Problems with Egg Laying Diet?

[st4rgut]

Hi, our chickens are about 8 months old and since they reached laying age, they're have been major ups and downs in egg production. Some of our breeds are more productive than others (eg Rhode Island Red vs Plymouth Rock), but recently, it seems at times that the chickens collectively agreed to take a vacation. We began to think it was a problem with their diet when we shipped off one non-layer to a relative and learned that it started laying regularly within weeks of eating Chinese pizza (no tomato sauce with lots of dough, sesame seeds, shrimp shells, and green onions).

In all seriousness though, we've been sticking to the recommended egg laying food from the feed store, in addition to chopped cabbage and greens. I read that extra greens should be avoided, but our backyard has so little grass we think it is necessary. Once we finish with the bag of egg-laying mash we will switch to pellets (though the feed store told us nutritional content is the same). I have included the nutritional contents of the pellets below.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts on what diet works for your chickens. We have 2 plymouth rocks and 2 rhode island reds. I learned that it's unrealistic to expect an egg from a chicken a day, but right now it seems like an egg-laying drought. I'd really appreciate any pointers from more experienced members.

Ace-High Feeds

BIG FEEDER
LAY PELLET
“All Vegetable and All Natural
”
This feed is formulated for use in laying hens for
the purpose of producing eggs.
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
CRUDE PROTEIN..............NOT LESS THAN..............16.00%
CRUDE FAT......................NOT LESS THAN...............4.00%
CRUDE FIBER................NOT MORE THAN.................4.50%
ASH........................................NOT MORE THAN..............15.50%
CALCIUM (CA)...............NOT LESS THAN.................3.50%
CALCIUM (CA)...............NOT MORE THAN.................4.30%
PHOSPHORUS (P).........NOT LESS THAN.................0.55%
SODIUM (Na)..................NOT MORE THAN...............0.25%
....................................................................................................................................
LIST OF INGREDIENTS
Ground Corn, Soybean Meal, Wheat Bran, Calcium
Carbonate, Cane Molasses,
Canola Oil, Suncured Alfalfa
Meal, Mono Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt (Sodium
Chlor
ide), Choline Chloride, Propionic Acid (a
preservative), Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Ferrous
Sulfate, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin E (Alpha
Tocopherol), Vitamin D3 Supplement, DL
-Calcium
Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin
Supplement, Vitamin K
(Menadione Sodium Bisulfite
Complex), Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine
Hydrochloride, Copper Sulfate, Ethylenediamine
Dihydriodide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid,
Sodium Selenite (Selenium).
MANUFACTURED BY:
P.O. BOX 1987
PERRIS, CA 92572

 

[Welshies]

Your chickens aren't getting enough protein... and that feed is "all vegetable". Chickens aren't vegetarians. They're omnivores. On top of that, with you supplying extra greens, they aren't getting nowhere near enough protein.
Switch to a maintenance ration or all-flock feed that has 18-20% protein. Provide free choice oyster shell on the side. Provide better greens. Table scraps and human vegetables are mostly made of water, with high water content, unlike natural greens. So table scraps and human vegetables like lettuce and cabbage are referred to as "treats" because that's what they are. Treats should be no more than 10% of the whole diet.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Cut out the cabbage and greens. Everything they need is in feed. You are cutting the protein they need.
The only veggies my 21 month old hens get are when I let them out to free range 1 - 2 hours before sunset daily. My hens haven't free ranged in about a week because of snow and sub freezing temps.
I get about 25 eggs a week from 5 hens. I have gotten 16 eggs in the past 4 days. GC
Edited to add; my feed is vegetarian. I have never fed any feed with animal protein.
My girls do eat bugs worms lizards that they catch during warm weather. The only treats I give are mixed seeds twice a day 3 times in sub freezing temps scattered on the ground, what they consume in 10 minutes.

 

[st4rgut]

Thanks, I will cut out the cabbage, and reduce the treats. I just bought 3 50lb bags of veggie feed for my 4 chickens, so looks like I'll be stuck with that for a while As a workaround, do you think I should add table scraps (chicken, etc) or stick to the feed?

 

[Welshies]

Thanks, I will cut out the cabbage, and reduce the treats. I just bought 3 50lb bags of veggie feed for my 4 chickens, so looks like I'll be stuck with that for a while As a workaround, do you think I should add table scraps (chicken, etc) or stick to the feed?

Do not feed them meat. If you want to provide animal proteins you can buy mealworms, they love those!

 

[junebuggena]

Meat is fine to feed to chickens. High protein treats and extras only till you finish up that layer feed. Or you could pick up a bag of gamebird starter and mix it with the layer to increase their overall protein intake.

 

[Welshies]

Meat is fine to feed to chickens. High protein treats and extras only till you finish up that layer feed. Or you could pick up a bag of gamebird starter and mix it with the layer to increase their overall protein intake.

Don't feed meat if you plan to eat those animals. It decreases their quality, and taste, among other things. so meat is generally avoided. I never feed it to mine, but it's my personal preference.

 

[junebuggena]

Don't feed meat if you plan to eat those animals. It decreases their quality, and taste, among other things. so meat is generally avoided. I never feed it to mine, but it's my personal preference.

It's fine to feed meat to chickens. There is no difference in feeding them leftover fish or steak than it is for them to eat the field mouse or snake the flock managed to catch. Mine eat meat all the time. It does not change the taste or quality of anything.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Thanks, I will cut out the cabbage, and reduce the treats. I just bought 3 50lb bags of veggie feed for my 4 chickens, so looks like I'll be stuck with that for a while As a workaround, do you think I should add table scraps (chicken, etc) or stick to the feed?

I have never given my hens kitchen or table scraps. The feed you showed in the first post has alfalfa, that's good.
With 4 chickens, I would only buy 1 bag of feed at a time. Feed can lose nutrition and go stale.
Store at room temperature with the bag tightly closed. . With a bag clip. GC

 

[Welshies]

It's fine to feed meat to chickens. There is no difference in feeding them leftover fish or steak than it is for them to eat the field mouse or snake the flock managed to catch. Mine eat meat all the time. It does not change the taste or quality of anything.

Hmmm. Funny... I worked on a farm that produces meat pigs (pork) and have always been told to never feed meat to animals intended for butcher... I can't remember why off the top of my head though.