what to feed my chickens for more eggs

What to Feed Chicken to Lay More Eggs

• Oyster shell. Besides oysters, hens need calcium to create a strong egg shell. A consistent supply of calcium is...
• Layer feed. It is crucial to provide your chickens with a diet rich in nutrients for laying eggs. Layer feeds should...
• Cracked corn. Providing cracked corn to your chicken will help it produce heat, making it a great...

Full Answer

What is the best food to feed chickens?

What do chickens consume? Birds need plenty of water. Without it, eggs won’t happen as they are mostly liquid themselves. Feed from a farm supply store is best with a weekly handful ... Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at ...

What type of feed should I Feed my chickens?

• Dairy products – poultry lacks the enzyme that allows them to digest milk on a large scale, but a small amount can prove beneficial to your flock. ...
• Sweet Potatoes & Potatoes – Make sure they are cooked (we don’t eat raw potatoes and neither should your flock. ...
• Corn – This is another what that is greatly debated in the world of chicken keeping. ...

More items...

What can I Feed my chickens to fatten them up?

What to Feed Chickens to Fatten them up?

• Scratch Feed. Scratch feed is made out of different seeds and grains. ...
• Mealworms. The idea of purchasing mealworms to feed your chicken would not be so appealing. ...
• Cooked Oatmeal. Another effective method to fatten your chicken is to provide them with cooked oatmeal. ...
• Bread. ...
• Berries. ...
• Yogurt. ...

How to feed chickens without buying feed?

Feeding chickens without “chicken feed”

• Feeding chickens in the beginning. The Allen’s chickens enjoy their dinner. ...
• Wasting feed. But the areas our hens had regular access to were severely overgrazed and when harvest season ended we expected to be feeding mostly layer ration.
• Brew grain. ...
• Dumpster diving. ...
• A complete diet. ...

Mealworms

Perhaps the most loved of all treats, mealworms- they contain over 50% protein!

Greens

Dandelion leaves, chickweed, kale, cabbage are all high in vitamins and minerals that the hen needs to maintain good overall health.

Japanese Beetles

Are you tired of these pesky bugs eating your roses and everything else in the garden?

Sunflower Seeds

For your hens to get the most out of sunflower seeds, they should be hulled. The outer coat is thick and tough so most of the protein and fats remain locked inside the shell.

Scratch Grains

Scratch grains are exactly what they say- grains that can be scattered to encourage the girls to scratch and dig.

Cracked Corn

Also known as ‘Chicken Crack’, cracked corn is by far one of our chickens’ favorite snacks.

Scrambled Eggs

Ok, this one may be a little creepy for some chicken lovers. But scrambled eggs have tons of protein!

Feeding Your Layers For Egg Production

The simplest and most effective way of feeding your flock of hens for egg production is to buy a complete feed intended for this purpose. Complete chicken feeds are processed to provide all essential nutrients needed by your egg-layers for better production.

Top 5 Chicken Feeds for Laying Eggs

Here comes Hiland-Naturals Non-GMO Chicken Grower feed for your hens. This brand offers different types of chicken feed, especially for layers. Also, you can provide it to your growers and starters if you want to.

1. Choose the right chicken breeds

The very first step to ensuring you get lots of eggs from your chickens is to choose the right breeds to begin with.

3. Add supplemental light in the coop

The hens laying cycle is directly affected by daylight. Most chickens will lay eggs consistently when there are 14 or more hours of light in a day. When fall begins and the daylight hours wane, chicken egg production takes a nosedive.

4. Deal with broody hens

Broodiness is another reason hens stop laying eggs, and if you have hens that frequently go broody, you’ll be missing out on a lot of eggs.

5. Check hens regularly for illness, parasites, and injury

One of the biggest reasons you’ll see a decrease in egg production is because your chickens aren’t healthy enough to lay eggs.

6. Up the quality of their feed

Dried mealworms make an excellent supplement to improve your hen’s health.

7. Reduce stress

Stress plays a big role in egg production. A stressed hen simply won’t lay eggs. Reducing the amount of stress in your hens lives will have a big impact on egg amount and quality.

1. Clean Your Chicken Coop

It’s important to keep your chicken coop clean. It should be cleaned out at least on a weekly basis, with a deep cleaning every month. When chicken manure builds up, it will begin to smell very strongly of ammonia.

2. Make Sure Nest Boxes are Clean

Hens are particular about where they lay and if their nest boxes don’t seem “right” to them, they can stop laying all together. Make sure nest boxes are clean and smell good.

3. Provide Proper Hen Feed

Once hens reach around the age of 20 weeks, they begin to lay eggs. Some hens begin laying sooner, others later. When they begin to lay, it is time to switch their feed to a layers pellet, crumble or mash and provide increased calcium in their diet.

4. Feed Chickens High Protein Special Treats

Provide high protein special treats such as mealworms, grubs, black oiled sunflower seeds (B.O.S.S.) and scrambled eggs. Yes, scrambled eggs. They are especially good for a chicken that is under the weather.

5. Provide Oyster Shell or Crushed Egg Shells

Chickens require calcium in their diet and when hens begin to lay require 2.5%- 3.5%. Growing pullets should only receive around 1.2%. This is why it is important to feed your chickens the proper feed for their age.

6. Decrease Stress

Stress can most definitely affect egg production as well as egg quality. Just like humans, hens do not like to be exposed to stress and it shows in their egg production.

7. Provide Hens Clean, Fresh Water Daily

It is essential to have water available for your flock at all times. Especially during the hot weather, chickens need access to cold water or they can become heat stressed and stop laying.