Feeding laying hens...

[Jessi1210]

I have 6 is a brown chickens that are about 17 weeks old.
I have read a lot of people switch to laying feed, do I have to do this in order to get eggs/good eggs?
They share a coop with my Muscovy ducks, and they all share food.
Currently I feed them purina flock raiser as well as snacks, fruits veggies and meal worms. I also offer oyster shells just recently and hey do pick at them.
They have green grass to pick at in their enclosure and free range most of the day at least 4 days a week.

Is laying feed a must?
If so can my ducks eat that as well?
If not is there something else I can supplement with that is safe for the ducks?

 

[PD-Riverman]

A lot of people that have different fowl feed All Flock and put ground oyster shells on the side---free choice for the layers. If you do not feed a good protein feed then the chickens want lay as good as they could. If you free range they might pick up enough to get their daily protein up to about 16%?? If you don't free range and just fed scratch feed---they will probably be way down on the egg laying in time.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

A nice feed program for a mixed flock is an all flock feed such as flock raiser(purina), with oyster shell on the side for laying birds to take as needed. I look for 18-20% protein and have used a variety of starter/grower and all flock feeds that fall in that range

 

[Folly's place]

I feed all my chickens of every age and sex Flock Raiser, with oyster shell on the side. It works fine! My birds free range and get very limited other goodies; some scratch feed. Mary

 

[Jessi1210]

Okay good- so what I'm doing now will work for them then?
They do free range a good bit so I'm sure they get a good amount of protein, lots of grass and all kinds of bugs and whatever else they nibble up!

 

[Folly's place]

Grass is not high protein! Extra goodies are fine, but in moderation. No more that 10% of their ration is the accepted guideline, depending o what you are offering. Mary

 

[PD-Riverman]

Okay good- so what I'm doing now will work for them then?
They do free range a good bit so I'm sure they get a good amount of protein, lots of grass and all kinds of bugs and whatever else they nibble up!

Back in the days---1950's, 1960's, etc we never heard of layer feed. The chickens got table scraps and free ranged---throwed them some whole corn late in the evenings to get them use to coming back to the chicken run to be closed up at night. I remember collecting eggs, But I do not remember how good they layed. Just For Info!!!

 

[Folly's place]

Back in the days---- hens generally produced many fewer eggs per year, because of their genetics, at least. Free range on many farms was a much richer mix of plants and other stuff for the hens. Nobody expected egg production in winter, when many hens were butchered anyway. Now we have hens programmed to lay 300 or more eggs per year, less free range, and much better feed options for them. Good food pays off!!! Mary