Will scratch grains hurt my pullets future egg laying?

[Taylor]

I recently bought dark brahmas and speckled Sussex from a woman who solely fed them scratch grains. Would that have hurt them in any way? Will they lay well in the future? They are very pretty and very healthy besides the point. I've got them on grower now.

 

[Blue]

Are they chicks? I would think feeding them solely on scratch could impact their growth, but I don't think it would do any permanent damage to their egg laying abilities. If they are adults, I'd put them on a layer feed and maybe give them some scrambled eggs to give them a nice protein boost, and that should give a nice push to their egg laying. If they're still chicks, then just keep them on starter/grower as the main feed until they're near laying age and then switch them over to layer feed. You can still give scratch, just not as the main food source.

 

[Taylor]

They are almost 5 months old. I just hope it hasn't ruined their egg laying

 

[LoneOak]

No way has feeding the birds scratch feed ruined them from laying. Its mostly corn and that is all my granddaddy feed his chickens and they raised 11 younguns eating eggs. I don't understand why you think it would have ruined their egg laying abilities. As you say they are very healthey now and that is all that is most important, if they are young keep feeding them starter-grower until you see the first egg and then switch to layer rations either crumbles or pellets--it doesn't matter which but you generally get less waste with pellets and crumbles are for automatic feeders in large operations.

After a week or two of the hens learning how to lay eggs and getting a good high protein layer feed you will have all the eggs a normal household can eat! You may want to get a couple nest eggs either wooden or ceramic or plastic to put in their nest just to show them where to lay. I use 5 gal buckets with a roost built in the front and straw or pine bedding inside for comfort as nest boxes.