laying mash

[Annasg]

How much laying mash should I be giving my chickens? My eggs taste funny like the smell of wet bird. Maybe I am feeding them too much mash. Anyone got any input here? I need help here because this winter, I am going to be depending on them and they have just started laying. Do you think that the taste I am getting could be from mental block, laying mash or something else? I need some help. BTW! Guys, I am new to this.

 

[erinangele]

Fresh eggs are more flavorful than grocery store eggs, but shouldn't taste like the smell of wet bird.

What kind of treats are they getting? If they eat something with a strong flavor (ie. garlic or onions) it will give the eggs a unpleasant flavor. When I first started I gave mine left over Brie cheese and boy did the eggs taste odd. I love Brie, but Brie flavored eggs = BAD!

 

[Annasg]

I am giving them laying mash twice a day and left over garden veggies that have gotten too big to use as well as my tomato trash from juicing. Maybe I am giving them too much mash, you think?

 

[Annasg]

How much mash should I be giving my birds? They are getting about a cup or a little more for each bird, daily. I think I am going to get corn for them. They are laying good but their shells are terribly strong. I know fresh eggs taste a little different but nothing like wet-bird. Just dont know what is going on with them.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Mash is the basic form of prepared feeds. If the mill has a pelletizer, it can be made into pellets and then, those broken pellets can be crushed into crumbles. If the feed isn't tainted or gone bad, it shouldn't be the source of the off taste.

The form or texture of the feed, being unimportant and merely a preference of the flock keeper, shouldn't be a factor.

Prepared mash, pellets or crumbles should constitute the vast majority of their feed intake. Free ranging pasture birds can find a lot of their own feed, but still need some prepared feed. It is highly unlikely that feed will alter the flavor of your eggs. If your eggs are tasting off, suddenly, I'd suspect a large amount of "tossed" feed items such as an overdose of those tomatoes or some other strong flavor item.


Experiment. Feed from a different bag of feed for a week. Don't feed anything "tossed" that may be suspect. You'll have to narrow this down.

 

[Eggcessive]

Think of what you are cooking your eggs in also that might be affecting flavor. A big name restaurant chain fries eggs in some kind of terrible tasting cooking oil, and I can't stand eating their farm fresh eggs. My eggs from home taste much better. I use canola or butter to fry eggs.

 

[Annasg]

I was boiling the eggs. My hens just started laying and I have not cooked them in any other way. These were of the first batch of eggs that they laid.

 

[erinangele]

Do you also feed them layer pellets or crumbles? Is the mash pre-made? Chickens should have access to layer feed (and water) at all times so it would be impossible for them to eat too much chicken food. The amount of chicken feed would not alter the flavor of the eggs. It has to be one of the treats they are getting (unless their chicken food is spoiled, which i have not experienced). I would start by cutting back on the tomato's since it sounds like that is the treat they are get the most of. I agree with Fred's Hens, you have to experiment to see what it is that is making the eggs taste off.

 

[Annasg]

The laying mash that I am buying from our Farmers Co-Op is called crumbles but it is more like powder. I spoke with the folks at the Co-Op today and bought them some corn. They assured me that the hens were getting good nutrition and that I could NOT feed them too much as they will take what they want and leave the rest. I have noticed for a while that they do this and they did it with the starter food. I have noticed that they also do it with the treats that I give them. I have one hen that I have separated from the rest that has some injury under her wings. I have noticed that when the rooster mounts her, he is digging into her sides and maybe those injuries have a part to play in my smeller that may be staying with me and it is all a psychological thing. I just dont know anymore. She was NOT happy going into that pen away from the rest of them, but, Oh well, she will never heal up any other way. I will be free-ranging her tomorrow if it does not rain. I just want her to heal up and become my 'prize' hen. I know she has it in her. She got sick and I got some stuff from Co-Op and she is much better now. I just need her to heal all the way. She is my only Plymouth Rock that I have left and she is beautiful.