Layer feed tastier mixed with water?

[linguini]

My chickens weren't interested in the layer feed since I switched over more than a month ago. After reading this forum, I started feeding them fermented layer feed with either leftover veges from kitchen or some scratch treats (small amount) everyday late pm, they all love it! But I noticed the last two days the eggs seem to be smaller for all of them (smaller by 3-5g per egg on average). I don't know if this is related to the wet/fermented layer feed ? Does the wet feed fill them up more and they end up eating less?? Any advice?

 

[Johanna Albertine]

And they get treats: every bite they find while foraging IS a treat. That's why they do it!



If you want a thoroughly healthy treat-- layer feed + water works well!

Where I live, there is less opportunity for foraging in winter. So I give them dried mealworms (good source of protein and niacin), or a handful of blueberries, brown rice (uncooked) and hay (for the goose, but the chickens like it too). Sometimes greens like parsley or carrot leaves, but vegetables are not their first choice... They are not crazy about corn/oats scratch, but they do eat the black-oil sunflower seeds I feed to wild birds! And I’m glad to see they’re enthusiastic about fermented barley and crumbly layer feed. If this sounds like a bit much, that’s because I am new to raising chickens and like to try out different things, and see what works best! Always interesting to hear what other people feed their chickens, too.

 

[Johanna Albertine]

Ferment the layer feed first. Add the scratch if you want. If your feed store does not stock barley and wheat, ask them to pick up a bag for you. They have access to the whole grains.

Thank you! I’ll try that.

 

[Johanna Albertine]

They aren't eating the layer feed because of all the treats mentioned. Stop all treats.

Well, I don’t know... They work so hard, foraging, I think they deserve treats. And they are always healthy treats!

 

[Johanna Albertine]

My chickens were hardly touching their layer feed pellets. They free range and also have other food options like scratch, brown rice and various snacks, so they weren’t going hungry. Then one time when it rained they knocked over the bowl with layer feed and the pellets spilled into a puddle of water... and they all started eagerly pecking at it! Since then I’ve been mixing some water into the layer feed, just enough to make it mushy and then crumbly, and they now eat a lot more of it.
I have also started experimenting with fermenting grains, after reading the recent article on this Forum. Barley kernels only took 24 hours to ferment and my hens instantly loved it, cleaned the bowl right out. Now I have to find a place that has whole grains in bulk near where I live. The farm supply store doesn’t carry wheatberries or barley. Any ideas on this?

Here is a link to a company that ships large bags of whole grains to drop points all over the country. I haven’t used them before, but found chicken wheat and barley for animals here. Also scratch without corn. https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/category/outdoor-garden/animal-feed/19176

 

[Johanna Albertine]

Rather pricey additions. I can buy whole wheat for about $.22/#. Barley is slightly less. How long will a bag last? 6 months or more? Could be full of bugs by that time. I would build your feeding program with what you have available locally. Keeping it simple saves money. What's your aversion to corn? Should be the primary ingredient in the layer feed. If your birds like sunflower seeds then buy them that as your "scratch". Scratch can be any seed or grain that is fed as a treat or a means to get them to scratch and work the soil.
Your ultimate goal is to not add so much "stuff" that you compromise production. Keeping protein and calcium percentages and caloric intake at appropriate levels is harder and harder the more you alter a formulated feed.

I have nothing against corn, but the chickens seem to prefer the oats in the scratch feed. The guard goose we have doesn’t care for corn, either. Mostly the corn gets eaten by wild birds, I think! The Azure prices don’t seem unreasonable to me, but I will stay on the look out for whole grains locally. I agree with you that it’s safest to stick with the formulated layer feed, so I’m going to continue giving them the (Poulin) layer feed, which they are now eating a lot of thankfully, since I started mixing it with some water. Even the goose now eats it. Fermented grains seem like a healthy addition, though, and every chicken is different!