minimal feeding requirements

[lazy gardener]

Quote: It would make sense to me that chicks brooded with heat lamp might grow larger, faster b/c they are eating all hours of day and night.

 

[casportpony]

It would make sense to me that chicks brooded with heat lamp might grow larger, faster b/c they are eating all hours of day and night.

It does make sense, but my one experiment showed no weight gain difference between the two. I kept track of the weights of at least 70 peachicks, and there was no real difference in the *percentage* of gain per day.

Same thing with ducklings, they seem to grow at the same rate with or without a light. Might be a fun experiment to do again this year.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'll add my personal observations with broody raised vs. heat lamp raised....

My broody raised chicks always grow faster, get larger, feather in better than my heat lamp raised...but I have nothing scientific to prove it.

I have surmised that when I hatch eggs under broodies in January or February, my chicks are growing during lengthening daylight hours and they develop faster and lay earlier than the average for their breed. If I set in the fall, I do not see that. I think it has to do with the longer spring daylight hours triggering the pituitary gland. Commercial houses set the pullets on timers to slow down the growth in the spring/summer to prevent early maturity.

I've never had a problem with egg binding or prolapse with those winter chicks as hens, so I haven't worried about the early maturity. If I've got a hen willing to brood in January or February, I use her and take advantage of nature's growth boost.

LofMc

 

[lazy gardener]

I'll add my personal observations with broody raised vs. heat lamp raised....

My broody raised chicks always grow faster, get larger, feather in better than my heat lamp raised...but I have nothing scientific to prove it.

I have surmised that when I hatch eggs under broodies in January or February, my chicks are growing during lengthening daylight hours and they develop faster and lay earlier than the average for their breed. If I set in the fall, I do not see that. I think it has to do with the longer spring daylight hours triggering the pituitary gland. Commercial houses set the pullets on timers to slow down the growth in the spring/summer to prevent early maturity.

I've never had a problem with egg binding or prolapse with those winter chicks as hens, so I haven't worried about the early maturity. If I've got a hen willing to brood in January or February, I use her and take advantage of nature's growth boost.

LofMc

That is one often overlooked factor in all things poultry. Day length plays an incredible role in growth, onset of sexual maturity, and production.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

my first year of having layers, RSL, BR, BSL, i fed them cracked corn and layer feed. the corn was about $9.00 and the layer feed $15.00. this year i stopped buying corn and layer feed and instead for just $11.00 twice a month (i have 17 layers 6 roosters and 2 chicks currently) i buy scratch grains and i get anywhere from 4 to 8 eggs a day. which isn't good for selling, but we get more than what we can eat. they also get table scraps when we have them. egg production increased when i extended my pen as well.

Wow... I have to presume you are free ranging? Though it doesn't sound like it when you talk about extending your pen increasing production. Do you provide oyster shell?

And I would be curious about the life span of your birds. What's the point of raising your own if you're gonna feed them even worse than the industry? That isn't humane.

Why keep that many and skimp on nutrition just to get a few eggs. Give some away increase nutrition, get the same amount of eggs with less cleaning and work on your part. And have healthier birds.

Yep, I think your birds health is not as good as it could be if you were feeding appropriately.

Just because you can't see what's going on inside doesn't mean their isn't anything wrong. And chickens are prey animals who will hide any illness as long as they possibly can in order to not be shunned by the group, pecked down or fall victim to a predator.

Please understand that I do not mean these thing in judgement but out of concern for your birds as well as being a responsible member of BYC and trying to help my fellow community members have the best possible experience with their animals.

Not feeding corn as mentioned by 3riverschick doesn't mean what's in the feed... it means don't feed EXTRA corn. Corn is high in calories but very low in nutrients and chickens eat to meet their energy needs (meaning calorie), not their nutrient needs. Heck, mine love styrofoam.

Everybody has to do what they think is right for them, and this is no different. But you aren't doing those chickens any favors with your feeding.

Hope you consider my input very seriously. Best wishes!

 

[casportpony]

I'll add my personal observations with broody raised vs. heat lamp raised....

My broody raised chicks always grow faster, get larger, feather in better than my heat lamp raised...but I have nothing scientific to prove it.

I have surmised that when I hatch eggs under broodies in January or February, my chicks are growing during lengthening daylight hours and they develop faster and lay earlier than the average for their breed. If I set in the fall, I do not see that. I think it has to do with the longer spring daylight hours triggering the pituitary gland. Commercial houses set the pullets on timers to slow down the growth in the spring/summer to prevent early maturity.

I've never had a problem with egg binding or prolapse with those winter chicks as hens, so I haven't worried about the early maturity. If I've got a hen willing to brood in January or February, I use her and take advantage of nature's growth boost.

LofMc

When you say "broody" do you mean MHP or plate, or hen?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

When you say "broody" do you mean MHP or plate, or hen?

Hen raised. I do all my chick hatching with hens now.

 

[newbie20]

Ok, so my question isn't about feeding but about eggs. It seems that out of 21 chickens, we have one that broods all day and have one that will lay an egg that has no shell! We have found an egg with what looks like just the membrane sac and no hard shell. My husband found another one today (which makes the fourth one we've found) and he said it looked like it had an umbilical cord attached to it, and sometimes when we gather the eggs, we notice that they are sticky like maybe an egg broke and they ate it....not sure what's going on, as we get appx 13-17 eggs a day out of 21 chickens. the most we've ever gotten is 20 and that's only been once. I have no idea what hens are laying eggs and every now and then we get an egg that's about as small as a pigeon egg. My main concern is the egg being laid with no shell.

Does anyone have any idea why we have a hen who lays an egg with no shell and why she would lay one like that. Is she sick?

 

[lazy gardener]

How old are these birds? Sometimes when a pullet is just getting started, or when a bird is starting to lay again, or when a bird is at the end of her laying cycle, she will have a few abnormal eggs. IMO, simply adding oyster shell is not a "fix" for this problem, though in some cases it does help. What I have found is that adding extra calcium in addition to giving a good vitamin supplement will often fix this problem. If not, then you simply have a hen who has a glitch in her system, and she may be internally laying as well, and the kindest thing to do may be to cull her before she gets very ill.

 

[casportpony]

Ok, so my question isn't about feeding but about eggs. It seems that out of 21 chickens, we have one that broods all day and have one that will lay an egg that has no shell! We have found an egg with what looks like just the membrane sac and no hard shell. My husband found another one today (which makes the fourth one we've found) and he said it looked like it had an umbilical cord attached to it, and sometimes when we gather the eggs, we notice that they are sticky like maybe an egg broke and they ate it....not sure what's going on, as we get appx 13-17 eggs a day out of 21 chickens. the most we've ever gotten is 20 and that's only been once. I have no idea what hens are laying eggs and every now and then we get an egg that's about as small as a pigeon egg. My main concern is the egg being laid with no shell.

Does anyone have any idea why we have a hen who lays an egg with no shell and why she would lay one like that. Is she sick?

Welcome to BYC! Is taking her to a vet an option? @newbie20