My neighbor swore by feeding chickens yogurt for winter egg production...then our first freeze hit

So my neighbor Bob, who's had chickens for like 15 years, told me to mix plain yogurt into their feed every morning starting in November. He said the probiotics would keep them laying through December like magic. I tried it for three weeks straight and my girls actually laid less, plus two of them got runny droppings. I switched back to just their regular layer feed with some scratch and they picked right back up. Anyone else get advice from an old timer that totally backfired on them?

2 comments

2 Comments

simon_wood725d ago

Whoa, I gotta say I used to be totally on board with that yogurt trick. Read it in some old farming book years ago and swore by it for a solid two seasons. But last winter I tried it again after a few years off and my flock had the exact same problem - loose droppings and fewer eggs. I actually lost a hen to some kind of digestive issue right around Christmas and I can't help but wonder if the yogurt messed with her gut. I'm fully on your side now, I think the old timers meant well but modern feed is so balanced that adding extras just throws everything off.

wilson.emma5d ago

The "I think the old timers meant well" part really stood out to me. But I'm not totally sold on blaming the yogurt though. I mean, could it have been something else like a bad batch of feed or maybe a virus going through your flock at the same time? Loose droppings and fewer eggs can come from a ton of things, not just a little extra probiotic. I'd be careful about pinning it on one thing without ruling other stuff out first.