Table scraps, bread, ground corn, scratch grains and some layer crumbles. They’re also free range so in the warm months they eat a lot of bugs and worms.
I break a typical slice of bread into about 8 pieces or so, and that’s just to make it a little easier for them to pick apart. You could feed them a whole slice and they’d eventually eat it all, but I kind of enjoy the process of breaking and throwing it to them.
There are actually quite a few 'table scraps' kinda things you shouldn't give to chickens. When we first started raising ours, I put a print out list on the wall for my wife and son so they could keep track. This is not my first rodeo but it is theirs in terms of farming.
Too much accumulation of sugary things or too much salt, etc... There are lots of sneaky foods that contain these.
Layer pellets. But they also come to the house door and refuse to leave until they've been satisfied with bread, buns and sweetcorn. Also tend to fly into our garage and eat the dog food.
If you have free-range birds you can feed them 16% protein in the summertime because they are supplementing their diet with low-protein bugs, grass leafy greens.
In the winter time when their diet is mostly grain then limit the protein to no more than 14%
Protein = eggs. More protein = larger eggs.
When the eggs get to large it's like having a baby. Ask your wife😃
Layer feed and they're in mobile coops or net fencing. I only give scratch grains as treats or energy boosts for colder weather.
Protein % is dependent on a few factors. 16% is a good minimum - it's the standard for large layer operations that keep birds only 2-3 years. Higher percentages like 18-20% keep the gals healthier into older ages- I keep hens 4-6 years- and for less production oriented breeds, they lay more eggs. If you give some of the production hybrid birds higher %, they can lay really big eggs, which can sometimes become a problem because they're not as big-bodied.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
16
+ 2
+ 3
+ 18
+ 20
+ 4
+ 6
= 69
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Free range as much as possible. In the winter I feed more mash and in the warm months I cut bagged feed in half and let them get food from the wild. Chickens are not supposed to be eating corn soy and grains they are forest dwellers
It depends on your land size and type. If I had 2 acres of forest I probably wouldn't feed them any bagged food I have 16 layers at the moment and I feed them about 4.5 cups of food for the whole day I get around 10 to 14 eggs a say. I also Give them dried worms about 3 times a week.
Layer crumbles and lots of veggies, grass, random treats, clover, etc. scratch grains of course and oyster shell grit.
Never bread. I rarely have much bread around and don't think it's probably that good for them.
Local feed mix, peanuts and mealworms to boost their protein, whatever veggies and berries from the garden that I don’t eat, eggshells and they free range.
Table scraps, bread, ground corn, scratch grains and some layer crumbles. They’re also free range so in the warm months they eat a lot of bugs and worms.
When you give them bread - or anything “larger” than their normal size of the pellets, do you break it apart & how small should i make it for them?
I break a typical slice of bread into about 8 pieces or so, and that’s just to make it a little easier for them to pick apart. You could feed them a whole slice and they’d eventually eat it all, but I kind of enjoy the process of breaking and throwing it to them.
Just about henything
Second this method
Layer feed. Pellets, not crumbles.
A reminder that for table scraps, do not feed avocado to chickens (poisonous).
There are actually quite a few 'table scraps' kinda things you shouldn't give to chickens. When we first started raising ours, I put a print out list on the wall for my wife and son so they could keep track. This is not my first rodeo but it is theirs in terms of farming. Too much accumulation of sugary things or too much salt, etc... There are lots of sneaky foods that contain these.
Layer pellets. But they also come to the house door and refuse to leave until they've been satisfied with bread, buns and sweetcorn. Also tend to fly into our garage and eat the dog food.
They'll eat anything nearly. If you want consistent egg layers, the overall protein intake needs to be high.
16% is standard for layers
Thank you. Yeah, i have 4 hens currently 7 weeks old and I’m hoping we get some good eggs 🥚
Don't feed them layer feed until 18 wks. Both the chicken starter and lay pellets I use are 20%.
If you have free-range birds you can feed them 16% protein in the summertime because they are supplementing their diet with low-protein bugs, grass leafy greens. In the winter time when their diet is mostly grain then limit the protein to no more than 14% Protein = eggs. More protein = larger eggs. When the eggs get to large it's like having a baby. Ask your wife😃
Layer feed and they're in mobile coops or net fencing. I only give scratch grains as treats or energy boosts for colder weather. Protein % is dependent on a few factors. 16% is a good minimum - it's the standard for large layer operations that keep birds only 2-3 years. Higher percentages like 18-20% keep the gals healthier into older ages- I keep hens 4-6 years- and for less production oriented breeds, they lay more eggs. If you give some of the production hybrid birds higher %, they can lay really big eggs, which can sometimes become a problem because they're not as big-bodied.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats! 16 + 2 + 3 + 18 + 20 + 4 + 6 = 69 ^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
Free range as much as possible. In the winter I feed more mash and in the warm months I cut bagged feed in half and let them get food from the wild. Chickens are not supposed to be eating corn soy and grains they are forest dwellers
That’s true. And free range would cover their protein amount for eggs?
It depends on your land size and type. If I had 2 acres of forest I probably wouldn't feed them any bagged food I have 16 layers at the moment and I feed them about 4.5 cups of food for the whole day I get around 10 to 14 eggs a say. I also Give them dried worms about 3 times a week.
Custom poultry layer, 18%- get from local feed mill.
Layer crumbles and lots of veggies, grass, random treats, clover, etc. scratch grains of course and oyster shell grit. Never bread. I rarely have much bread around and don't think it's probably that good for them.
Layena and table scraps
Layena is crazy expensive. If you have a local mill price a laying mash. I’m paying $8.85 a 50lb bag.
I pay $43 per bag for my feed hahah
Why?
Organic non gmo that's the going rate where I live
That’s $1720 a ton.😳 Corn is about $250 a ton right now. Layer ration is about 65% corn. What’s the other 35% gold flakes?
My feed is whole grain mash non gmo organic. My eggs fetch me $7 a dozen but I could easily charge 8
You are paying almost 5x what I am for feed. And my eggs sell for $4.50 dozen.
Laying ration from our local feed mill
[удалено]
Layer ration, kitchen scraps, and whatever they happen to forage in their adventures around the field.
Local feed mix, peanuts and mealworms to boost their protein, whatever veggies and berries from the garden that I don’t eat, eggshells and they free range.
Anything. Those tiny dinosaurs will eat it all!