fruit stops the laying of eggs up to 6 months...

[AnaD]

in adult hens and delays pullets from laying up to 6 weeks. I read this on a site when I was looking up information about raising chicks. I can't remember where I read it and it is bugging me because I have read on here many times that fruit is a favorite snack to feed chickens...This can't be true then, right? I must know! My pullets snack on our leftover oranges that we drop on the ground in the back yard.

 

[chickenlorena]

Not true!!! My hens snack on apples, watermelon, and many other kinds of fruits. They have not stop laying

 

[rubyrogue]

that site is full of hogwash. My hens eat fruit at least 3x a week. they lay lots of eggs that have deep yellow yolks. blueberries, watermelon, grapes, cranberries, apples... they love fruit

 

[chickenforever24]

I feed my hens fruit everyday..... Maybe thats why they stopped laying.....

 

[spartacus_63]

Mine eat fruit on a regular basis and I have never noticed a drop in egg production. They also eat tons of tomatoes during the summer and they are technically fruit.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Shhhhhhh! Don't say that so loud! Mine have been eating fruit as it falls off the trees for years and as they haven't read that book, they don't know any better and just keep laying.

 

[Kate in CT]

My girls eat fruit all the time . . .they love watermelon in the summer. In fact, many people on the forum suggest feeding icy cold watermelon as a way to cool off birds in the summer.

I've given them all kinds of berries (and they've tried to help themselves from our strawberry bed before we finished the fence!), apples, peaches . . .etc.

I have read somewhere not to give them citrus. Is this true? Anyone know why?

 

[AnaD]

It is so irritating that I can't find the site I read that on! I almost feel like I imagined reading it even though I know I didn't!

 

[Luvroos]

Mine love fruits! I have heard that citrus is not healthy for their digestive systems or something of this nature!

 

[Harrietsmum]

Nobody told my girls!! (PS I have read that too...you are not imaging it!) Mine have always had fruit starting with blueberries when they were still in the brooder.