What to feed chickens to lay more eggs.

[nettajean]

I have heard cat food will help your hens start lying because it is a good source of protein. You can add a feww handfuls to their regular feed. I tried this and it ded make a difference. Also left over table scraps seemed to help.

 

[rocky rooster]

Another way to help your hens lay on a rainy, wet, and cloudy day is to set them free from the coop or cage and let them search for bugs. the bugs they find will give them lots of protein and minerals. Watch out for hawks, buzzards, and other pesky chicken eaters. If its to rainy the chickens are sure to get under a car or something. Sometimes they will not mind the rain, but that wont make them sick.The chickens will know if a bog is poisonous.

 

[ellie32526]

Thanks, how can I tell if my chickens get too fat? They are just 1 month old now so no worries yet, and I only feed them commercial feed and vegetable peels, plus an occasional cornbread muffin. I can't wait to let them outside so they can forage. I have to finish the chicken yard so they will have a safe place to forage.

 

[missnu01]

Thanks, how can I tell if my chickens get too fat? They are just 1 month old now so no worries yet, and I only feed them commercial feed and vegetable peels, plus an occasional cornbread muffin. I can't wait to let them outside so they can forage. I have to finish the chicken yard so they will have a safe place to forage.

I think that chickens become overweight from people feeding them corn as a main staple, and too much bread. A little of both here an there is no big deal, but all the time and too much at a time is no good. The hen we got was also older, and weight tends to creep up with age as well. She was mostly fat though. Very little discernible meat, just gross fatty pockets under her skin

 

[ellie32526]

Thank you missnu01 I appreciate your comments. I'll be careful not to give in and feed too many corn muffins. LOL

 

[Caroline85]

I tend to find giving mine fresh foods in the day, not every day but at least once a week helps the quality and taste of their eggs and I tend to get 1 egg from each of them a day. I will throw a handful of cornflakes, fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, apples cut in half, grapes and mine absolutely love raisins!! They don't get all of these every week but I try to alternate what I give as treats. As chickens are naturally curious and love to explore more than just pellets and seeds. Hope this helps, hens deserve a bit of spoiling!!

 

[Ruarc]

I choose to dismiss all commercial feeds.
I create my own. The resultant feed is better quality, fresher, and, excepting one element (organic corn), not more expensive, or not much more so.
I buy human grade whole grains separately, Rice, organic Wheats, Barley and Corn - Organic Corn only to avoid GMO - and Rolled Oats all in 25# bags. I then offer these both separately (with supplements) and mixed. I spend less or equal on many grains per pound than I had on prepared feed from farmstore, (which in our area is pricey). And it is not stale (whole grains keep far better than when ground or broken). Examples: c$12 for 25 # whole brown rice...c$18 for 25# most ORGANIC wheats. $15/25# bob red mill oats. ($22 when we choose organic) ... it's the organic corn which is expensive. ...but I adamantly refuse conventional corn! I suggest others consider this idea...higher quality for equal cost or tad more and avoid the GMOs. We provide additional elements to diet of course. Especially fresh greens.
I coarsely grind in small batches Wheats (mostly hard white and some soft white -less gluten- and hard red winter), Barley, and Organic corn; mix these with a few sunflower seeds, a few flax seeds, and sometimes a dash of sesame; (sometimes some Millet), add powdered oyster and granular kelp and true salt (type rich in minerals). Also I serve raw brown rice whole (unground) separately(in a separate feeder, and amended with oyster kelp and salt & maybe flax). Also I cook white rice (occasionally barley) with oyster and salt and serve this once or twice a week - Why? because the powdered oystershell is fully absorbed when cooked in, ensuring they get much calcium (whereas in dry mix much oysterpowder sifts to bottom becomes wasted) (I also offer stand alone crushed oyster shell bits-we live on a bay which is full of commercial oyster beds). Coarse rolled oats (with salt and oyster and kelp) are offered in a third feeder (where the ducks share with chickens).
Additionally, we scavenge greens - culls from local co-op produce dept. and such - mostly organic. (We are blessed to have much organic produce in our progressive community) and we cut/mow a wide variety of wild greens from our creek side and field (and allow access to lawns, creekside and such as well as let them run the veggie garden patches after our harvest for turnip tops etc etc. LOTS of fresh greens. and a wide variety. I watch for what they select and what ignore and adjust accordingly. It surprises me how few greens so many folks feed their fowl. They all gooble them up greedily...(especially important for ducks am told). Fresh berries too in season from our huckleberry and blueberry bushes and including FUSCHIA berries!. ...and when I have no other source rich in antioxidants I offer them a small bowl of tomato paste. They get small amounts of fresh fruit and or rinds from our table. They get a scant few scraps from table and treats of suet, meat tidbits, and milk products, even egg occasionally, in small deliberate measure. They have access to free range so bugs, slugs, snails comprise an important protein element of diet. They obtain plenty protein this way.
They prefer the rice ultimately so they choose to eat less corn. I offered Corn, Rice, and Wheats, (and barley) after reading that generally speaking Brits feed Wheat, USA feed corn and Asians feed rice to their chickens. Many recommend Oats in diet of ducks, so since I have ducks there are oats and the chickens choose to eat those too. (And so do I BTW. ... reputedly Bobs Redmill embarrassed the Scottish in their oats tasting competition by winning first place, heh heh.) I'll mention this, only since one chicken owner I know just did not understand even this: grits (coarse sand small gravels) are /(must be) always available.
A note on the ducks vs chickens: Ducks get far more snails and slugs and worms than do chickens, and chickens get the dairy products (cheese yoghurt, milks of cow/goat), and meat/suet bits but not the ducks. Also my ducks care little for berries and fickle with fruits.
I also switched from conventional feeders to candy/apothecary jars (the type which ope to the side at angle) to feed my fowl: Why? virtually no spillage with chickens. They stick their heads in and might dash grains about but no wasteful spills result (other than some from ducks as spilled from their bills after they withdraw). I set them higher than rats can reach and in front of perches (for chickens), under rain roof.
There be not one perfect recipe, say I, and what is in your area available should influence your choices and ratios. From what I've read my girls high protein diet might be a contributing factor to their phenomenal egg production ...and superb taste. (BTW duck eggs are rich, no off flavor, and are great eating even minutes after laid.) Also I extend light only slightly and only in mid winter...only slightly. not more than an hour longer than actual day length. still eggs eggs eggs. However I do ïndulge them by this 'cush': when temp drops below 40F I break the chill with a small infared lamp - this on this hypothesis that, although unnecessary for fair health or survival, the lack of cold stress might be conducive to more egg laying.
Another point to enhance egg production is I believe, I strongly suspect, is bird's contentment. I endeavor to keep my birds active and amused, not bored and never too crowded. Variety of places to roam and changes to environment, and places to scratch productively (that render bugs).
I may be new at this, but our results have been splendid. The birds are gentle trusting happy healthy, bring us joy, and their eggs over plenty and delicious.
~bawkbawkbawkbawkBaaaawk!
Ruarc

 

[rmasimpson]

The other variable I haven't seen mentioned yet is whether or not they are free range or have a large run area where they get protien from bugs and worms. I would think that would be a factor?

 

[rmasimpson]

Do you use wet or dry cat food? Somewhere I thought I saw where somebody said there's something that's not good about it giving cat food to chickens but I can't remember.

 

[Ruarc]

Regards free range, they have a proportionately large run with multi-levels and shrubs trees which is their main area...then for about an hour most days they are let out to run "free" along our creekside and/or about the rest of the garden (limited time for would be too much damage - we keep a proud garden). So they have a period of free range in areas not exhausted of bugs slugs worms etc.
As you, I have heard also that some add protein with canned pet foods...would I? No. (it is corporate scrap crap). I have enough scraps of real meats, from our own kitchen, and there are so many bugs and slugs in their diet they obtain plenty of protein. Yoghurt has protien, calcium, and probiotics and the chickens seem to relish it. I am however cautious about giving too much dairy. (even if they do get cheese as a special treat).