New folks treating chicken feed like it's all the same is driving me nuts

I've been keeping backyard hens for about 12 years now, and every spring I see people on here tossing their layers the same scratch mix they feed in July. Come winter, those birds need more protein and less corn to keep laying and stay warm through a 20 degree night. Last January I switched my flock to a 20% protein feed and added black oil sunflower seeds, and my egg production barely dipped. Why do so many people think one bag of feed works all year round?

2 comments

2 Comments

troyp371mo ago

Switching to higher protein in winter is the biggest game changer nobody talks about. I bump mine up to 20% around November and toss in dried mealworms as a scratch treat. That extra corn they pack on in summer just makes them sluggish when it's cold. Have you noticed a difference in feather quality too after adding the black oil sunflower seeds?

schmidt.amy1mo ago

Heard a poultry vet on a podcast say protein is key for keeping birds warm since it takes more energy to digest. Feather quality definitely improved for me after I added those sunflower seeds, but the mealworms seem to make the biggest difference.