How to Properly Feed Chickens

What and How Much to Feed Chickens

Feeding your chickens can be overwhelming to those new to the practice and even to experienced poultry keepers. The first step when choosing a formula for your chickens is to determine their age, your budget, and any extra specifications you want your chickens to have.

How Age Impacts Chicken Feed Choices

• Newly hatched chicks aged 0-10 weeks should be fed a starter feed. The high protein in these feeds, 10-20%, allows birds to grow and develop.
• Chicks aged 10-18 weeks should be fed a grower feed. The medium-high protein content, around 15-16%, allows for birds to gain weight and grow to full size.
• When your pullet reaches laying age or 18 weeks, she should be switched to layer feed. This has a protein content of 15-18% and added calcium, vitamins, and minerals designed to sustain the process of daily laying.

Good nutrition is crucial to maintaining a healthy flock. All chickens should be fed a crumble or pelleted diet formulated to meet their nutritional needs. They should get plenty of fresh feed daily and should be allowed to eat as much as they want.

— For the Birds, DVM

Important Terms to Know

• Organic: Chicken feed must be grown without using pesticides, antibiotics, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers and without using genetically modified cereals or plants.
• Vegetarian: Feed that is free of animal by-products.
• Whole Grain: The grains contain all the essential parts and naturally occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed in their original proportions.
• Corn-Free: Contains no corn or corn byproducts.
• Medicated Feed: Feed which includes amprolium, a coccidiosis preventer.

Determining Your Budget

A good place to start is the budget. On average, a hen eats 1/4 a pound of feed daily. Multiply this by the number of hens you have and then by the number of days you expect to keep your hens.

A hen, at its peak laying age (1 year), will lay 250 eggs a year. By year two, this decreases to 80% of their peak, year three 70%, year four 60%, year five 50%, year six 45%, and year 7 35%.

You can use this information to calculate how much your chickens will be making you per year compared to their feed cost. Keep in mind organic eggs sell for more, and quality feed can increase the number of eggs laid, as well as practices such as lighting the coop during winter.

An Example of Feed Options

Scratch, Grit, and Shells

There are three essentials that are not considered main feed for your chickens but are needed for laying hens. These are scratch, grit, and shells.

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• Scratch is a cheaper filler food to add in small amounts to your feed. It is not nutritionally necessary and can cause harm if fed too much, but it stretches your feed and helps motivate finicky eaters.
• Grit is little ground-up rocks or pebbles that birds need to eat. The grit stays in the crop and acts as a grinder for the large pieces of food consumed. This can prevent things like sour crop and choking.
• Oyster Shells/Poultry Shells are a necessary additive to layer with hen feed. They can be mixed in the feed or served separately. They replace the calcium the hens lose while laying eggs and are important to egg development and hen health.

Types of Chicken Treats

Many people want to spoil their birds, and there are many options for chicken treats. Here are a few of them.

• Dried insects
• Dried River Shrimp
• Roses, dandelions, and other flowers
• Vegetable scraps
• Fruit scraps
• Herbs
• Black oil sunflower seeds
• Fresh grass

These are treats, and should not be fed in excess.

Chicken Supplements and Additives

There are many supplements and additives to use in your poultry feed or water. Here are a few to be aware of.

• Probiotics are a good way to maintain healthy digestion and help sick birds recover.
• Brewer's yeast and enzymes also help regulate the digestive tract.
• Oregano is a natural antibiotic and guards against infection.
• Apple cider vinegar contains important probiotics.
• Bee pollen can dramatically increase the health of your flock, containing all essential amino acids.
• Electrolytes are good for sick chickens to maintain water intake.

Do Your Research

With the increase in the popularity of backyard chickens, there comes a large variety of options to feed your birds. The secret is that you cannot go wrong if you research and choose your food based on your own needs; whether you care most about cost or want to spoil your fluffy birds, there is a feed that is right for you.

Ask your local poultry groups and mentors about their favorites and make an educated decision. I wish you well on your journey!

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

© 2020 Ava Crawford