Just watched a video..5 things to feed your chickens so they lay all year...

[Lainey-chick]

It was on Youtube. She suggests Premium Cleaned Oats, Whole Corn, Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, Diatomaceous Earth (for worms), and Oyster Shell (what she calls “Grit” and gives on the side). She also let’s them free range and feeds them dog food in the winter for more protein.

She mixes the first four ingredients in a large can and feeds her chickens the mixture. She throws the OS in the run for them to find when they need it.

What are your thoughts on this process?

 

[TooCheep]

Horrendous.

• I'll leave it to @U_Stormcrow to do a breakdown on the nutritional imbalances.
• Oyster Shell is definitely not grit. Grit is indigestible rocks that are used in the gizzard to grind up food. Oyster shell is dissolved and absorbed to strengthen bones and egg shells. Both grit and oyster shell should only be fed "on the side" and not mixed in with feed so they can get as much/little as they need.
• Food is not the driving factor in laying during winter (though nutrition is certainly important for overall health). Duration and intensity of light is a far more important factor. You can use artificial lighting to extend their laying season which is how factory farms supply eggs in winter. It is up to you, but many of us prefer to let them rest in winter as their bodies are designed to do. Personally, I preserve eggs when they lay most heavily in the spring and use them in winter.

 

[Lainey-chick]

Thanks! That’s what I thought. I’m not going to do this, just thought it was a strange mix (and verbage) and wanted to see if I was correct in my thoughts.

 

[MysteryChicken]

The best way to keep your girls laying through winter, is having a nutritious diet, & plenty of natural light that shines through a window.(I do this)

The secret is the amount daylight they're getting, this usually is the factor for regular egg laying. If you remove most of the daylight hours(Winter), you get less, or no eggs for the winter.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I fround apon artificial lights, I let my girls take the breaks they need from laying. So, I get eggs from whoever's laying during the winter. Artificial Lights pushes a hen to continuously lay, without their usual break(Winter). Which isn't good for their health.

 

[Kiki]

It was on Youtube and the creator was Becky’s Homestead. She suggests Premium Cleaned Oats, Whole Corn, Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, Diatomaceous Earth (for worms), and Oyster Shell (what she calls “Grit” and gives on the side). She also let’s them free range and feeds them dog food in the winter for more protein.

She mixes the first four ingredients in a large can and feeds her chickens the mixture. She throws the OS in the run for them to find when they need it.

What are your thoughts on this process?

Thoughts:
Completely throw everything you just watched right out the window.

Feeding a commercially made pelleted or crumbled feed is a balanced diet.

Feeding all of these treats regularly will cause issues. Scroll through the emergency section and you will see. Pay close attention to what people are feeding their birds when it comes to posting these emergencies for their dying chicken.

Don't just scroll through that section read all of the threads and you will learn a lot.

 

[Lainey-chick]

Thanks for your thoughts.

I plan to just let my chickens do their thing in the winter. The video just caught my attention because of the title and I clicked out of curiosity to see what it was about.

My thoughts: it seemed very lacking in nutrition and caused me some concern, but I’m no expert. The way ”grit” was explained was weird. Again, I’m no expert. I also wondered how this feed could possibly help a chicken lay through the winter, especially by adding dog food?? How is dog food any cheaper than buying feed store food?

I haven’t had chickens since I was very young. This is my first flock as an adult. I get my information online so if someone is claiming to be an expert, writing books, and giving out information online, I want that information to be good sound information so I don’t harm my chickies. I’m so glad I found BYC. I don’t have time to read every thread, but I do rely more on the information I find here and by asking questions than any other place.

 

[Kiki]

Thanks for your thoughts.

I plan to just let my chickens do their thing in the winter. The video just caught my attention because of the title and I clicked out of curiosity to see what it was about.

My thoughts: it seemed very lacking in nutrition and caused me some concern, but I’m no expert. The way ”grit” was explained was weird. Again, I’m no expert. I also wondered how this feed could possibly help a chicken lay through the winter, especially by adding dog food?? How is dog food any cheaper than buying feed store food?

I haven’t had chickens since I was very young. This is my first flock as an adult. I get my information online so if someone is claiming to be an expert, writing books, and giving out information online, I want that information to be good sound information so I don’t harm my chickies. I’m so glad I found BYC. I don’t have time to read every thread, but I do rely more on the information I find here and by asking questions than any other place.

Every one knows better.
Everyone is a chicken expert.
Everyone. It is a very difficult for people that don't actually know to figure out what information out there is good and what is complete hogwash.


The simpler the better.
One feed.

 

[Lainey-chick]

Every one knows better.
Everyone is a chicken expert.
Every one. It is a very difficult for people that don't actually know to figure out what information out there is good and what is complete hogwash.


The simpler the better.
One feed.

I noticed this and yes it is very difficult to figure out the good from the bad.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I fround apon artificial lights, I let my girls take the breaks they need from laying. So, I get eggs from whoever's laying during the winter. Artificial Lights pushes a hen to continuously lay, without their usual break(Winter). Which isn't good for their health.

agree here. It’s healthier for the hens to give them the break from laying as nature intended. If one must have eggs in the winter then take a look at breeds that are known to give eggs despite less light (brahma for ex), freeze eggs during periods of heavy production to use during winter, or buy commercial.