Home made food?

[lettucegrow!]

I hadn't thought about the changes in the breed and the fact that they are bred for high numbers of eggs. What rate did the hens of years gone by lay at ,does anyone know? It makes sense then that the fed is specially formulated for our modern day breeds. Oh well, it was just a thought. But I do enjoy making their diet more interesting and they do like eating ,don't they?

[bluemoon]

I think the good strains of Rhode Island Reds, Light Sussex and White Leghorns used to lay between 200 and 250 eggs per year, modern hybrids lay upwards of 300, I think white stars are said to lay 320, which doesn't give them many days off. It's one of the reasons I finally decided against hybrids, a pure breed is going to give me fewer eggs, but it will all seem a little more relaxed and I will be able to give them a varied diet without worrying too much. I don't have much choice really, my two cockerels raid my bag if I don't produce the treats fast enough and the girls are learning fast.

[Flummery]

Many of the hybrids are crosses between Rhode Islands and Light Sussex for that reason - they are good egg layers as pure breeds. Some of the other pure breeds would only manage 100 or so a year. They are bound to have different feed requirements when you take that into account.