When we decided that we’d start our own chicken farm, it was easy to get chickens. However, it wasn’t easy to get the accessories and the foods you need for chickens. We faced a pretty tough time while we were looking for the best laying mash for chickens.
The reason was simple. Most of them had bad ingredients and chemicals that would harm the chickens. And we’ve seen lots of dead bodies too.
But since our business is a successful one now, we think we should tell our readers which one to buy. So here are the top 6 laying mashes we can recommend to you.
Quick View: 6 Best Laying Mash for Chickens
- Manna Pro Omega Egg Maker
- Picky Peckers Organic Chicken Layer Feed
- Nutrena Country Feeds 16% Layer Pellets Chicken Feed
- Purina Layena | Nutritionally Complete Layer Hen Feed Crumbles
- Manna Pro Crushed Oyster Shell
- Manna Pro 6 Grain and Flaxseed Scratch
Things to Consider Before Buying Laying Mash for Chickens
Even though we are about to review and suggest all the top-notch products, you should know how to pick the most suitable one for your flock.
So here are factors you need to consider before getting laying mash to guarantee your birds’ incredible growth.
Ingredients
While buying a pack of laying mash, you need to make sure it has a perfect blend of ingredients required by your birds. As they produce eggs, their diet should have a proper balance of calcium, proteins, and vitamins to keep them hearty.
Always go for something that comes with a higher amount of protein as your flock needs to gain weight and muscle formation. Moreover, lack of it may result in weak chicks, and that’s not what you want.
Besides, maintaining a proper supply of calcium is necessary for stronger eggshells. Otherwise, they will get broken before having any chance of growing up. An ample amount of calcium makes sure that the shells are not vulnerable to breakage.
In this way, you can protect the eggs and give them a better chance to endure.
Type of Feed
You also need to decide what type of feed you want to give to your hens. And this can be determined according to their demands.
→ Medicated
When the supplement contains Amprolium, you can feed it to your kitchen as a protection against various diseases. In addition, it helps to keep them healthy and reduces the chances of illnesses such as coccidiosis.
→ Fermented
Fermented feeds are a top-grade source of vitamins and nutrients for your chickens. Additionally, this item can be used for neutralizing toxins, which is another excellent advantage of it.
Once you feed fermented supplements to your birds, they won’t be hungry for a long time. Hence, if you are looking for ways to ct costs, you can look at this option.
→ Nutrients
We all know that chickens need all the nutrients to maintain optimal health conditions. Especially when they are laying eggs, you need to take better care of them.
So make sure that the supplement you are feeding has a good blend of carb, protein, fats, and vitamins so the flock can be in their most excellent health condition.
Some formulas come with an additional oyster shell to balance the calcium level. You can add those to the regular feed to promote the survival of the eggs.
→ Organic Feed
Organic chick formulas are made with all-natural, corn-free, and soy-free ingredients. Well, that sounds like a jackpot, doesn’t it?
You can buy it if you want, and they offer outstanding benefits for your flock. However, these packs are hard to find, and they tend to be more expensive than the regular ones.
However, if you can deal with the cost, nothing should stop you from getting this fantastic supplement.
Non-GMO
When the feed is non-GMO, it means the supplement is totally additive-free! Therefore, you don’t have to worry about digestion or health issues, and the immune system will be better than ever.
Texture
Indeed mash is an excellent texture to feed your layers. However, you need to learn about varieties of consistency if you want to have better knowledge.
→ Mash
The mash feed has a texture of pot soils that you use for planting trees. It is a loose and more refined version of regular supplements.
→ Crumble
The crumbles are not a more delicate powder like the mash one, and they are not as dense as the pellets. So it has the consistency of oatmeal.
→ Pellets
Pellets come with a compact cylindrical shape and the most common of them all. And you can always pick them up if your birds knock over the pot!
→ Shell Grit
The shell grits are specifically made for layer chickens with an extra dosage of calcium. In this way, the eggs come out with a robust shell.
→ Chicken Scratch
This isn’t technically chicken feed, just a special treat for the flock! This pack contains cracked corns and grain that birds love to eat but doesn’t offer much nutritional value.
6 Best Laying Mash for Chicken in 2021
Here are our reviews of the top six laying mash that you can get for your birds. All of them will help you the optimal health condition of the flock effortlessly.
1. Manna Pro Omega Egg Maker
The first product in our review is the Manna Pro Omega Egg maker that is fortified especially for laying hens. It is easy to intake, and your chicks will love the taste of it; there is no doubt in that!
We really loved the fact that this feed is made with extra shots of Omega-3 fatty acids. So, after gulping this supplement, the yolks will be rich-colored, full of nutrition and vitamins.
While testing different feeds, we have found that some can cause problems due to their enriched formula. However, you don’t have to face such a thing with this one regarding direct-feed microbial for trouble-free digestions.
Moreover, if you are trying to save money, it is the most excellent option you have. All you need is 1tbsn of this supplement, and your hens will be healthier than ever.
A tiny amount of it goes a long way, so obviously, you are getting a greater value for the money.
When you are raising chicken to be mothers in the future, you should carefully monitor their protein intake. Otherwise, their muscle will not be developed enough to lay eggs.
However, this formula is made with 25% protein that ensures better health and weight gain that your birds need for producing healthy eggs.
On top of everything, when you eat these Omega-3 enriched eggs, you will get fantastic health benefits. This fatty acid supports a good night’s sleep, shiny hair, lowers blood pressure and improves heart condition. So we believe it’s a real win-win situation!
Pros
Cons
2. Picky Peckers Organic Chicken Layer Feed
It doesn’t matter if you are a human or chicken; organic foods are better for everyone. Therefore, after going through tons of all-natural supplements, we have got this Picky Peckers layer feed guaranteed to provide the most advantageous experience.
It is designed to be a complete feed throughout the ten days of laying eggs. Hence, you don’t have to feed any additional formula as this one is enough to fulfill your flock’s nutritional needs.
One of the most admirable things about this feed is that it is packed with natural superfoods to boost your birds’ health. It contains alfalfa, flaxseed, kelp, and sunflower seed so the layers can have everything to form hale and hearty eggs all the time.
The formula is full of vitamin A, B1, B6, E, and K. All these minerals will keep the chicks healthy, and there will be fewer chances of infertile eggs. And that’s a relief.
Besides, this supplement is enriched with omega-3 fatty acids to make the yolks stronger than ever. And it has 16% protein that ensures that the birds are healthily gaining weight.
As it is a Non-GMO product, there are no artificial colors and flavors added to it. Hence, once you start feeding your chicken this feed, you will never have to worry about their health condition.
This supplement comes with a whole grain formula that chickens love to eat. And it also makes sure that the flock is getting all the nutrients they need without having any digestion problem.
However, when it’s about price, this feed is a little expensive. But when you think about the benefits you are getting, the price tag won’t feel that hefty; we can assure you that.
Pros
Cons
3. Nutrena Country Feeds 16% Layer Pellets Chicken Feed
Sometimes we can’t figure out enough time to take care of our layer hens. Well, in that case, this Nutrena Country Feeds will be a lifesaver as it is a complete formula. Once you buy this, you don’t have to worry about additional supplements whatsoever.
To keep your egg-producing chickens healthier than ever, it is fortified with 16% protein. Therefore, your flock will gain weight and become strong without any extra care. Yes, it may sound like a dream, but it is the truth!
When it’s about feeding older hens, we face many issues such as lack of nutrition, ingestion problem, etc. Moreover, they start to avoid any food at a point. And that’s when you can utilize this formula.
It will help the older flock to gain their strength and become healthier in no time. Furthermore, chickens love the taste of this formula, which is another miracle that comes with it!
With this feed, you can create an excellent balance of protein intake, vitamins, and minerals to boost stronger eggshells, hearty yolks, and a greater production rate. What else do we need?
Now let us tell you the most incredible thing about this fantastic food supplement. It comes with a no-corn and no-soy formula!
When a pack is jammed with corns and soy, they just add the weight. So they don’t really offer any additional value to the health condition. Moreover, excessive corn intake promotes poor egg production, which isn’t acceptable at all!
So as this feed comes without this nonsense, you can keep faith in it if you want to ensure a better lifestyle for your birds.
Pros
Cons
4. Purina Layena | Nutritionally Complete Layer Hen Feed Crumbles
It is another chicken feed in our list that is made with a crumbly texture. This Purina Layena supplement acts as a complete formula to boost the health conditions of laying flocks. And we would love to have something that offers this advantage, don’t we?
While nurturing laying hens, we should always maintain an optimal amount of calcium in their diet. This mineral will help the eggs to have stronger shells so they can survive without any struggle.
And we are glad to inform you that this formula is fortified with an ample amount of calcium to maintain a perfect health regime for the chicks.
The most admirable thing we found out that this supplement is full of Xanthophyll. Don’t worry; it is not any artificial formula, just a coloring agent derived from marigold plants. Thanks to this ingredient, the yolks are guaranteed to have the richest yellow color you will ever get to see.
Well, that’s something worthy of our money, don’t you think?
On top of everything, this formula comes with an astonishing amount of amino acids such as lysine and methionine. These acids promote beautiful feather growth and make your flock look more graceful than ever.
Besides, these nutrients will make the egg delicious, which is another admirable thing about this feed.
The pack is full of vitamin A, D, and E to boost your chicks’ growth and turn them into healthy adults. Moreover, their overall health will also be maintained, which is another advantage you will get if you choose to get it.
It is one of those chicken feeds that are formulated with probiotics, prebiotics, and yeast. In this way, you can ensure an enhanced immune system and digestive conditions for your precious birds. And who wouldn’t love to have that?
Pros
Cons
5. Manna Pro Crushed Oyster Shell
As the Manna Pro is one of the most reputed brands to produce quality chicken feed, we couldn’t help but adding this product to our review. With all the right reasons, this pack has earned its place in our reason, so let’s get acquainted with its unique formula.
The first thing we love to mention is the addition of an oyster shell. It is an excellent source of calcium that boosts the strength of your flock. Moreover, the eggshells will be sturdier than ever, so they have a better survival chance.
Now you may think that what if the oyster shells are hard to intake or cause any digestive issues in the future. Well, you don’t have to worry about that at all, as the shells come with pellet size and texture. Therefore, any laying hen can eat it without any trouble.
The pack is available from five to fifty pounds size; hence, you can get any amount according to your needs. And to make the diet more powerful, you can mix this shell formula with other supplements to ensure a better health regime for the flock.
However, while feeding it, you need to make sure that your hens are at least 18 weeks old. If so, you can serve it to them during the whole laying period for a better experience.
In addition, the product is entirely heat-treated to purity. So if you are doubtful about any food supplements, you can switch to this one without any confusion.
Pros
Cons
6. Manna Pro 6 Grain and Flaxseed Scratch
Let’s end our review with a bang, shall we?
The Manna Pro 6 Grain and Flaxseed Scratch feed is made to boost any adult chicken’s health. It is fortified with superfoods such as flaxseed to provide the ultimate health boost to your chicks.
It is specially formulated to enhance the foraging behavior of your hens. And you don’t see this every day in common chicken feeds! And this is something you need for your flock without any doubt.
As the ingredients are non-GMO, you don’t have to worry about health issues ever again. In addition, it means that the supplement is totally additive-free, which is excellent news for people like us who wants the best for their precious birds.
Not just flaxseed, the package contains six different types of whole grains. Therefore, your laying chickens will be well-fed all the time. Additionally, they will be able to maintain a perfect weight limit for better egg production.
Now it is time for us to tell you about the most incredible thing we found out about this product. It is a versatile formula; hence, you can serve it to your ducks and goslings without any trouble. So this item is a real money-saver, isn’t it?
Pros
Cons
Benefits of Laying Mash
Laying mash is specially formulated with extra nutrients to promote the egg production of hens. It also encourages the natural forager behavior of chickens so they can maintain healthy eating habit.
Here are the fantastic benefits of feeding laying mash to your hens.
Increased Egg Production
As laying mashes are packed with beneficial ingredients, the hens can now produce more eggs without ruining their health conditions. Moreover, this feed ensures that your eggs get everything to form a healthy chick without any complications.
Excellent Source of Protein
Layer hens need a proper supply of protein to maintain a balanced weight and muscle growth. These amazing mash feeds take care of this intake as they are usually made with 16-25 percent protein contents.
Easy to Digest
Mash feeds are easy to digest. Therefore, if you have any older laying hen, you can serve this item to them for trouble-free ingestion.
Final Words
According to our research and experience, we would like to pass the crown of victory to the Manna Pro Omega Egg Maker. It is affordable, enriched with fatty acids, nutrients and contains the maximum amount of protein. Therefore, we couldn’t help but announce it as the best laying mash for chickens.
However, if you are looking for a versatile option, you can go for the Manna Pro 6 Grain and Flaxseed Scratch, as it can be fed to any bird. Moreover, it won’t burn a hole in your pocket, which is a relief!
It doesn’t really matter which product you choose from our recommendation; you will never get disappointed. So for the most favorable experience, stick to this guide!