no fruits for egg layers?

[Gonzo]

I was wondering if anyone has heard that you're not susposed to give egg laying hens fruit... it makes them stop laying eggs. Has anyone else heard that, and why does fruit do that to them?

 

[stormylady]

The only thing Ive heard is that no chicken should have citrus fruit, Its on the Chickens treats dos and don't list. Never heard it about all fruit though. Mine havent started laying yet and I have given them Melon hope I didn't screw things up for them.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

What??

I've never heard of such a thing. I'm subscribing to this so I'll know.
That can't be true. Mine ate apples off the ground all fall and didn't start laying. They love tomatoes (which are fruit). hhmmmmm

ETA I've heard the citrus part, but not fruit in general.

 

[codybird]

Most lists say "citrus" is a no no.

 

[Cetawin]

Wow someone better tell my wenches that...they had half a watermelon yesterday and get fruit about 5 days per week...I pulled 29 eggs from the coop yesterday. I have 29 hens...so it is not harming them.


Avoid citrus stuff though...

 

[Dar]

i keep all my citrus away BUT it is in the composter which has an open side and top so they can get to it if they want.

I throw tomato, strawberry, apple, pear, and another produce alone with plate scrapings and what ever else in the chicken bowl with NO ill effects.

I have 10 hens and I collect eggs every day at 2pm and again at 9 when i shut the coop for the night.

Yesterday I for 14 eggs out od 10 chickens i know that means some must have laid between 9pm and when i checked again at 2pm the following day BUT my girls are not slowin down


this is just my experience


edited cause i cant spell and i cant type as fast as i think

 

[stormylady]

I think Melon should be fine, I think what they mean by citrus is like lemon limes, oranges that type of thing.

 

[Gonzo]

If you have a meyer hatchery catalog, it's on page 5. I don't know if they'll have it online. Its under Care of Poultry, Paragraph~ HOUSING: Laying Hens..... I wonder if I call them on monday, if they might be able to shed some light on this.

 

[okiron]

This reminds me..I have a watermelon in the fridge from over a month ago that I forgot about. Darnit, does watermelon go bad?

 

[Dar]

Quote:
yeah it will go moldy but here again i will put that in the composter and not to the chickens and i know i am gonna get yelled at but the chickens dive right in the composter