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Nutritional Issues for Laying Hens

Laying hens are very industrious creatures – their eggs are a highly nutritious output – so their feed and water has to be of suitable quality and quantity to enable them to continue producing those eggs.

Basic Diet for Age

The easiest way to ensure hens are receiving adequate nutrition is to feed a complete, balanced commercial feed designed for the life stage of the bird – Chick for chicks, Grower for growing pullets, Layer for laying hens. There are vastly different requirements in minerals, protein and energy between young growing birds and adults. For example laying hens need a calcium to phosphorus of 5:1 compared to 1:1 for growers. Inadequate levels or an appropriate balance of these minerals may result in bone problems, thin shelled eggs and in extreme cases sudden death. Poor nutrition means poor production so keep an eye on the egg output as an early sign that things aren’t quite right.

Dietary Components

Care must be taken that kitchen scraps and access to greenery does not substitute too much of the complete feed – then the diet becomes unbalanced and/or the hens simply can’t fit enough in to satisfy the demands of egg production. Also make sure the hens are actually eating the commercial feed – palatability can change with different batches. Mix new batches in with the remaining old batch before it’s finished to reduce this problem.

The water supply to laying hens is a vital component to the bird’s health and production. It must be clean, cool, not contaminated by wild birds and always available.

Storage

Store all dry poultry feed in a cool, dry place – do not feed grain, pellets or mash that have crusting accumulations or are mouldy, and never feed mouldy kitchen scraps – the resultant toxins may be fatal. Don’t buy large volumes of feed that take months to consume – their vitamin content may diminish over time.

Allowing rodents, sparrows and other wild birds to access your poultry’s feed may seem kind but it can introduce disease and it is surprising how much these scavengers can eat – making the backyard egg a very expensive commodity.

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