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

[PacsMan]

Now I have a question.
They say that if your chicken is a egg eater, and you want to break her of it, you're supposed to take an egg shell, and fill it with hot mustard or cayenne pepper. They say that this will dissuade a chicken from eating eggs.

So, does this work in small amounts?

What about those that feed cayenne pepper straight? Thought Chickens wouldn't like that...

Hmm...

Marty

 

[Kim_NC]

Quote:
Try my post a couple pages back : https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3597901#p3597901

 

[ivan3]

zoomia wrote: Actually, one can't actually say that the study debunked it. They were testing for something else entirely and all their hens started out laying. Our working hypothesis has never been that it makes hens produce MORE, just that it jump starts them into laying AGAIN.

I apologize if I missed that in the OP's post.
How old are the chickens, what latitude are they on (amount of sunlight), are they provided with extra light, any other additional additives or treats, etc.? I have no problem with any working hypothesis, it's just interesting, to me, to understand how the variable to be examined is isolated.

The point of the research, I linked to, was to determine if the `metabolism' of laying hens could be altered sufficiently, by the addition of Capsaicin, so more energy would be devoted to the business end of it (less fat=more eggs). The most interesting finding was that the utilization of Capsaicin differs significantly (particularly `effects' on `fat') between avians and mammals. To quote from the paper:

Excess adipose tissue represents a useless energy deposit in the body, and the control of fat deposition is a big concern in modern strains of meat- and laying-type chickens. Higher dietary energy concentration tends to result in an increased energy intake and greater abdominal fat deposition. The liver of laying hens exhibits greater lipid synthesis compared with that of broilers, because it synthesizes triglyceride and secretes very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) in amounts sufficient to meet a high egg production rate. However, the control of the synthesis and secretion of triglyceride and VLDL in the liver could be disturbed by the incidence of fatty liver…

Force molting is successfully used to induce a pause in the laying cycle, which results in higher egg production including improved shell strength and interior egg quality in the later stage. These improvements in laying performance could be explained by the reduction of fat in the liver and uterus, because most molting regimens are initiated by fasting.

…CAP enhanced the energy metabolism of rats through the beta-adrenergic action of CAP itself… and decreased perirenal adipose tissue weight…

The work continues on mammals at present: http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/oby2009301a.html

If laying hens could be fed a substance that created a mimicking of a very low grade forced molt 24/7, it might result in a slightly higher output, of higher quality eggs, over a longer period of time. For those not familiar with forced molts:

How is forced-molting done? Darrell Coloscos, general supervisor of Davao Farm, says that it is very simple to do. Layers that have to undergo forced molting should be 9 to 11 months old. If they are older, they might not be able to endure the torture they have to undergo. Darrell said that for 12 days the birds are not given any commercial feed. They are only given water to drink.

On the 13th day, the birds are each given 10 grams of feed. This is very small since the normal diet of a layer is 110 grams per day. On Day 14, the birds are given 20 grams of feed, increased to 40 grams the next day. On the 16th day from the start of forced molting, the birds are given 80 grams and on the 17th day, full feed-of 110 grams is given.

After molting, the feathers become shiny. The eggs also have thicker shells.

From: http://www.agribusinessweek.com/forced-molting-as-egg-production-strategy/

Forced molts obviously stress the hens, and any additional stress can be disastrous:

Mondini S (1980). Cannibalism due to earthquake in laying hens after forced moult. [Cannibalismo (da terremoto?) in ovaiole da consumo in muta forzata]. Clinica Veterinaria 103(7): 456-458.
Ist. Allevamenti Zootecnici, Universita, Bologna, Italy NAL Call Number: 41.8 C61

When a previously successful method was used to induce moult in 7107 hens, 224 (3%) died in the following 10 days as a result of cannibalism. This had not occurred in the 400,000 already treated, the only difference this time being an earth tremor of intensity IV on the Mercalli scale on the day after moult induction.

Descriptors: etiology, disasters, moulting, cannibalism
Copyright

2002, CAB International

So, feed formulations by the commercial contigent of chickeneers is constantly being examined for just about anything that will decrease risk and increase production.

Though not egg related, Capsaicin was one addititive tried in conjunction with others in a bit of research of overall `performance':

We conclude that the LE and the blend of carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, and capsaicin improved the digestibility of the feeds for broilers. The effect of different additives on digestibility improved the performance slightly, but this
effect was statistically nonsignificant. No effects were noted on organ weights. Our results justify further research in this area to determine the optimal dietary inclusion level and the mode of action of these and other plant products
to achieve optimal growth performance and digestion.

From: http://ps.fass.org/cgi/content/abstract/83/2/169?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=capsaicin&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

SallyF wrote: take it as a great mystery of life and if it doesn't, we've only lost a small jar of cayenne pepper!
Now if we could just find a good research study on the great ACV theory......

No comment on the ACV. However, Acetic Acid does have its uses and effects : (from a commercial poultry water systems supplier):

http://www.ziggity.com/pdf/cont/con..._acids_in_poultry_production_with_caution.pdf

What do I know; still finding beetles `liberated' from the meal worm `farm' by the cats...​

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I tried the pepper thing. I didn't notice anything.
The only way I can say to have your chickens lay like its spring in the winter: move to south Louisiana.

 

[zoomia]

Quote:
I apologize if I missed that in the OP's post.
How old are the chickens, what latitude are they on (amount of sunlight), are they provided with extra light, any other additional additives or treats, etc.? I have no problem with any working hypothesis, it's just interesting, to me, to understand how the variable to be examined is isolated.

The point of the research, I linked to, was to determine if the `metabolism' of laying hens could be altered sufficiently, by the addition of Capsaicin, so more energy would be devoted to the business end of it (less fat=more eggs). The most interesting finding was that the utilization of Capsaicin differs significantly (particularly `effects' on `fat') between avians and mammals.

No, that hypothesis wasn't in the OP's post.

That was just me putting it into words. And don't get me wrong--I think this was a very interesting link. My point was merely that this study does nothing to disprove whether red pepper makes a non-laying hen start laying again. What they disproved was their theory that red pepper in the diet would decrease abdominal and liver fat and therefore increase egg production, egg size, and egg quality in a hen that is laying. Really, this was a two-tier test, if you will because they were first positing that less abdominal and liver fat is why force molted hens start laying "better" eggs, and then positing that they could replicate the physical effects of a forced molt using cayenne.

It was interesting to me that the group fed the highest amount of red pepper did actually eat less and produce more--just not enough less and more to be statistically significant.

 

[ivan3]

zoomia wrote: It was interesting to me that the group fed the highest amount of red pepper did actually eat less and produce more--just not enough less and more to be statistically significant

Yes, and most of us are always on the hunt for that which can't be accounted for by chance alone.

It would be interesting to see if a very large dietary dosage would induce laying.

Another item on the backyard `menu' is the use of Methyl Anthranilate as a no-pick (grape flavoring in artificial soda/grape kool aid). Problem is that it is photosensitive and quickly loses its effectiveness in sunlight. So, it was back to the tried and true pine tar

I'll try anything that might be `effective' (keeping our dowagers and long-in-the-beak roo alive and well), just like checking the sign posts when moving down the road, main reason I come here.

Have a great day!​

 

[write2caroline]

I am not sure what will happen but my Rooster made the happy churrup churrrup sound so obviously he likes the cayene and the red pepper flakes. Will the eggs be spicier?

Caroline

 

[newnanchic]

The eggs will not be affected by the pepper the pepper heats up their metabolismin the winter since chickens have no taste buds they do not taste the heat as we would it does work !!! Try it the pepper is only 50 cents a bottle at wal-mart you can't go wrong !!

 

[MareeZoCool]

But I thought cayenne pepper was a cure for pecking? How will the chickens eat the food mixed with cayenne, but STOP pecking because of the cayenne?

 

[newnanchic]

ever heard of it being a cure for pecking ! Sorry