Optimizing Health and Diet for Laying Hens: A Complete Guide
- Donna Weekes
- Aug 25, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 22
Keeping a healthy flock of backyard chickens is both an art and a science. While it's tempting to spoil your hens with various treats, too many extras can do more harm than good.
UNDERSTANDING THE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF LAYING HENS
Laying hens require a specific diet to stay healthy and produce eggs efficiently. Their main diet should consist of high-quality layer feed, which is specially formulated to include the right amounts of protein, calcium and essential vitamins. For instance, the ideal layer feed provides about 16-18% protein and 3-5% calcium, both crucial for strong egg production.
A balanced diet fosters energy levels, ensures proper egg formation and maintains overall health. When supplementary foods (treats and extras) make up a significant part of their intake, it can mess up their nutrition. This imbalance may lead to issues like decreased egg production, weak egg shells and even health complications.
THE DANGERS OF OVERINDULGENCE
Feeding your hens too many treats can upset their nutritional balance. This can sometimes be a visible clue from the type of droppings they are producing.
A study showed that hens that received over 10% of their daily calories from treats were 30% more likely to develop obesity- related health problems. Obese hens often struggle with consistent egg laying and may produce lower quality eggs.
It's simple, if she eats improperly and does not exercise enough, she is going to gain weight. This can become a bigger issue in the winter months as chickens are confined more due to the cold and snow.
A fully grown hen should not continue to gain weight. If she does, she will first retain it in the form of access fat in her abdomen and liver. As she continues to gain weight, fat will eventually be felt and seen between the tip of her keel bone and her vent.
Unfortunately, by the time this abdominal fat pad is felt or seen underneath the skin, serious liver damage has already occurred.
A diet high in treats can lead to serious health issues. The two most common obesity-related causes of death in laying hens are heat stroke and fatty liver disease.
Obesity can cause decreased fertility, frequent multiple yolked- eggs, over sized eggs, egg binding and prolapsed vent. While your hens may enjoy eating a variety of foods, it's crucial to keep their indulgences in check for their long-term heath.
MAXIMIZING EGG PRODUCTION
The connection between diet and egg production is clear. Quality feed is critical because it supplies the right amount of protein and calcium. Prioritizing this feed allows hens to use their energy effectively, which leads to better laying capabilities.
For example, studies find that hens receiving a balanced diet can produce 25% more eggs compared to those with an unbalanced diet featuring excess treats. When hens rely more on their primary feed, they also produce stronger and larger eggs, which are more profitable for backyard enthusiasts.
HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF A POOR DIET
A poor diet can bring various health issues for your hens. Beyond obesity, unbalanced nutrition can weaken their immune systems, making them prone to diseases.
When hens consume too many high-sugar or high-fat treats, they miss out on important nutrients. For example, calcium is crucial for developing strong egg shells. Hens filling up on inferior foods may not get the calcium they need, leading to thinner eggshells that break more easily.
LONGEVITY THROUGH PROPER NUTRITION
Every backyard chicken owner hopes for a long, productive life from their flock. Good nutrition is essential for achieving this goal. Hens that eat balanced diets typically live longer and healthier lives. Which means keeping the extras and treats to less than 10% per day. Or better yet, no extras at all.
Overindulgence in treats can affect health in the short term, leading to conditions that may cut their lives short. Well-fed hens that receive proper nutrition can provide eggs for many years. In fact, hens can lay eggs their entire lives, depending on their condition when they eat a balanced diet, but it will never be at the rate of their first two years.
VISABLE SIGNS OF POOR NUTRITION
The inability to regrow feathers, it is affected by diet.
Their feathers might start looking ragged and its not the right time of year for it to be a molting issue (molting generally starts anytime after June 21st, which is the longest day of the year, as the days shorten, the hormones responsible for molting are being triggered), improper diet can cause problems like aggression resulting in picking each other and of course a decline in egg production, but these are visible issues.
A chicken needs the proper amount of Amino Acids to be able to regrow feathers. Amino Acids are a form of protein, but they need them in the right balance to be able to use those Amino Acids properly.
How can I offer my hens more Amino Acids in their Diet?
Your local Poultry Feed Company will have Starter/Grower Feed available. It contains 21% protein (which has a higher amino acid content). Do not make this feed their regular chicken feed. Laying hens need the nutrients from their layer feed. Starter/Grower is a good choice when your laying hens need the extra protein for feather regrowth. Molting season is the perfect time to offer a Starter/Grower feed. Make sure you always have a side dish of oyster shell available for the hens that are still producing eggs.
NON-VISABLE SIGNS OF POOR NUTRITION
What about the health issues you can't see?
If nutrition balance is off, problems can start occurring long before they are noticed.
FARMERS- BACK IN THE DAY
For many years chickens had been kept as livestock, times have changed, people are enjoying keeping backyard chickens more as pets with a bonus of some fresh eggs.
Back when, chickens were kept on straw as that's what the farmers had on hand for their cattle, goats, horses, pigs, etc.
The chickens were not kept for extended periods of time, they were fed what was available which was kitchen scraps, vegetables from the garden and feed grains, the same as what the livestock were fed.
Grandma's chickens ate a self-prescribed diet of whatever they could find, exercised more and consumed fewer treats, if any. As much as we dote on our chickens, seek to keep them healthy and care for their medical needs, we are contributing to the premature demise of many or our pets by making them fat.
There was no such thing as poultry nutritionists or poultry scientists back then to make a nutritionally complete chicken feed with all that the laying hen would ever require to live long and be healthy, in a bag for our convenience.
Because of what was available, the chicken did not live long and either egg production suffered or because of lack of nutritional requirements became ill, they were then put on the table for that night's dinner.
We have evolved since then, the poultry nutritionists and poultry scientists do extensive studies on poultry nutrition making sure it is perfectly correct, we benefit from this because of the big commercial laying hen industries with their millions of dollars they have invested.
DID YOU KNOW CHICKENS ONLY HAVE 250 TASTE BUDS?
Chickens only have 250 taste buds and they do not have teeth to chew their food. They swallow their food whole. Chickens do not need flavor variety in their diet like we do. We have 9000 taste buds and we chew our food and mix it with saliva to perceive the flavors.
Don't let your chickens fool you. The chickens have trained you and you have trained them to recognize the bag or bucket of whatever treat it is you offer. You can fill that bucket with their nutritionally complete chicken feed, in that same bucket and they would be just as enthusiastic.
THE SHORT LIFE SPAN OF A CHICKEN IN COMPARISON TO HUMANS
We, as humans can get away with eating a "not so healthy Diet" and and it not be so detrimental for us because we live significantly longer than a chicken so we can straighten out our diet. Chickens as you know do not live as long as humans or cats and dogs. There lives are very condensed, which really impacts their health if there diet is not spot on.
MY PERSONAL JOURNEY AS A CHICKEN OWNER
Don't assume I didn't give all the treats and extras when I first started raising chickens, because I certainly did.
After my initial year of keeping chickens, their feathers appeared ragged, and their butts were bald. I didn't comprehend why they looked so poor at the time. I was active in Facebook chicken groups, attempting all the remedies and solutions everyone discussed for their chickens' health.
After conducting extensive research and watching "The Chicken Chick" live videos of her backyard flock, I noticed how well-feathered her chickens were, unlike mine, which looked quite rough. She discussed the importance of nutrition and mentioned that she only feeds her chickens chicken feed. Initially, I doubted this was the reason, as many people in Facebook groups talked about the treats they gave their chickens and how pampered they were.
I decided to try feeding my chickens only their chicken feed, thinking I had nothing to lose. At the very least, I would save money by not buying extra treats.
After a few weeks of this feeding regimen, I noticed my chickens' feathers were regrowing, and they had almost no health issues.
If my laying hens ever encounter health problems (which rarely happens), I'm assured that the cause isn't related to their nutrition. While free-ranging and consuming bugs and grass doesn't significantly affect their health due to the small quantities, I have control over their regular diet and what I feed them.
We personally feed our flock with Purina, which is produced by Land "O" Lakes.
Purina's dog and cat food is made by Nestle. These are two entirely separate companies.
We opt for Purina products because they are a well-established company that has been around much longer than some of these "Pop Up" companies. Purina provides access to poultry nutritionists for any inquiries. We trust that Purina offers our flock the best quality nutrition they need to thrive.
THE FINAL WORDS
We do not have veterinarians available so if we want healthy chickens that are our pets, that produce high quality, nutritious eggs and live long lives, a correct, balanced diet is imperative, which means a nutritionally complete chicken feed in a pellet or crumble from a reputable feed company with a side dish of oyster shell.
Commitment to Health:
As you may know, we hatch chicks and grow -out pullets. Being fed a nutritionally complete diet of chicken feed only, creates the best immune system possible and therefore results are a healthier breeding stock.
Each and every chick has the best start in life, as its begins with the health and nutrition of the roosters and laying hens producing those chicks.
I have a video available from The Chicken Chick, hosting Dr. Patrick Biggs a Poultry Nutritionist from Purina Mills.
Additional information on the diet of chickens- A Great Article-
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