Owning chickens is a wonderful experience. You can enjoy your slice of country living in your own backyard, and you get to reap the rewards, of course. So many eggs that you don’t know what to do with them.
Or, at least, that’s the goal.
But not all chickens lay an egg a day, and there’s many factors that affect how often they lay.
Chickens can lay eggs year-round, but only when the conditions are just right.
The genetic pattern of the breed of hen may affect its egg-laying habits.
Additionally, light control, temperature, and humidity can all influence a hen’s comfort, and therefore, how many eggs it lays.
Another important laying factor is feed, and that’s what we’ll be discussing in this article.
Becky’s Homestead is a YouTube channel dedicated to helping people switch from consumer lifestyles to self-sufficient homesteading lifestyles.
Becky, the name behind the channel, shares videos on a broad range of topics, including camping, building a log cabin, and looking after chickens.
As something of a chicken expert, Becky offers invaluable advice that’s well worth hearing.
Her video on “5 things to feed your chickens so they lay eggs all year” is one of her most popular, with more than 1.2 million views to date.
Becky says that the key to frequent egg-laying is in the nutritional value of the food you feed your chickens.
Her top 5 chicken foods are as follows:
1. Black Oil Sunflower Seeds
According to Becky, black oil sunflower seeds contain a lot of oil, which is a healthy fat for the birds.
2. Whole Corn
Becky clarified in the video that the whole corn she feeds her chickens is “animal corn”, which is different from “human corn” – or the sweet corn on the cob we enjoy. She reassured viewers that chickens can easily swallow this corn, and even little chicks have no problem with it.
3. Cleaned Oats
Cleaned oats are unprocessed and look different from oatmeal. Becky says that these oats are “economical and serve the purpose just fine”.
These oats can sprout into oat grass if left on the ground for long enough, which Becky says is great, as the chickens will then eat the sprouted grass.
4. Puppy Food
For her hens’ protein, Becky uses a slightly unusual food choice: puppy food. She says it can contain any type of meat, such as lamb or buffalo.
5. Diatomaceous Earth
Finally, Becky recommends diatomaceous earth to stop chickens from getting weak or sickly with worms.
There’s one extra food that Becky recommends, too: grit, or crushed oyster shells. This helps the chickens to grind their food up while they’re eating.
Becky mixes her ingredients in a garbage can.
She adds oats, then corn, then sunflower seeds, and diatomaceous earth. She then hand-mixes the ingredients until they’re combined.
As for the dog food, Becky feeds her chickens fresh food, rather than mixing it into the dry ingredients.
Learn more about preparing nutritious feed for your chickens in the video below!
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