- Aug 31, 2009
- 14
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So, here is the situation. April 1st of this year, I bought some day old chicks, RIR, Orps, Australorps and Aracauna. I fed them the Starter food until they were 12 weeks old....which was what I was told to do at the feed store, then switched them over to layer pellets 16%, again which I was told to do. I have a 4 year old daughter and the babysitter has a 4 year old daughter, so all summer long, the kids would give them a lot of scratch during the day...guesstimating about 3-5 pounds per day for 10 chickens and 1 year old rooster. Needless to say, the amount of the pellets they ate was minimal. Then comes gardening time of year, and since we of course grow more than we eat and why waste it when the chickens want it...threw all the extras to them. They barely ate any pellets from July-September.....I bought 1 bag that entire time. I didn't think what it was doing for them developmentally, as they are in beautiful feather, great weight, full of energy, etc. So they are now roughly 34 weeks old...don't quote me on that, I am so bad with math...not a one of them have laid an egg..and they are under lights. I could care less if they lay eggs, as they are more my daughters pets, but she goes out there every morning and night, looking for an egg, and asks me why the chickens "are broke", lol. So what's my next step? How do I get them right nutritionally, with the bad upbringing I have provided them with? I do realize it isn't the best time of year for them to start, but I need to give my girls all the help I can give them for Springtime! I am prepared to just go buy a few dozen eggs, and trick my daughter if need be, until then
Any help will be so greatly appreciated! Wish I would have came across BYC Forum long ago.....think my hens would have appreciated that also
Any help will be so greatly appreciated! Wish I would have came across BYC Forum long ago.....think my hens would have appreciated that also