Layena Causing Egg Laying Problems

[tomsrunpoultry]

I've been feeding my 24 bantams Layena. The eggs seem to be way too large for the size of my hens. Often times there is blood on the outside of the shell. I now have a hen with a prolapsed vent. While they may be getting a balanced diet, I'm concerned that I'm risking their health if I keep feeding the layer ration. Has anybody else experienced this problem when feeding layer ration to bantams?

 

[donrae]

Really, I can't see how it would be the feed. Layer feed isn't magical, it doesn't contain anything that forces hens to lay, or makes eggs larger. What it is is a lower-protein food, the minimum most hens need to produce eggs, with a higher amount of calcium to support shell production. Appropriate vitamins and minerals in a base of corn and wheat, and that's about it.

If you do think it's the feed, simply switch feeds. Layers don't need layer feed. I've never used it, I feed a higher protein all-in-one feed and offer oyster shells and egg shells on the side to boost calcium. It's worked me for 20 years.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I'd have to agree with donrae, I doubt that it's the feed. The correct protein and calcium to phosphorous levels should ensure regularity and shell quality but I doubt that it has an impact on size. I have however found that as my hens age , double yolkers are laid more frequently, especially in my Wyandotte 's.
Did you get your bantams from the one source? Could this be a genetic trait ?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Ok , so I've just done some research and it appears that linoleic acid levels enhance egg size.
You learn something new every day! I'm not sure which feed you are using but check the linoleic acid levels( omega 6 ) . 1% is sufficient.

http://sydney.edu.au/vetscience/apss/documents/1998/APSS1998-leary-pp94-97.pdf

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/366/controlling-late-egg-size

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Ok , so I've just done some research and it appears that linoleic acid levels enhance egg size.
You learn something new every day! I'm not sure which feed you are using but check the linoleic acid levels( omega 3 ) . 1% is sufficient.

http://sydney.edu.au/vetscience/apss/documents/1998/APSS1998-leary-pp94-97.pdf

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/366/controlling-late-egg-size

And this may explain why the Dominique eggs have regressed in size since we switched from Layena to King non-GMO. Our reasoning had less to do with GMO and more to do with trying to avoid as many imported ingredients as possible.

 

[tomsrunpoultry]

I got the hens when they were about 1 year old. The original owner had free ranged them and supplemented with cracked corn. The eggs were a lot smaller. I thought they needed a more balanced nutrition source since i wasn't able to free range, so I switched them to Layena SunFresh Crumbles. The eggs started getting bigger in size within a few weeks. Sometimes the eggs look as though they came from a regular size hen. I've actually watched hens lay and it seems to be a bit of work for them to get some of the eggs out. Often times I find blood on the shell of eggs. Here are the listed ingredients of the Layena:

Guaranteed Analysis
Protein, not less than 16.0%
Lysine, not less than 0.55%
Methionine, not less than 0.25%
Fat, not less than 2.5%
Fiber, not more than 7.0%
Calcium, not less than 3.25%
Calcium, not more than 4.25%
Phosphorus, not less than 0.5%
Salt, not less than 0.3%
Salt, not more than 0.8%
Vitamin A 3,000 IU/lb
Vitamin E
10.5 IU/lb​

 

[tomsrunpoultry]

The King non-GMO...is that Hilands All Natural feed from Rural King?

 

[Chris09]

I got the hens when they were about 1 year old. The original owner had free ranged them and supplemented with cracked corn. The eggs were a lot smaller. I thought they needed a more balanced nutrition source since i wasn't able to free range, so I switched them to Layena SunFresh Crumbles. The eggs started getting bigger in size within a few weeks. Sometimes the eggs look as though they came from a regular size hen. I've actually watched hens lay and it seems to be a bit of work for them to get some of the eggs out. Often times I find blood on the shell of eggs. Here are the listed ingredients of the Layena:

There's your problem, it's not the feed.
The birds never matured properly and was on a poor nutrition diet until you got them.

 

[Fancychooklady]

It seems that the hen deposits the same amount of calcium on the egg no matter what the size, therefore the bigger the egg , the thinner the shell. There is also a direct correlation between methionine and egg yolk mass and size particularly in older hens. So apart from prolapsed vent one would expect that feed high in linoleic acid and methionine could increase egg size and result in thinner shells there by increasing the risk of eggbinding or internal laying. Mmm food for thought.

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/pou3651

 

[The Yakima Kid]

There's your problem, it's not the feed.
The birds never matured properly and was on a poor nutrition diet until you got them.

I agree. They didn't mature properly; they were stunted.

It makes me sick when people "free range" their chickens without offering a supplement of layer feed, preferably a 20% offered in a hopper feeder.

Malnourished chickens are prone to severe problems; a lot of free range doesn't offer the needed minerals, vitamins, and is woefully low on proteins. Unless you have a good pile of manure, or a field full of stock pooping away, it is very likely that you are chronically short of insects and other high protein feeds.

We had a severe snail infection - at times the fence looked like a parking lot for snails. Six hens cleared it out in less than a month - I haven't seen a snail in months.

Even with manure, unless the stock are pooping out bots and maggots and maggots are growing in the manure, then they aren't going to get enough protein.