What to feed chickens to lay more eggs.

[NestingHillsSC]

I have no lights and my hens lay I swear all year. They seem to lay better when it is crappy outside. HAHAHAHA. I have production reds. Just for laying.

I use to feed them 16% laying pellets. Switched at the beginning of winter to 20% Purina Flock Raiser and oyster shells on the side. Plus I give mine scratch feed about every other day during the winter.

Like I said, mine don't lay any different depending on the season. You do have to take into consideration I do live in SC. Cold this morning for here. 29. But will be 57 by the end of the day. There is a hen in the box at the crack of dawn already.

They never stop.

 

[obsessedwchicks]

Maybe it's just wherein at

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Hey newbie here. Just wondering what little things I could do throughout the day to help my chickens lay some more eggs, and thats' reasonable. Thanks for any responses! Any help is better than what I'm doing now!

What kind of problems are you having? If you are looking for high production you need to feed them a balanced layer ration and not so much on the side as scratch and other treats just upset that balance. 16% layer feed is sufficient for adult hens during the winter. During the heat of the summer when consumption is down 17 or 18 % would be more appropriate.

Lighting needs to be consistent. If they are naturally lit then you can expect production to drop coming into the fall and winter and increase in the late winter and spring. If you want max production then the lighting needs to be extended out to the length of the longest day of the year in your area and kept there, if they see a reduction in day length then they will fall in production.

 

[mrwoodboat]

I second that there are so many variables- we are in SC as well and out of my 11 hens that are old enough to be laying, we average about 7 eggs a day right now- our highest count this yrso far was 8 on the wettest, cloudiest day so far...we started them back on layer pellets once the days started getting longer and it has taken a couple three weeks for everyone to respond. Of course, if we skip a day with the grains/scratch, the girls silently protest by witholding a couple of eggs....All our tablescraps go to the birds each evening also.

 

[mrwoodboat]

Hi Tony- are you up in Lancaster by chance?

 

[obsessedwchicks]

We feed a layer a scratch and then what's called cutting edge but I also pull a couple buckets of grass each day. I think our problem is the weather. Our weather is so bipolar. I went to check on them about 20 minutes ago and I already have 15 eggs. So I'm thinking the weather is our problem.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Anderson.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

We feed a layer a scratch and then what's called cutting edge but I also pull a couple buckets of grass each day. I think our problem is the weather.

What are you feeding them?

 

[kuntrygirl]

I found that lay pellets decreased their egg laying. When I switched to a game bird feed at a higher protein (made at a local feed mill), is when the egg production almost doubled and the eggs were huge. No more lay pellets for my birds every again.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I found that lay pellets decreased their egg laying. When I switched to a game bird feed at a higher protein (made at a local feed mill), is when the egg production almost doubled and the eggs were huge. No more lay pellets for my birds every again.

Amen. People think feeding laying pellets make hens they. It does not. Just the extra 5% protein from 16%-20% has made the world of difference.