I don't know if this will help or not but I'll pass along what it is that we do. We're here in central North Carolina and we've been having a cold, cold winter here. And throughout it all our 19 Gold Comet pullets have been laying an average of 18 eggs a day without fail. I've been asked how we're getting this kind of production and to be honest I don't know for sure. My gut feeling is that they have to have something extra to give their system a boost and keep up their weight and energy. Laying eggs is hard on them and takes a lot of their energy to do so. So in my twisted logic I thought we should be doing something for them to replace the calories (energy) they lose each day just laying eggs. They get their layer pellets and some cracked corn. They have plenty of fresh water too. But we give them a warm mush we mix up each morning and that seems to be the key to our success.
What we give them is pretty simple. I'll take a one gallon pitcher and add about 1/3 cup of powdered milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, leftover rice, beans, mashed potatoes, cornbread, or other soft food from our table the night before. We're vegetarians so we have lots of greens and other veggie stuff we discard when we make dinner, like the outer leaves of lettuce, cabbage, kale, collards, etc. There will also be leftover carrot peels, cucumber peals, whatever. All this goes in the pitcher and then I'll add enough near boiling water from a kettle to fill the pitcher about half way to make a very watery gruel. They when I get it down to their run I'll add in about a half scoop of their pellets and a little cracked corn and mix it all up in the pitcher. By this time it's cooled down to just good and warm and I pour it out onto a large teracota saucer we have in the run. When I let the Gals out of their coop they go nuts over it. The mush goes everywhere but mostly down their gullets. They'll completely peck the saucer clean within thirty minutes and want more.
It's been down in the teens and low twenties almost every night since early December and as I said above, our GC's have been laying machines through all this. Now I've been told by some here not to give chickens milk but I've not noticed any ill effects. Sometimes, about twice a week we'll substitute a cup of yougart for the milk. Sometimes we'll use instant potatoes instead. But I think maybe it's just the warmth and the sugar and extra carbohydrates that give them a boost.
Take it as you may. I'm just passing along what I think may be working for us.
What we give them is pretty simple. I'll take a one gallon pitcher and add about 1/3 cup of powdered milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, leftover rice, beans, mashed potatoes, cornbread, or other soft food from our table the night before. We're vegetarians so we have lots of greens and other veggie stuff we discard when we make dinner, like the outer leaves of lettuce, cabbage, kale, collards, etc. There will also be leftover carrot peels, cucumber peals, whatever. All this goes in the pitcher and then I'll add enough near boiling water from a kettle to fill the pitcher about half way to make a very watery gruel. They when I get it down to their run I'll add in about a half scoop of their pellets and a little cracked corn and mix it all up in the pitcher. By this time it's cooled down to just good and warm and I pour it out onto a large teracota saucer we have in the run. When I let the Gals out of their coop they go nuts over it. The mush goes everywhere but mostly down their gullets. They'll completely peck the saucer clean within thirty minutes and want more.
It's been down in the teens and low twenties almost every night since early December and as I said above, our GC's have been laying machines through all this. Now I've been told by some here not to give chickens milk but I've not noticed any ill effects. Sometimes, about twice a week we'll substitute a cup of yougart for the milk. Sometimes we'll use instant potatoes instead. But I think maybe it's just the warmth and the sugar and extra carbohydrates that give them a boost.
Take it as you may. I'm just passing along what I think may be working for us.
My one girl gives us double yolks every other day consistently! Gotta love her! Our other 2 aren't old enough to lay yet, but should be within the next month or so I hope.
