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[Guest]

Have read plenty of information about the relationship between what is fed to the chickens and egg production - is there anyone out there who can categorically confirm that it makes SUCH a difference?

When I was a teenager (quite a long time ago now I will admit) my auntie in Scotland let her hens out in the morning and shut them away again at night. They were fed standard feed, but were effectively free ranging all day - and they laid eggs! It is not so long ago that back-yard hens were largely fed kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s, and they laid eggs too! I understand the need for a balanced diet, and no doubt there has been a huge amount of research in the agricultural industry of the diet to feed to produce the optimum number of eggs per bird, but this is an economic factor...

In humans we fail to produce eggs (sorry to bring this up) if we are under fed or unwell in some other way, it would take an awful long time for the wrong sort of food to stop us ovulating, I would have thought...

[Hen Watch]

Definately I find too many treats = less eggs for me.

 

If I've got left over mashed potato or pasta, or as of last Saturday when we had guests and the chooks got 2 whole jacket potatoes - I definately get less eggs next or few days later. I go from 4 a day, to 3 or even 2. It always happens and I always try and be good and not give too many treats but sometimes it's hard to throw it in the bin instead of into the chickens.

 

Also egg yolk colour is very deep orange anyway but gets more so in Summer when they can get at more grass plus they get all the veg peelings, or spent bean plants and finished salad crops pulled up from hubbies veg plot.

 

Edit to add - I suppose the backgarden hens from your childhood might have been pure breeds rather than the egg laying hybrids we have today so would not have been producing an egg a day. We notice a drop in egg production more I think with hybrids.

Edited August 5, 2008 by Guest

[chickencam]

I find with my girls that they lay less if they free range a lot. Not a lot less but when we go on holiday and they are shut in their run all day they seem to lay more. We had 26 eggs last week and we have only been getting about 21 recently.

 

I put this down to them eating more layers pellets and less other stuff. I also suspect that the person looking after them is more conservative with their corn treat than we are.

 

We know that they don't hide eggs in the garden because we have a small garden and it is easy to check.

 

So in conclusion I would say that yes hens lay eggs but they will lay more if fed exclusively on layers pellets/mash.

[Guest]

Thanks for that. It is very useful to know. I am losing hope of ever getting any eggs anyhow! People that have had their hens less time are getting eggs, and since the softie last week Evangeline has not laid anything at all!

[Blackrocksrock]

The eggs will come eventually - they all take differing times to start to lay and I remember waiting with baited breath for mine not so many months ago now. They will start soon and you will be delighted with them.

[Snowy]

As said above, they do still lay, but not as frequently. When you read the blurb about certain hybrids that will lay 340 eggs a year, don't forget that those results will only happen under the intensive farming conditions, ie layers feed only and artificial light in winter.

[Egluntyne]

Put it to the test. Next time you go away for a week end, leaving them in the run with just pellets, water and possibly minimal treats, you will come back to an nest box positively brimming with eggs....far more than you would normally get.

 

It happens every time for me.

[Guest]

I am tempted to book that weekend right now!

I am having a serious think about whether eggs are my main reason for having chickens, and although having eggs is certainly important, I get so much enjoyment from the chickens themselves, and especially from watching them potter about the garden. Seeing their little frilly knickers as they peck, peck, peck along, and watching them as they snuggle on the doorstep just to be near me (come on humour me - its not really because that is where the treats are dispensed from,,,)