New Egg Layer - What to Feed??

[dfriloux]

One of my EEs just laid her first egg (which was small, but solid and a very pretty blue). She's the first out of the five to lay and I'm wondering what to feed them now. They've been eating starter feed and they get to roam around the yard a bit eating bugs and such. I rarely feed them "people" food (a cantaloupe or pumpkin seeds or suet on rare occasions, but that's pretty much it). What changes should I make now that they've laying?

 

[Fred's Hens]

You have a choice. You can continue with a raiser type feed and offer a calcium source on the side. Most folks use crushed oyster shells. Or, you can feed a layer feed which has a good supply of calcium carbonate mixed right into the feed. That is the only thing that makes layer feed "special", is the boosted calcium.

I feed layer only because the price is right and it contains 17% protein, including animal protein, which I find much better than merely feeding a vegetarian diet, which doesn't line up with what a chicken truly is.

Hope that helps.

 

[draye]

Some layer pellets will work. If free ranging they will usually copme back to the pen to lay if you give them some layyer pellets at the coop.

 

[SteveBaz]

Fred's Hens :

You have a choice. You can continue with a raiser type feed and offer a calcium source on the side. Most folks use crushed oyster shells. Or, you can feed a layer feed which has a good supply of calcium carbonate mixed right into the feed. That is the only thing that makes layer feed "special", is the boosted calcium.

I feed layer only because the price is right and it contains 17% protein, including animal protein, which I find much better than merely feeding a vegetarian diet, which doesn't line up with what a chicken truly is.

Hope that helps.

X2 Good luck. How exciting!!​

 

[jessicayarno]

I feed a 20% lay crumble and have supplemental lighting in the winter... I think they need extra protein in the winter, especially if it gets really cold where you live..