want a tip that will make your hens lay like its spring in the winter

[incubatingisfun]

if you want your hens to lay like it spring in winter add a rounded tablespoon of grounded red cayen pepper to enough feed to feed 5 chickens. i went from one egg from 4 chikens in the winter to 4 eggs from 4 chickens

 

[smarsh2]

if it does change the taste of the eggs, i am going to try mine on some chives and asiago cheese.

 

[92caddy]

I have been putting pepper in my girls feed for about 2 years now and it does work. I have no set amount, I just add what I think is enough to the feed. I just sprikle it on top of the feed. I put vinager and a glove garlic in their water about once a week. Do NOT put this in a metal waterer, it will poison your birds, use plastic or rubber bowls, ONLY. It helps to keep their sinus' clear and also helps to keep lice and mites off of them. I do not have heat or have lights in my coop, nor is their water heated.

I have fed my birds cabbage and onions and never tasted anything different in their eggs. They wont eat the onions. I have been told that cabbage will make the girls infertile, I dont know if that is true or not. Never did a test to see. I have fed all of my birds stuff we have gotten out of dumpsters from the grocery store, meats, cheese, milk, cakes, pies, fruits, veggies, breads, you name it. I have never noticed any different taste in the eggs. Some of the meats I cook and some I give to them raw, like hamburg. I havent had any birds get sick or kill over from being fed any of this stuff. It helps on the feed bill, we go thru 1300 lbs in a month, plus they get lots of vitamins and minerals from this stuff and they LOVE it, when they see me coming with a box of this stuff, they are knocking eachother over to get to me frist, flying up on me, they go nuts over it all.

I hope that all was of some help to you all.................

 

[AnimalQuackers]

not to stir the pot.... but isn't that part of why we want our own eggs? because we know the chickens were just allowed to be chickens? If they were meant to lay year round their environment wouldn't have to be manipulated. Honest question.....

I read this entire thread....hoping someone would answer the same question posed above by Lorije1.

I'm new to keeping chickens, so still have a LOT to learn. That said, I have read on this site more than once that a hen is born with all the eggs she will ever produce (like a human female), so if we feed them cayenne pepper to "increase" egg production, aren't we really just shortening the number of years they will lay? In other words, 300 eggs a year x 7 years vs. 360 eggs a year x 5 years - or something like that?

We bought these girls with the intention of keeping them for egg production. That said, once they stop producing eggs for us, we will continue to love and care for them as we do the rest of our pets. So unless you plan to eat your hens once they stop laying for you, I don't see how this is useful, as you are not going to get MORE eggs, you are just going to get them SOONER.

Correct me if I am wrong, please, but that's my understanding...

Michelle in Massachusetts

 

[pfmoore17]

In this cold weather, I give my chickens hot water to drink everyday. They are laying like spring. 6 eggs yesterday after 3 days of 5 eggs. I have Marans that ares suppose to lay once every 2.4 days.

 

[azygous]

Quote:
It probably won't change the taste of the eggs. But wow! what it does do to the odor of their poop!! Positively fierce!

My girls managed to dig up some overlooked garlic bulbs in my garden, and it was, let us just say, memorable!

 

[paddock36]

I

read this and just had to go try it. Can chickens taste

the cayenne pepper? It sure looked like they were drinking more water that they usually do.

 

[SallyF]

I was at a Sam's Club today and they had cayenne pepper in those BIG containers for just over $4.00, if anyone has a Sam's around. I have also had good luck buying spices at reasonable prices at Big Lot's.

 

[lceh]

We've done this for 4 days. We've been getting 0-3 eggs each day this winter, but today we got 5!! A winter record for sure. Thanks for the great tip! Plus I'm hoping it's helping the girls feel warmer during our ridiculously snowy winter.....

Just a tip -- if you want to find the cheapest source for cayenne (or any other spice), buy it in the bulk spice section of your local health food store. You will be astounded at how much cheaper it is, even if it's organic. You'll never go back to those overpriced bottles of McCormick's again!

 

[texas_is_home]

I've never had a egg from any of my hens. I added cayenne pepper to their feed last week and LOOK!