Being a newbie to raising chickens, I find myself always needing advice. Here is my problem. I acquired a flock of Bantams which are now nearing a year old. If I feed them at least 17-18% protein, as in Layena, they lay fine. But people keep telling me I am burning them out and a year or so from now they will be done laying. Is this information correct? I really need some guidance on this.
They will lay what they are going to lay if the protein is high enough. By that I mean if the protein is over 16 percent and every thing else is right, they will lay as many as they can. Adding protein will only allow them to make bigger eggs. There is of course the amount of eggs they will lay over their life time, but this is a matter more of their genes then just how rich their food is. A hen fed well will lay closer to her potential then one fed poorly. To your situation specifically, the amount of protein is right on target if they free range or feed scraps or scratch. In fact if you are feeding a lot of those you may be a little low.