What to Feed Chickens to Make Them Lay Eggs

 

What to Feed Chickens to Make Them Lay Eggs

 

For every phase of a chicken’s life, they require a type of feed else they will not grow and mature well.

However, below, you will find out specifically what these birds need at each stage.

So about the layers, if you feed them the right kind of layer feed, they will be more productive in egg-laying.

What to feed your chickens from chicks to egg-laying hens.

After buying the chickens, (preferably either of the best chicken breeds for eggs) what next to do you do?

With the appropriate poultry farm equipment, you will have to settle them in and bring your poultry business plan to work.

Do you start feeding them just about any food?

Don’t even think about it!!!

Your new chickens will need to be fed with their kind of feed.

And subsequently, as they grow, the feeding pack and plan will have to change.

What you feed the chickens from small will either make them lay eggs or not.

Let’s take a look at which feeds are best for your chickens, according to their age.

READ ALSO 6 Tips to Track and Maintain Healthy Bird Weight

0-8 weeks old: Starter feed for baby chicks

On arrival, feed the chicks the starter feed.

And follow through subsequently till they are about eight weeks old.

Starter feeds help the chicks establish and support their bone health and immunity.

Also, with this, it wouldn’t take a while and they go from chicks to pullets.

To decipher a good starter feed, it should contain proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.

This is what you should feed your chickens at this stage to make them lay eggs in the long run.

 

8-16 weeks old: Grower feed for pullets

Once the chickens are eight weeks old, you can now call them pullets.

And in that regard, they need a change of diet.

So if you’re wondering what to feed the chickens at this stage to prepare or make them lay eggs in the long run, that’s the grower feed.

The grower feed helps the pullets develop healthily.

A good grower feed should be lower in lower protein content.

Also, calcium should be less than 1.25%.

It should also contain omega-3s and other essential nutrients to support digestion and health.

READ ALSO 6 Common Management Problems That Affect Egg Production

16+ Weeks: Layer Feed For Hens

Now, your chickens are at the stage where they lay the eggs for real.

A continuous supply of grower feeds will hamper or delay egg-laying.

Check out some of the reasons why your chickens are not laying eggs yet.

Also, you might want to find out when chickens start laying eggs regularly.

Away from that, what do you feed your chickens to make them lay eggs?

Here’s what!!!

The feed you should feed your flocks should have high calcium and protein content.

This will help them lay strong and healthy eggs.

We recommend you switch to the layer feed at 16 weeks because most chicken breeds start laying at that time.

 

Kindly note that if you’re on the lookout for meat from the flock, their feed should have a higher protein content.

With this strategic feeding, you are sure to get some pretty good big eggs whether or not the chickens lay large eggs or not.

Treats to feed you chickens that will make them lay more eggs

We know the regular strategic feeding we listed above is enough to make the chickens lay eggs.

Supplementing their diet is also another way to feed the flock.

So, when considering what to feed your chickens to make them lay eggs, consider the following treats as supplements;

Greens

Mealworms

Scratch Grains

Cracked Corn

Scrambled Eggs

Sunflower Seeds

Japanese Beetles

Eggs and Eggshells

Watermelon and Fruit

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Table summarizing what you need to feed your egg-laying chickens to make them lay eggs.

Feed	Protein level %	Age of birds	Feed intake per 10 birds per age period.
Chick starter	20-22	0-6 weeks	20-29 lb.
Pullet grower	14-16	6-20 weeks	120-130 lb.
Layer	15-18	20 weeks	18-24 lb./week
All-purpose	16	All ages

What nutrients do I need to feed my chickens to make them lay eggs?

Proper nutrition is essential for the birds to lay eggs adequately.

For proper nutrition, you need to ensure the chickens eat a balanced diet.

A good quality feed for the layers should contain;

Protein: Helps to maintain the energy levels. The feed should contain 16-20% of protein.

Omega-3s: Very vital for more nutritious eggs.

Prebiotics: Boost immune system.

Probiotics: Boosts digestive health.

Calcium: for strong shells and bones.

Magnesium: for strong shells and bones.

If the chickens are supplied with feed rich in these nutrients, the birds will not just grow healthy, they will lay more eggs often.

So when considering what to feed chickens to make them lay eggs, ensure the feeds contain the above nutrients in the right proportion.