This may sound like a daft question, but what do you all feed your free range hens? Ours currently have the run of five acres, and are just fed a scoop of wheat in the morning, and again at night (we took on the existing flock when we moved into the house, and just kept everything the same, since this is what had been done for years). However, the number of eggs we get is pretty disappointing (only two or three a day, from ten hens of laying age), and I'm trying to work out why.
I tried giving them layers pellets ad-lib, to see if that improved things, but to be honest they weren't that interested.
So what do the rest of you do, and do you have any good ideas as to what should I try next?
Just a few ideas
1 - How old are they, if they are getting on a bit they will lay less and less eggs generally
2 - If they are "laying away" can the crows magpies rats squirrels etc get to any of the eggs
3 - If they have found a good unfindable nest then yes - they will lay 600 eggs there, though normally breaking at least 6 of them every time they lay one, and teaching them to egg eats in the process
4 - Have they got mites - pick one up, blow the feathers apart and see if you can see anything running about. Alternatively carry one round under your arm for about 5 mins. Any itching, skin crawling later on and they are infected with something Also check round there bums for signs of lice eggs
5 - Are they going into moult, we are coming up to that time of year. More feathers than normal round the place is a giveaway
6 - Any chance they have a worm burden. If they were there when you went there might have been hens kept in the same pen for many years
7 - Do you have an egg eater. In the morning before you let them out try putting an unbroken egg on the floor and see the reaction. If one or more go over and start to peck at it suspect the worst.
8 - Wheat alone will not have the protein they need to produce the quantity of eggs we have come to expect. Though it is a lot cheaper, so perhaps cost per egg is something to take into account. Also hens are hatched with fully developed ovaries, so that hen will only lay that number of eggs however long it lives. If you are against pellets try adding higher protein grains such as peas or soya, or sprout your wheat.
You have probably considered most of these potential problems already, but there might be others reading this thread with a similar question, so I hope you don't mind me putting them in.
All the best
Sue