With the price of eggs so high, many people are getting into backyard chickens again. For the most part, a small flock is easy to manage. Chickens can be kept in coops, small pens, or even city backyards if the neighborhood allows it. But if you decide to get a few laying hens, there are some important things to understand if you want to keep them healthy and laying regularly. Nutrition is key!
Nutrients Needed by Laying Hens
Like all animals, chickens need a balanced diet. This is especially important for laying hens as nutrient deficiencies can lead to lower egg production or even no egg production at all. Likewise, feeding hens at maintenance will be different than feeding for egg production, as more nutrients are needed for egg layers.
The following nutrients need to be provided on a daily basis to your laying hens:
Protein: A diet with around 18% crude protein content is important in order to maintain good egg production.
Energy: Energy comes from carbohydrates, protein, and lipids (fats or oils). Most poultry feeds contain a higher percentage of carbohydrates and a lower amount of lipids. However, lipids should not be ignored altogether as they aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. With fat sources, it’s best to focus on omega-3 rich ingredients such as flaxseed, camelina, or fish meal rather than those higher in omega-6s (like vegetable oil) which can lead to inflammation and health problems.
Calcium and Phosphorus: These are two important major minerals needed in the correct balance for many bodily functions. For laying hens, the best ratio of dietary calcium to phosphorus is 4:1. This is because eggshells are primarily made up of calcium carbonate—therefore, high amounts of calcium are needed in the diet. However, phosphorus ensures that calcium is properly absorbed. Many poultry feeds have a good calcium/phosphorus ratio, but you can also supplement your hens with oyster shells or egg shells (dried in the sun or oven) to provide additional calcium.
Always check the feed label on commercial poultry feeds to make sure it’s providing the above nutrients in the right amounts. Moreover, you may want to look for organic poultry feed in order to provide your hens the best ingredients without added harmful chemicals.
How Much to Feed Your Chickens?
A laying hen will need between 100-150 grams of feed per day, which is roughly 0.25 pounds. This means 10 laying hens will consume a 50-pound bag of feed in about 20 days. You can feed your chickens once or twice daily, and a good rule of thumb is to provide enough feed for hens to clean up in 30 minutes to one hour.
Icelandic kelp for Laying Hens
Aside from oyster shells or dried eggshells, there is another supplement that has been found to boost hen health. Icelandic Organic Kelp for Poultry improves egg production, egg quality, and yolk color. Kelp contains 70 different minerals, vitamins, hormones, enzymes, and trace minerals, promoting better feed utilization while also boosting the immune system.
WormGuard Plus Broad Spectrum for Poultry
Our chemical free Broad Spectrum natural poultry wormer kills intestinal parasites and also contains probiotics for digestive health as well as whole organic flax seeds for rich tasting, omega eggs.