What is a good and low-cost diet for a hen that is going to be used for breeding?

[MrViskers]

I have some leghorn hens that are going to be used to pass on some chicks, my last hatches were not that good i suspect bad diets the previous diets they fed on were corn and lettuce along with whatever weeds and creatures they found in my garden, does anyone suggest something better?

 

[Fred's Hens]

I have some leghorn hens that are going to be used to pass on some chicks, my last hatches were not that good i suspect bad diets the previous diets they fed on were corn and lettuce along with whatever weeds and creatures they found in my garden, does anyone suggest something better?

The diet you describe very likely provided enough nutrition for your hens to survive, but not to thrive. A chicken can survive on a diet that is sorely lacking.

The modern hen, especially those from top laying strains, have been selectively bred for laying. This selection process has been going on for a century, and intensely, for the last 40-50 years in poultry genetics. The result, however, of producing these high laying, genetically high wire birds is that the nutrition required has also been studied intensely in the science of poultry nutrition and their dietary needs are also known.

Searching for bugs in the garden is a good thing, but the basis of the modern hen's diet needs to be nutritionally balanced. That is extremely difficult to achieve apart from providing 60-80% of the diet being a high quality, commercial layer feed. Are you feeding a quality Layer formulated feed?

 

[MrViskers]

No I do not buy actual chicken feed, I just buy the ingredients from local farmers and supermarkets than take it home than blend it creating a mix of vegetables and grains I change every 2 weeks as I only have a small flock, My chickens seem to thrive on whatever I give to them.

 

[devora]

If they are thriving, what, exactly, is the concern?

 

[MrViskers]

The egg shell is really fragile, I suspect something is not in the diet maybe calcium

 

[Vicky2479]

You have pretty much answered your own question there, if the eggs are really fragile then they are not getting anywhere near enough calcium,, you could feed the shells back to them as well as some oyster shell, plain yogurt, or cheese. But I agree with Fred's hens, you would be better off getting a feed for layers, you can supplement with kitchen scraps and free ranging which will bring the cost down but then need a certain amount of protein calcium vitamins and minerals to thrive and lay well

 

[Chris09]

The egg shell is really fragile, I suspect something is not in the diet maybe calcium

The thin shells are a sigh that they are lacking either Calcium, Vitamin D3, Phosphorus or all three. (I would bet your birds are lacking all three)


Chris

 

[MrViskers]

For some reason My leghorns lay more harder eggs and Easter egger hens lay eggs that crack easy, My old Ameraucana rooster is the father of the Easter egger hens and their mother are some of the leghorns. I think maybe the line of the Easter egger hens is lacking something.