Should I feed my hens scratch or layer feed?

[animalluv0512]

In the winter time,and the girls are not laying much this time of year. So I was just curious as to if scratch would be better to feed in the winter time than the layer feed?? Hope you guys could give me a few suggestions? thanks

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

You shouldn't randomly feed oyster shell.
It should be mixed in with their feed.1full hand scoop.

I dont suggest on putting containers with oyster shells out,just because it says on the packet do not feed them plainly.

Will have to respectfully agree to disagree on that assertion as free choice offering of calcium is commonly suggested by many suppliers, producers and poultry based companies (not to mention numerous poultry men/women). It is often recommended to be fed separately OR mixed with feed, but I have not once seen instruction that feeding separately is recommended against.

As an example:
(from Nutrena)
Quote: or
Quote:

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You shouldn't randomly feed oyster shell.
It should be mixed in with their feed.1full hand scoop.

I dont suggest on putting containers with oyster shells out,just because it says on the packet do not feed them plainly.

Not true. If there are no layers in the flock, don't provide oyster shell. If some are building egg shells and some aren't, provide oyster shell.

Mixing oyster shell with feed gives way too much calcium - recipe for kidney damage and gout.

If it were appropriate to mix oyster shell with feed - for whatever reason - feed companies would have already made the feed with the appropriate percentage of calcium. Oh yeah, that's right, they already did. It's called layer feed.

Keeping it in a separate container is the only way to give the hen the choice whether to consume the extra calcium or not.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You won't know if your hens have kidney damage. A hen can be productive with only 2 functioning partitions of the 6 they're born with. When they have renal failure, they show no symptoms, they just die suddenly. When this happens, most people don't get a necropsy. They just say, my hen (or rooster) died and I don't know why.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

It helps egg production,and stronger shells.

The point is that it is used for shell production and expelling of the egg - but the presence or absence of calcium in and of itself does not induce or cause the production of eggs - the production of the egg is entirely separate from the production of the shell.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

X2 @CrazyTalk

For whatever unexplained reason, people think their birds need treats and supplements.

bread, low in protein and high in salt, is a popular treat but not a good idea.

Read the label of virtually any chicken feed and it says something to the effect:

This is a complete feed
Feed as the sole ration
No other supplements needed

In the old days, your great grandparents' chickens probably only got scratch grains to supplement what they'd find around the barnyard. But aside from true heritage breeds, these aren't your great grandparents' chickens, They're more productive and/or grow faster. Additionally, over the last 100+ years there has been exhaustive research into the nutritional needs of chickens considering everything from optimal fats, energy, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and needed trace elements. Chicken feed is formulated to meet each of those requirements based on the age and productive condition of the animal for which it's intended.
Mixing anything with the feed, like oyster shell/eggshells or grain, is a problem. Providing large particle crushed oyster shell in a separate container is a good idea so the chickens can pick it up when they feel the need which is usually when the egg enters the shell gland.
Scratch is an important component because chickens love to "scratch" for their foodstuffs but as CT said, it will alter the nutrition and should be limited to 5-10% of total intake.

Offering kitchen scraps is a good use of an otherwise wasted product but still shouldn't make up much of the diet.

 

[CrazyTalk]

Dont believe all you are hearing on scratch. Generally it has the best farm seed snd feed grains available. My suggestion for the winter months is to mix scratch with a good layer feed at a 50/50 mix ratio Yes, less protein, but chickens are less active and can manage with a bit less. Offset with some grocery chain greens and you will be fine.

There's no benefit to this other than saving a dollar or two - and adding the greens are just going to make things worse. Chickens need more energy and protein in the winter, not less - they're not getting as much food on range, and they're expending a ton of energy keeping warm.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I tried containing.It gives a choice,so then,my hens may not lay,be cause they didn't eat it.So mixing it in,they just eat it without providing choice.We also stopped from hearing,too much can cause disease ir sickness,so it depends on how mucch you give them.

Calcium and layer feed doesn't induce laying. Increasing day length, adequate protein/nutrition and lack of stress, induce ovulation.
Calcium in feed merely replaces that used from the medullary bone to build an egg shell. The shell will be built if ovulation happens whether there's a sufficient, insufficient or overabundance of calcium.
If they don't feel the need for the calcium, they won't eat it.

 

[CrazyTalk]

@ChickenRisa,

Conventional feeds are 70% or so corn. There's no reason to add more to their diet - there are very few things you can feed a chicken on conventional feed that actually improves their diet - most of the treats people feed them just lead to nutrient deficiencies, or protein deficiencies.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I agree with others regarding Layer Feed as it has components necessary for the good health of the Girls. I use that staple year around and in the winter a light from dusk to dawn to simulate daylight. In ADDIOTION when I close the coop in the evening I spread a handful of SCRATCH as a treat.

Experts say; when the hens eat scratch grains in the evening it is beneficial in many ways. Since I have made this change, all of the hens are laying daily as they did in the summer and the eggs are solid with hard shells and deep orange yokes. In addition, I save all shells from eggs we consume and when I have a sufficient amount stored in my plastic bag hung in my exit door; I stand on the bag, crushing them in fine particles. I add the crushed shells to the laying feed as added calcium.

Works for me.

Whatever works. I agree with most of what you say except for a few points.

Dusk to dawn light? As in, no dark period? All animals need a dark period. Most add light to make total day length 12-14 hours.

No problem saving the egg shells and a good source of calcium but like oyster shell, shouldn't be mixed with feed. The smaller particle size makes it even more sure they're getting excess Ca and unable to choose.

The deep orange yolks comes from carotenoids in their foodstuffs. Chickens are unable to synthesize it so it ends up coloring the yolk.
That would be greens and orange or yellow vegetable products, not calcium.