Fruit can STOP Hens from Laying??

[Hollywood Chickens]

I never heard of that before.
I feed my hens fruit and I get an egg a day.
I read that citrus is bad for chickens so I don't feed it to them, bit even if I wanted to they won't eat it.

 

[mdbokc]

Mine get bananas almost every day; they love them. Egg production is fine.

 

[ToxawayTiger]

I've heard that before but I thought that it applied only to citrus. My hens always get fallen apples from a local orchard and I've never noticed a difference in the rate of eggs that I get.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

I think the citrus concern is about them getting too much vitamin c

 

[mrbstephens]

Mine stopped laying for a period of time and I remembered reading somewhere on this forum that APPLES can stop them from laying. Sure enough I had been giving them tons of apples, because apples were in season and they were getting the cores and the not so perfect ones. So I stopped giving them apples and about 3 -4 days later they all started laying again.

 

[TipsyDog]

Luckily I don't give the girls too much fruit - we're more veggie eaters here. I do give them watermelon, etc., in the summer and it doesn't seem to make a difference in laying. I think as with everything - moderation is in order. I find in the summer the girls don't eat too much fruit anyway since they are much happier free ranging for fresh bugs and grass. This winter I do mash up a banana once a week in some oatmeal or throw them an apple a few times a week, but that's about it fruit-wise.

They actually prefer kale, corn and baked sweet potatoes with some BOSS and scratch for treats all winter. I was just surprised to read this in a Hatchery catalogue. Perhaps there is some truth to it?!

 

[CedarRidgeChicks]

I too had a problem with apple pulp. I had made/canned apple sauce, dumped the pulp in the compost pile..chickens got in it..eggs stopped for 10 days, when the pulp was all gone they were all laying within a few days..this was excessive pulp though. Since then they ocassionaly get an apple core/peelings and it doesn't hurt them.........I guess it is o.k. in moderation.

btw..our milk cow got into the next batch of pulp..she went from 2 gal of milk per milking to about 1/2 gal for about a week and gradually went back to a little over a gallon..so there is something to excessive fruit and production

 

[snowflake]

sure glad you posted this, I did not know this and I give my hens fruit frequently in the winter. apples,grapes, bananas. as it is so coled my hens are not laying a lot but I have been getting 4 to 6 eggs a day from 11 hens. mine love peas so they get those a most every day, with oat meal and what ever else I can find. I think I will drop the apple for a few weeks and see if I get more eggs.... do you chop the peanuts or feed them hole?

 

[obchix]

The funniest thing....throwing grapes and watching them run after them!!!! Human entertainment!

 

[blckbrnfamly]

Quote:

I do that sometimes, they go wacko over grapes!