Should layers eat fruit?

[phowells]

Hello All,

I read somewhere that you shouldn't let your layers each fruit because it will slow down their egg production. Can anybody confirm or deny this? I have a plum tree overhanging my chicken run so I am wondering if this is a problem.

Thanks
Paul

 

[Camelot Farms]

Hi and Welcome!

My girls raid the pear tree every morning for whatever has fallen in the night. Their egg production has fallen off, but I think its the heat here.

I'm sure you will get some input from the rest of the BYC'ers too. Lots of experience here!

 

[Kiwi Chicky]

My chickies love fruit although we don't have any trees in the section.

I have read that it's citrus fruit that causes them to go off the lay.
Someone may be able to confirm this?

 

[luvchicks8]

I feed mine fruit daily and I still get eggs

 

[phalenbeck]

Mine eat cherry's in huge amounts, pears later, some apples, and currently Zukuni? (spelling), plum's and whatever they find in the yard. I just was looking at my very mixed flock and notice the shiney feathers, and that the 2 newer additions are looking better since arrival, where they already looked good. They also eat whatever I did not---table scraps including meat and fat scraps. They have layer pellets as a basic, and egg production ranges from 3-6 daily from 9 decorative, not production breeds. With the healthy looking feathers and hearty looking birds from 6 to 18 months I just cannot figure that letting them eat what is in the yard, and what I eat is not working well. If I have it in surplus, or leftovers they get it works for me/them. Just seems that something beyond layer pellets is right and here that is surplus and allot of that is fruit.