What to feed layer chickens?

Ensure laying hens always have access to clean, fresh water. Eggs are approximately 75% water, and a laying hen drinks 1–2 cups (about 500 mL) of water per day under normal conditions — double that in hot weather. Even a few hours without water can reduce egg production, and prolonged dehydration…

Restrict all treats — scratch grains, kitchen scraps, mealworms, greens — to no more than 10% of a hen's total daily food intake. Scratch grains contain only 7–9% protein compared to 16% in layer feed, so every bite of scratch displaces balanced nutrition. Overfeeding treats is the most common…

Provide a quality commercial layer feed formulated with 16% protein as the primary diet for laying hens. Layer feed is specifically balanced with the protein, calcium (3.5–4.5%), phosphorus, and amino acids (especially methionine and lysine) that hens need for sustained egg production. Allow…

Provide crushed oyster shell or limestone in a separate container so laying hens can self-regulate their calcium intake. Each egg requires roughly 4–5 grams of calcium for shell formation, and high-producing hens often need more than layer feed alone provides. Oyster shell dissolves slowly in the…

Soak commercial layer feed in water for 3–4 days in a food-grade bucket until it becomes bubbly and has a slightly sour smell, similar to sourdough. Fermented feed increases nutrient bioavailability through the action of naturally occurring lactobacillus bacteria, which partially pre-digest the…

Provide insoluble poultry grit (granite chips) in a separate dish for hens that do not free-range on natural ground. The gizzard uses stored grit to grind food — without it, hens cannot properly digest whole grains, seeds, or fibrous greens from treats and foraging. Free-ranging hens pick up…