnabity]

Quote:
As far ashelping those that already lay I can't answer that. My pullets are around 26 weeks and I got my first egg from them about a week ago. Only 3 were laying until I started giving them pepper on Saturday. On Sunday 6 girls laid eggs and Monday 7. Todays total remains to be seen. It may be a coincidence but I am not taking any chances.

As far as the flavor I do not taste pepper however I agree with another poster that said they taste more eggy but in a good way like super fresh. Hard to explain but it is good.

 

[goldies99]

do you give them the whole pepper corn??....or is it ground pepper???