Is there anything that I can feed my chickens to get them to lay?

[GwenReaper]

I was getting one egg a day from my hens. Nothing has changed in there diets and now none are laying. I have not got an egg in 2 weeks. What do I do?

I feed them cracked corn and scratch. I am going to get a bag of oyster shell tomorrow... will that work?

 

[jbowen9]

Try getting some laying mash it usually gets them going

 

[crazy huhn]

They need a good quality layer feed. Scratch and cracked corn are only used as a treat and should not exceed max. 10 % of your chickens daily feed ration. However it is the time of the year where they are molting and all the protein they need goes into feather production instead of producing eggs. I personally do not do it, but some people put lights in their coops to increase the length of the day to around 14 hrs.

 

[Mahonri]

Scratch and cracked corn will make them fat and keep them from layling.

Find a feed store that sells layer pellets, crumbles or mash that has at least 16% protein.

 

[Julie_A]

Magic beans. I think you can get golden eggs from magic beans.

I wish I could get my girls to step it up a notch!

 

[GwenReaper]

Quote:
Thats what someone told me... For the winter I am working on getting electricity to the coop so that I can get a heat lamp in there so I was thinking about doing that for more egg production. But isnt that what chicken farms do? Keep them up all day so they can lay more.... I am kinda hesitant.

 

[Big C]

We have layer pellets (Purina) and whole corn available 24/7 for our flocks. Scratch is fed as a treat in the evenings along with a few blocks of alfalfa hay, only enough to satisfy their curiosity before roosting. Our production ratio is at 85%.
We do not use extra energy (lighting) to extend daylight hrs artificially. Our Red Star flock are housed in a standard coop design and production is mostly above 95%.
RIR/BR/LOPS are housed in converted greenhouses and get available natural sunlight/moonlight and production ratio is now at 85%.

 

[AnnieOakley379]

I too only feed the scratch as a treat. Some good quality layer mash or pellets should get your girls going again. I also give them lots of veggies, grass/weed clippings, & healthy leftovers from my kitchen to supplement, & I have been consistently getting 1 egg a day from each hen.

Disclaimer: I'm still on the learning curve...I've only been a chicken mommy since May.