How Many Eggs Did You Get Today?

[jlwquilter]

9 eggs yesterday. Trying to half-heartedly figure out why production has crashed. Could be I started letting the leghorns out after they lay so they can forage better - better for them but maybe more stressful for the rest of the hens. Could be the mixing of layer and flock raiser feed isn’t nutritionally working for some odd reason. Could be recent access to a new compost bin which they LOVE but reduces feed intake.


I’m More curious than worried as everyone did really well on the health checks a few days ago.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Not great to mix foods but not certain where I got that

 

[jlwquilter]

Don’t know why mixing 2 purina products would cause any issues. They are both complete chicken feed products. Anyway, quests what. I’m going to cave and buy a bag of oyster shell tomorrow! My leghorns just aren’t keeping acceptable shell quality (lost 2 of their eggs today alone) despite them getting mostly layer feed and free access to eggshells, which they do eat.

Anyway, got 14 eggs today (counting the 2 bad shelled ones) so number was up after a few days of lower laying.

 

[bruceha2000]

I can't imagine mixing foods would cause them to slow up on laying. After all, if they are out free ranging, they are "mixing" all sorts of foods.

Only 4 again today.

 

[jlwquilter]

I don’t really think it has any effect on laying either. Just trying to think of all the possibles, then eliminate from there.

However on researching feeding chickens from compost piles or mostly from compost piles I did see a small trend toward lower egg production being noted by the owners. I’ve just started the compost feeding a few days ago. I’d say hmmm I got less eggs since. But today was back up in the high range.

 

[bruceha2000]

My chickens don't eat from the compost pile. Anything I put there is something I wouldn't give the chickens. Like moldy stuff. Otherwise the chickens are the first stop between the kitchen and the compost pile.

 

[jlwquilter]

My chickens don't eat from the compost pile. Anything I put there is something I wouldn't give the chickens. Like moldy stuff. Otherwise the chickens are the first stop between the kitchen and the compost pile.

I generally don’t have moldy stuff. The compost is leaf mulch, woody branch mulch, cow manure (activator and maybe maggot generator), cross cut paper/cardboard, and veggie scraps from the day. I did put in a small amount of older fermented feed one time. I don’t think anything is bad for them. They are so darn happy on there. They run for it every time I open it up.

 

[bruceha2000]

I bet they do, probably lots of goodies you and I can't even see before a chicken plucks them out.

 

[karenerwin]

9 eggs today. I am moving 6 chickens to my son's house tomorrow ( 3 hour trip). Hopefully, the remaining chickens will settle down after a few days and egg production will go back up.

 

[jlwquilter]

Not great to mix foods but not certain where I got that

There’s a current thread on this. Seems at least a handful of people are saying they mix layer and all flock/flock raiser feed. 50/50 seems the most common mix. Good comments on how oyster shell is working or not working for them as well. It’s particularly helpful for me to have found that thread as this is what I’m playing with as well to get the mix for my flock. I haven’t achieved the right mix yet.