feeding Chickens Black pepper

[Ole and Lena]

I've got a flock of 17 SL wyandottes and Barred rocks, going on 7 mos old. Haven't tried pepper yet, am happy with 12-13 eggs per day currently. I did notice a big jump in production and size of eggs when I added tallow and other venison butchering scraps to their diet (they got to pick the carcass like little vultures). Maybe it's the increased fat content in the oil your popcorn is popped in. Just a random thought.

 

[daddy_roo]

I am giving mine ground black pepper.

 

[daddy_roo]

Ole and Lena You could be right. after a month or so with the pepper maybe that will have to be my next expiriment.

or maybe I could change the treat I give them pepper on and check both at the same time????

 

[amenfarm]

OldGuy43
yes, I have a sense of humor! what i should have said was, I hope to have chickens next winter, and after their molt I can try the pepper tonic on them. Won't have goats DH is against them because "they are smelly and are too hard to keep confined".
Sorry this is a reply a little long in coming--christmas has me busy.

 

[v.cyr]

glad I found this thread... our girls stopped laying when they molted(in oct) and haven't started up again yet, even though they were done molting a long time ago, and we have been giving them 14 hrs of light a day, and plenty of food and water and goodies(my mom's office gets catered lunches sometimes, and she gets to bring home any leftovers once a week... my birds love italian food)... they did the same thing to us last winter, until around late march early april, which sucked, since money from any surplus eggs offsets a good portion of their feed bill... gonna try adding some pepper to their feed tommarow morning, see if that jump starts them...

 

[PHILMAN]

I'm going to try this too ! I hope it works I've been getting 2 eggs a day out of 5 hens . Though one is moulting so I have to give her a break . Do you give the popped corn whole or do you mash it up a bit . I think my girls will choke on a whole one !

 

[kareninthesun]

Maybe that's why my hens are laying well now. Our next door neighbor has a huge pink peppercorn tree that always has clusters of peppercorns on it. Lots of branches draping over my fence for shade, and I harvest pretty freely. Curious, I went to check and see how much was on the ground...nada. Nothing. Now, they left the pepper part of the garden alone as far as munching on product (grow 9 of the 10 worlds hottest peppers), but they LOVE lounging under or around them, or hunting up bugs. I wonder if the bugs eat any part of the plant, if the hens reap the benefits as a secondary food chain? They instinctively know to leave the peppers alone, along with the toadstools that pop up in dramatic fashion in the back dark corner of the yard. Sure beats the dogs, whom will try to eat anything but the toadstools, including what can be reached and sucked in inside the house...

 

[luvmymillies]

Okay...after seeing this yesterday...this morning I gave one lot....popcorn with black pepper(2 tbsp.) and another lot oatmeal with black pepper, and my lot that is molting I gave cayenne pepper mixed with there pellets. No eggs so far...however I did hear egg cackling today...haven't heard that in a long time so it stood out and I went running to the lots(obviously so loudly it scared the girls) I am going to continue......I will add more pepper tomorrow and see what happens. Look what you started Kentucky girl! This could be an egg laying revolution! I am so excited


I have not had not one egg in several weeks. I was getting anywhere from 3 to 4 dozens a day from my layers (RIR,leghorns,& black sexlinks) all are only 1 year or less. Stay tuned I will post my update.

 

[tsiecz]

Just One egg today.........They are still on the same routine but they are drinking water like fish. I will switch to ground pepper and see what happens. I'll keep you updated.

 

[mnabity]

Another new layer today! Two of my girls took the day off(they have been laying for 6 days straight so they deserved a break)

I give mine fresh ground black pepper with their oatmeal each morning.