chicken feed during non-laying winter months - Ask Extension
When chickens are not laying during winter months, is there a cheaper way to feed them and keep them healthy instead of buying layer feed?
Knowledgebase
chicken feed during non-laying winter months #276683
Asked September 08, 2015, 5:39 PM EDT
When chickens are not laying during winter months, is there a cheaper way to feed them and keep them healthy instead of buying layer feed?
Benton County Oregon
Expert Response
Your hens will not necessarily stop laying in the winter, they may slow down. You can keep them laying better by adding light to the daylength (a 16 hour day, lights on at 6am off at 10pm) which will stimulate them to continue laying eggs. An inexpensive timer can make this relatively easy.
If you don't want to keep them laying, you can mix their feed (60%) with other whole or ground grains (scratch, COB, barley, wheat, cracked corn, etc,) (40%) just make sure they have access to grit. During the cold months, pasture has little value as the seeds will be mostly gone and insects will be few.
Don't feed just grains as the prepared layer feed has added vitamins and trace minerals.
NOTE: During winter, the birds have higher stress due to the cold temperatures and wet conditions. Restricting their nutrition can have detrimental effects, especially during winter when there are few insects to supplement their diet.
I hope this helps.
If you don't want to keep them laying, you can mix their feed (60%) with other whole or ground grains (scratch, COB, barley, wheat, cracked corn, etc,) (40%) just make sure they have access to grit. During the cold months, pasture has little value as the seeds will be mostly gone and insects will be few.
Don't feed just grains as the prepared layer feed has added vitamins and trace minerals.
NOTE: During winter, the birds have higher stress due to the cold temperatures and wet conditions. Restricting their nutrition can have detrimental effects, especially during winter when there are few insects to supplement their diet.
I hope this helps.
