My chicken flue disaster

[CCUK]

Mine are hybrids. They have been bred for maximum egg production so I get about 260-280 eggs per year! They are about 2 years old now and still going strong. I'm expecting them to decrease this year. They do tend to burn out more quickly than a purebred hen but I keep them with plenty of grit and oyster shell and extra minerals in their water. I also have Warren hens that are also a hybrid from the Rhodes island red chicken and they lay about the same but I have found they seem to decrease laying after about 18 months.

 

[Akrnaf2]

A salam u Aleicum cousin.
Every time that you bring a new animal to a healthy flock or herd you HAVE to quarantine! No outer options! It is not important that it looks healthy ! It should stay like that for all the quarantine period! At least 30 days but 40 is better (quaranta =40 in Italian ) and then and only then you can add it to the flock or herd.

 

[bobbi-j]

Here is a good link on quarantine in case you decide to buy more chickens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...nderestimated-part-of-raising-chickens.67097/

 

[Abdelaziz]

I'm not sure whether my white leghorns are purebred. How can you tell? But 260-280 eggs per year is very good. What season do they rest? Fall or winter? I think I can keep my hens for the first 3 years before replacing them. I am also trying to make farm-made feed to give to my hens as commercial feed is very costly. I have a good number of moringa trees in my farm and am thinking of using moringa leaves & potato skin as two important ingredients in the new feed in addition to sweet corns and wheat and some grit as you mentioned. Any more suggestion on chicken feed, please?

 

[Abdelaziz]

Thanks bobbi-j for the link on quarantine. I wish I had read this before I got the new guys in.

 

[CCUK]

My hens did slow down a bit over winter but still layed throughout. The only time they stopped was to moult. I'm not sure how you could tell the difference between a hybrid leghorn and a purebred leghorn. Hybrids are very popular in UK. As for feed if your wanting egg production I think you will be best feeding a proper layers pellet. It is a complete feed designed to give the hens all the nutrition, minerals and vitamins that they need. I know that some feeds can be expensive but can that be offset by the price you charge for the eggs? Can you bulk buy for a better price? I'm not sure how or what would be the best way to make your own feed. You would need a lot of different ingredients to make a full and balanced feed. I think it could be more costly than buying a commercial layers pellet.

 

[Akrnaf2]

I'm not sure whether my white leghorns are purebred. How can you tell? But 260-280 eggs per year is very good. What season do they rest? Fall or winter? I think I can keep my hens for the first 3 years before replacing them. I am also trying to make farm-made feed to give to my hens as commercial feed is very costly. I have a good number of moringa trees in my farm and am thinking of using moringa leaves & potato skin as two important ingredients in the new feed in addition to sweet corns and wheat and some grit as you mentioned. Any more suggestion on chicken feed, please?

Your feed need to have 18% protein and 4% Calcium.
Your proposal is not sufficient .