Raising chickens can be both a rewarding hobby and a source of fresh, nutritious eggs. However, not all eggs are created equal, and the quality of eggs your chickens produce depends on several factors. From their diet to their living conditions, each element plays a role in ensuring your chickens lay eggs that are not only plentiful but also high in quality. Incorporating the right poultry health products and offering high-quality poultry feeds are essential steps to achieve this. In this guide, we’ll walk you through practical tips for improving egg quality while keeping your flock healthy and productive.
One of the many joys of raising a backyard flock is collecting fresh eggs from the coop, and then enjoying those fresh eggs in your cooking and baking! Grocery store eggs just don't compare to fresh eggs in taste, quality, and nutrition. Eggs contain all the nutrients needed to sustain life (except vitamin C). However, you can increase the nutrient density of your flock's eggs by feeding them a balanced diet and ensuring they receive the best possible care. Let's see how you can get optimal egg quality from your chickens!
The Best Nutrition for Chickens: How to Make High-Quality Eggs
You are what you eat certainly applies to the hen and her eggs. If her diet is deficient in any of the essential nutrients, the nutritional value of her eggs will also decrease. The more nutritious a hen's diet, the more nutritious her eggs will be. Not only must a hen eat a balanced diet, but her diet must also contain high-quality ingredients that are easily metabolized so that nutrients can get into her eggs.
Egg quality, yolk colour, flavour and egg nutrition can all be affected by the hen's diet. Some basic nutrients will not only produce good-quality eggs but also keep your chickens healthy!
A balanced diet
A high-quality layer feed will have the right balance of all the daily nutrients a hen needs to stay healthy and produce eggs. Feed should be made from high-quality ingredients, formulated for laying hens, and always fresh.
Key nutritional components of a good layer feed include:
- Carbohydrates – provide energy and fibre to the diet
- Protein - essential for all body functions
- Vitamins and Minerals – Essential for maintaining overall good health
- Fats – provide energy and help utilize nutrients in the diet
Layer feed should contain these essential elements in balanced proportions. Dietary imbalances can lead to health problems, such as excess fat in the diet causing excess fat to accumulate in the chicken's body. Dietary protein deficiency negatively affects the growth, development, egg production and immune system of chickens. A high-quality layer feed requires balanced nutrition.
Variety in diet
The diet of chickens should also be varied. Red junglefowl, the ancestors of our domestic chickens, were foragers. They will forage on the forest floor for a wide range of foods such as insects, nuts, seeds, grains and green leafy vegetables. Your pet chickens should be fed a balanced diet to supply them with the nutrients they need every day but can vary their diet by using healthy snacks, treats, supplements and feed.
This addition to your flock's diet will provide supplemental nutrition from a different source than your flock's daily feed. To keep your herd's diet balanced, these dietary supplements should be supplied sparingly.
Healthy snacks are foods that would naturally be part of a chicken's diet, such as dried insects or leafy greens. These foods supply essential nutrients such as protein and vitamins and do not detract from the overall nutrition your flock receives from their daily layer feed.
Treats are extra treats, such as table scraps, leftovers, or suit cakes. This food should be fed in moderation and should not exceed 10% of your flock's daily diet. Avoid foods that will add extra nutrition to your flock's diet and add extra calories to your flock's daily diet.
Supplement
Feeding your herd a balanced and varied diet can be helped by using essential supplements. Natural supplements are used for specific purposes in your flock's diet. An essential supplement that laying hens should always have access to is a calcium supplement.
Chickens need calcium to build strong, healthy eggshells. Hens get some calcium from layer feed, but sometimes additional calcium is needed to support proper body functions and egg production. Calcium supplements, such as crushed oyster shells, should be provided as a free alternative to your flock's daily feed.
Other supplements you might consider using for your backyard flock include herbal supplements, probiotic supplements, or vitamin and electrolyte supplements.
- Herbal supplements can help improve egg quality by adding nutrition and keeping the immune system strong to fight disease.
- Probiotic supplements help improve gut health. A chicken's gut is the central system for obtaining nutrients from its diet for optimal health and productivity.
- Vitamin and electrolyte supplements can help keep chickens hydrated and nourished during times of stress, such as high heat.
Required Nutrients for Higher-Quality Eggs
Every element of a hen's diet works in concert to give her the essential nutrients she needs to be healthy and produce wholesome, high-quality eggs. Although each nutrient is necessary to produce a healthy egg, some nutrients have a greater influence on egg quality than others.
A and D vitamins
The quality of a hen's eggs is significantly influenced by vitamins A and D. A hen's immune system and reproductive system are supported by vitamin A. A hen with a robust immune system will be able to maintain her health and devote more of her energy to producing healthy eggs. Carotenoids are abundant in meals high in vitamin A. Carotenoids aid in enhancing the yolk's colour. Green vegetables, carrots, nasturtiums, marigolds, and feed are all good sources of vitamin A for hens.
Calcium use and absorption depend on vitamin D. Making sure a hen's body can absorb and use the calcium supplements in her diet is just as crucial as building strong eggshells, which we have already covered. For strong, healthy eggs, make sure your flock has plenty of access to sunlight. It may be worthwhile to take vitamin D supplements if you reside in an area that receives little sunlight during specific seasons.
Calcium
Another nutrient which impacts egg quality is calcium, as you might expect. Strong eggshells must be made to safeguard the egg. To prevent a hen from needing to extract calcium from her bones to form robust eggshells, additional dietary calcium should be provided, such as oyster shells. But for a hen to assimilate the extra calcium, she also has to be fed vitamin D and phosphorus.
Protein
Finally, protein is a major contributor to egg quality and nutrition. They provide structure for bone and muscle development, maintain a strong immune system, are a major source of long-lasting energy, and are essential for virtually every function in a hen’s body, including the reproductive system.
Protein is essential in a hen’s diet to support a healthy reproductive system. Amino acids, in the form of hormones, are essential for the hen’s body to produce new eggs when it is time to lay eggs and to initiate other reproductive functions. The amino acids in a hen’s diet contribute to the protein content of her eggs, most of which is found in the albumen, or egg white.
A balanced layer feed should contain at least 16-17% protein. However, additional dietary protein is needed during times of stress or high production. You can supplement your hen’s diet with protein-rich foods to ensure that your hens are getting the protein they need. Here are some healthy protein-rich foods for chicken:
- black soldier fly grubs
- sprouted lentils
- eggs
- insects
- seeds
- meat
- field peas
Achieving the best eggs from your chickens isn’t just about their breed it’s about creating an environment where they thrive. Using trusted poultry health products, providing premium poultry feeds, and maintaining good living conditions are all vital components of a successful strategy. These poultry products not only support your chickens' overall well-being but also ensure they produce high-quality eggs consistently. Remember, a happy, well-cared-for chicken is a productive one, so invest in the right resources and care, and your flock will reward you with exceptional eggs.