What to feed chickens to lay more eggs.

[chrissyr]

Hello! I also had this problem with my hens. They had very soft shells and i also had free choice oyster shells but they didn't eat it/not enough of it. So i had to mix crushed calcium and magnesium pills in a oat meal mash for them. It worked! they eat it all and it salved the problem! I hope this helps

Thank you! I'll give it a try

 

[appps]

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!

Do you also free range them or are they in a run?
I ask as a friend of mine has just gone back to free ranging his about the yard and egg production has jumped incredibly. That's the only thing he has changed, just letting them out to wander for a while each day. Egg production went from occasionally having to buy to having to give the extras away.

Whether its the increase in greens or increase in bird contentedness who knows.

 

[Mary Poopins]

Hello,

There was a lady named Lisa Douglas who had a TV show that ran from 1965-1971, you “may” be able to see it in re-runs from time to time. She would put out a note to her chickens asking them if they could lay a couple extra eggs when her and her husband, Oliver, had house guests.

I suppose you could give that a try....

Other then that, just love your birdies with all your heart and feed, feed, feed!!!!

By the way, does anyone recall the name of Lisa’s show?

Take care,
Mary

 

[JodyDI]

Green Acres. Eddie Albert /Oliver. And Eva Gabor / Lisa

 

[Mary Poopins]

Yeah that's it!
It's a great documentary!!!
I have learned all about farming from this series.
I have also learned to stay away from anyone with the last name of Haney!!!


On a serious note, I have found that when my chickens have been allowed to dust bathe that they tend to lay more frequently.
As each of my chickens begins to reach egg laying age they tend to crave dust baths and they will always lay the day after.

Just a little observation from a total newbie.

I hope your girls lay you all the eggs your family needs.
~Mary.

 

[Roo Boy]

Newbie question here. If hens appear to produce more eggs on higher percentage feed (18 to 20%), why do feed companies make layer feeds at 16%?

 

[Emery Adona]

I feed my chickens deli sliced turkey! It works wonders!

 

[Roo Boy]

I just switched to Flock Raiser with added oyster shells. Lets see if this helps.

 

[mtbeak]

I originally went onto this thread to see if anyone else was feeding (on a daily basis) what has been termed "treats" on other threads.
But after reading thru the first 18 pages, I figured I'd throw my two cents in and request some feedback and thoughts.
I will preface this by stating that I am one of those that am starting to think my eggs are costing about $10.00 a dozen and it may be another year before I recoup outlay.... !!! I will need to really track it to determine for sure, but, for right now, I am enjoying myself.
Nonetheless,
I have non descript/breed layer hens that I got in March as pullets- 4 brown and 4 white, starter pullets. No fancy breeds for me yet as beautiful as some are! I just wanted fresh non arsenic eggs. I get 8 eggs every single day and all before 1PM.
I feed layer pellets (the brand everyone seems to hate...) inside the coop and the feeder is filled halfway at least every other day; they eat whenever they want to. I keep 2 waters in their run. I used to close the coop door at night (open at sunrise), but after a couple of months and reinforcing the attached run, have decided to keep the door open- they go in at night and come out on their own in the morning. A gallon water and a 3 gallon water is cleaned out/added to daily. I don't do the vinegar anymore as this are aluminum waterers and I recall something about not using the vinegar with metal...By 2PM after I have gathered an egg from each, I feed them a huge tray of a salad mix (discounted bags from grocery store or heads of romaine lettuce from produce store) with a huge scoop of yogurt and sometimes cottage cheese or sour cream, they get sliced ham or roast beef (all deli on sale) sometime beef hotdogs chopped up, any berries that I can get on sale or bananas or share a bit of canned vegetables that are mixed in with the dog food (another long feeding story). I will sometimes give them Cheerios topping, or some of our left over dinners. I have, in a pinch even scrambled up some of their eggs... In the summertime they got frozen slices of watermelon. All this is topped with live meal worms-maybe 30, that I raise (cannot believe I do that...) just for them.
The brown girls and only one of the whites, "Floppy" are the only ones that will allow me to pick them up and move them to a "tractor run" for grass, clover, bugs etc. I typically will put them in that almost every day for a good 4-5 hours rotating them around the yard.
I'd like to cut down on this daily tray...I don't mind the leftovers--I am so glad I have decreased waste by 80%!! but after reading through some of the discussions reading the difficulties of getting an egg a day from each, not so sure I should?? Originally, I was going to do the whole light on a timer thing this winter, the coop does have solar power...but since I always have 10 dozen eggs in the fridge, was thinking that perhaps I go with the school of thought of giving them a break?? Would love to read others opinions and thoughts on this and if I can "safely" (guilt freely) cut back on the girls daily lunches?

 

[OKchkman]

Newbie question here. If hens appear to produce more eggs on higher percentage feed (18 to 20%), why do feed companies make layer feeds at 16%?

My belief is that the "feed companies" bottom line is money more than the chickens. The same reason some companies water down their products. Sad, but true.