Looey's Layers

05/10/2025

12/07/2025

🐔 What Chickens Can Eat (And What to Avoid)

✅ Safe:
• Apples, bananas, broccoli, berries, pumpkin, cucumbers, eggs, red tomatoes – full of nutrients & safe to digest.

🚫 Avoid:
• Avocado – contains persin, toxic to birds
• Green tomatoes – solanine can cause illness
• Onions – damage red blood cells
• Raw potatoes – contain harmful glycoalkaloids
• Cheese & bread – too salty, fatty, or processed
• Mushrooms – some are toxic
• Citrus (like oranges) – may affect calcium absorption

💡 Bread or cheese: small amounts only, not daily treats.

Feed with care, keep your hens happy.

23/06/2025

🌒🌞 Winter Solstice & Your Chickens – What’s Changing? 🌞🌒

Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year! From here, the daylight slowly starts increasing… and yes, your chickens will notice.

What to expect next:

📈 Egg laying may return
As the days get longer, hens’ hormones kick back into gear. Egg production might start to pick up—slowly but surely.

🪶 Moulting hens recover
If your flock’s been looking scruffy, longer light cues help trigger feather regrowth and body repair.

🍽️ Energy still matters
It’s still cold! Keep offering warming treats like cracked corn in the late afternoon to help hens stay cosy overnight.

So, while it’s our darkest day, the light is on its way back and your chooks will be right there with it.

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18/05/2025

🕵️ 🌟 Some ideas why your chookies may stop laying eggs 🌟

✅ Age – Older hens lay less Replace old hens with young layers (18–24 weeks).

✅ Molting – Hens shed feathers and pause laying.

✅ Light 💡 – Less daylight hours reduces their laying.

✅ Stress – Noise, predators, or changes can upset them

✅ Poor diet – Lack of protein or calcium.

✅ Illness 🦠 – Diseases affect egg production.

✅ Heat/cold 🌞 ❄️ – Extreme temps reduce their laying.

✅ Dehydration 💦 – Lack of water stops eggs.

✅ Parasites 🐛 – Mites or worms will cause stress.

✅ Broodiness 🐥 – Hen wants to hatch eggs.

13/05/2025

13/05/2025

Favorite Food for Chickens
Chickens' favorite foods vary depending on their access and diet, but some of the most popular ones are:
1. Cracked corn (they love it for its sweetness and energy).
2. Grains and seeds like wheat, barley, oats, or millet.
3. Fresh vegetables like collard greens, spinach, chard, and lettuce.
4. Fruits like chunks of watermelon, banana, apple, or cantaloupe.
5. Insects and worms (their favorite natural food).
6. Kitchen scraps like cooked rice, soaked bread, or unseasoned pasta.
7. Fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, or basil.
8. Purslane, which they often really enjoy for its flavor and freshness.
It's important to maintain a balanced diet with commercial feed as a base, and these options as a complement. Happy chickens produce better eggs!

12/05/2025

Hi Fellow Chook Lovers! Just a little info to help you. If you don’t hear back from me within the day it is very unusual.

With messenger…there is just a few of you guys that must have something in your privacy settings that doesn’t allow me to respond.
As much as I try to find you on your personal page after this happens some of you are still hidden or my message will go to your spam.

Please accept my apologies if this has happened to you but I hope it’s a little clearer now, and if this is the case give me a call 0488366318.

28/04/2025

🤣 give this a watch!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1ASGtv34xg/?mibextid=UalRPS

16/04/2025

For all the Bendigonians and surrounding areas!

Check this great deal out!

Golden Yolk Bonus Bags Are Back!
our Golden Yolk Chook Food BONUS BAGS are here again!

Grab a 22kg bag for just $26.95 and score an extra 2kg FREE – that’s more feed for your flock at the same great price!

Hurry in while stocks last – your hens (and wallet) will thank you!

21/01/2025

⭐️ TIPS TO KEEPING YOUR GIRLS LAYING EGGS REGULARLY ⭐️

I’ve pinched this from another site but nice easy handy info for everybody!

🐔 Provide Fresh, Clean Water

Hens need clean water daily—about 0.5 liters each, even more in hot weather. Dirty water or drinking from puddles can lead to diseases, so ensure they always have fresh water. Use enough waterers (one for every 10 hens) to avoid crowding and stress.

🐔 Reduce Stress Levels

Chickens are sensitive creatures, and stress can stop them from laying. Keep their environment calm by maintaining a steady routine, minimizing loud noises, and ensuring they feel safe from predators. If you’re adding new chickens, do it gradually to avoid disruptions.

🐔 Provide Enough Calcium

Calcium is essential for strong eggshells. If not if their feed, offer shellgrit or ground up cooked eggshells in a separate container so hens can eat it when they need it. Without enough calcium, they may lay soft or weak-shelled eggs.

🐔 Give Them Plenty Of Space

Crowded conditions can cause stress, aggression, and even health issues. Provide at least 0.5 square meters per chicken inside the coop and 1 square meter per hen in outdoor runs. Space will ensure better health and a more relaxed flock.

🐔 Monitor for Pests and Parasites

Parasites like mites, lice, and worms can weaken your hens and affect their egg production. Inspect your flock monthly, use anti-parasitic powder in the coop, and deworm as needed. Healthy hens are productive hens!

🐔 Keep the Coop Clean

A clean coop prevents illness and promotes laying. Remove droppings regularly, clean nesting areas often, and keep perches tidy. Avoid ammonia buildup, which can harm their respiratory health.

🐔 Help During Molting

Molting can stress hens out, but you can help them recover by increasing protein in their diet (20–22%). Treats like mealworms, cat food, or high-protein feed works wonders. Can even add vitamins to boost them up.

🐔 Feed Quality Food

A balanced diet is crucial. Use layer feed with at least 16% protein and supplement with natural options like grass, insects, and veggie scraps. Avoid overloading them with carbs (like bread or pasta), which can lead to obesity and lower egg production.

🐔 Add Supplemental Light in Winter

Hens need 14 hours of light daily to lay consistently. In winter, you can but don’t have to add gentle artificial light in the early morning or evening to maintain their cycle. Be cautious though as too much light can stress hens out and reduce their long-term productivity