Feeding older hens

[Betchay07]

Our 7 pet Barred Rock hens are about 4 years old and have for the most part, stopped laying eggs. Should I still feed them the layer crumbles/pellets or should they be fed something else?

 

[Welshies]

I would suggest maintenence feed with a side of free choice oyster shell.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If any birds aren't laying, they shouldn't be eating layer feed (4% calcium). An all flock feed or grower feed about 16-18% protein would be fine. At 4 years, they will probably start laying again as days lengthen.
Because of the trend to long lived backyard flocks, a Purina poultry nutritionist told me they were considering a new feed for older hens. When I asked him how it would be different he said it would just have enhanced levels of vitamins and minerals because older birds don't absorb those things as well as younger birds.
Occasionally you could add some Nutri-Drench to their water according to directions.

 

[Lelilamom]

I wonder if the higher calcium contributes to egg bound issues and lash eggs. I have 10 birds 4 years old and older and feed them layer pellets. Some lay and some don't. We have one or two girls that struggle with lash eggs every few months.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't think so. Egg binding and lash eggs can be from multiple issues.
The problem with excess calcium is that non-layers have no use of that calcium and it has to be processed by the kidneys.
It can overwhelm them. Some breeds/strains have less tolerance than others. Once the kidneys are overwhelmed, urolithiasis and gout can follow. Urolithiasis causes kidney segments to become non-functional.
There are 3 segments in each of the 2 kidneys. Birds exhibit no symptoms even when they only have 2 functional segments. Once one of those fail, they may die within 24 hours with few or no symptoms.

I can dig up the research if you want.