Chicken Feed 101

[Anonymous]

Hi guys, its me, norris again... here to ask questions... lol

I have been reading a lot i just want to clarify some things about chicken feed... all I know is that the chicks need fresh water all the time and plus I put a tablespoon of sugar per quart of water, is that effective? i just read it on some magazine... but my primary question is what specific type of feed should i give for chicks, growers and grown up chickens... I am currently feeding my chicks the starter feed.. what are the best feeds in the market? economy wise... cheap but the best... hehe

thanks in advance...

norris

 

[Chuck]

Can't really say what's best or what's cheapest as it depends on where you are and what you can get hold of within reasonable distance.

Chick starter crumbs at first, then growers pellets, then layers pellets or mash. Corn, either plain wheat or mixed with maize can provide part of the diet.

I have never heard of adding sugar and it doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Chicks should not need anything other than the starter feed and plain, clean water changed often so it doesn't get stale (three or four times a day here). They do well if you can get them out on clean short grass.

Chickens don't need half the additives that are supposed to be essential to keep them alive ! Well that's my experience anyway and mine need to be well cared for as I need eggs to sell.

Many breeds of chicken don't really need layers rations as they it is formulated for high producing birds.

 

[Sue]

I'm interested in your comment Chuck regarding 'many breeds of chicken don't really need layers rations'. As you know I just have 6 hens in the back garden and I'm feeding them layers pellets and fresh veg and corn in the afternoon. Am I therefore giving them too much with the layers pellets? Should I be feeding them something else? I don't care whether they produce an egg every day, they're just a hobby and the eggs are a bonus. I would rather they lived longer than produce hundreds of eggs!

 

[Chuck]

Most of the Pure Breed chickens are only moderate layers compared to the hybrids kept under intensive conditions. Layers pellets can be watered down by as much as 50% wheat. I wouldn't go for 50% mixed corn as the maize tends to be fattening. OK as a scratch feed though and to train them with. Fruit, veg, titbits in moderation are fine.

The show folk maintain they need a high protein diet and all kinds of extras for all the fluff and frizzle and perhaps they do.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks chuck... additional question, while i was waiting for a reply on my post it make me wonder about the protein part of the chickens diet.... it just came into my mind... would earthworms and bugs sufficient for the protein needs of the chooks? because i have read some articles that chooks need more proteins and feeding them earthworm and bugs isnt sufficient at all... it says fish meat is the best... wow this is being expensive... lol

 

[Chuck]

It's getting harder to keep up with you as I don't know what you're reading but I'm almost at the point of advising you to throw it away !!!!! You are better to get one good beginners book and stick to that.

Worms and other crawlies are readily eaten by chicken of all ages and are a good source of protein but it's best to look upon them as a treat or a bonus. You really need to suss out a good basic diet for them in the first instance and fiddle later.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks chuck.. actually the book i am reading is "Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow" it says it in here that...

"More than 36 nutrients have been identified as being essential to chickens. Since no single ingredient contains all the necessry nutrients, the best ration includes a combination of ingredients that together satisy a chicken's requirements.

Nutritional problems don't always result from deficiencies, but can be caused by excess. Too much of any nutrient, or lack of balance between nutrients, can be just as devasting as a deficiency, so don't be too quick to pump your birds full of nutritional supplements."

and for the protein part, it doesnt say fish... it says cat food... though when i browse the net some say fish meat.

"Feathers are 85 percent protein Protein requirements therefore increase during the annual molt, ..../ ... When your flock is about to moult.../... begin tossing a handful of dry cat food into the yard every other day. Use cat food, rather than dog food, because cat food contains animal protein (which is rich in amino acids), while most brands of dog food are top-heavy with grains.
...//...
Excess protein in a chicken's diet is converted to uric acid and deposited as crystals in joints, causing gout."

please tell me if this is wrong.... im really confused...

 

[Marigold]

Earthworms are a good source of protein but you shouldn't let your birds have large numbers of them, especially your young ones, as the earth which is passing through the earthworms bodies and gets eaten by the chicken may contain the eggs of the sorts of worms which chickens are affected by. The eggs from the earthworm bodies grow in the chickens gut and cause them all sorts of problems and loss of condition, and then this crop of worms lay eggs in the chickens gut which pass out in the birds' droppings, fall to the ground, and in time are eaten by earthworms or picked up again by the chickens when they're scratching around, and so the worm cycle is established.

You need to worm your chickens every 6 months with Flubenvet. There are other herbal preparations on the market which help to maintain condition but these are not so effective against a worm outbreak. It's also important to move young birds like yours on to clean grass as often as possible, as the grass will provide all the 'extras' they need. I have two 9-weeek-old growers at the moment and in the day they go out into a small sheltered grass run with a roof to keep off any rain, and back in to their part of the main run at teatime. Every day I move the run on to a clean bit and pick up and hose in the droppings to keep the grass growing.

Just keep your chicks on chick crumb until they're 7 weeks old, then begin mixing in growers pellets, 1/3 in Week 8, 2/3 in Week 9 and then 100% growers by Week 10. If they have grass as well they need nothing else. You can give very small amounts of chicken corn to get them to come to you and become tame enough to handle, but this shouldn't be more than a small treat. Keep them on growers pellets until they're at least 20 weeks old, or preferably until the first one lays an egg, and then switch to layers food. You may need to put them in with any older birds you have before 20+ weeks and it's OK to change them to layers after 18 weeks, but up until then it's better for their development not to be exposed to the high calcium content of layers pellets whilst they're still growing and don't need to make an eggshell each day.

 

[Chuck]

No the book is not wrong in fact the bit that says 'don't be too quick to pump your birds with nutritional suppliments' is something I very much agree with. Giving cat food I definately don't agree with.

My simple message is that there are compound feeds on the market which are suitable as complete feeds for all stages of their lives. Therefore we don't have to concern ourselves with trying to work out what will make up a balanced diet.

I first kept hens in 1950 when I was nine and we had mixed corn and chicken meal. All the potato and veg peelings were boiled, along with any other household scraps. This was mixed with mash and was their staple diet along with mixed corn. Most of the hens around then were Rhode Island Reds X Light Sussex which were moderate layers compared to the hybrids which came a few years later in the 1960's. I didn't read any books, I learned from my father who let me get on with things but was there if I needed him i learned to hatch eggs under broodies and a couple of years later we cycled about six miles to the local hatchery on a friday for day old chicks. When I read on the Forum about some of the pickles people get into hatching eggs using broodies I find it unbelievable ! I don't remember chickens as being anywhere near as unhealthy as the general population is now either.

Didn't mean to ramble but it should illustrate that you don't have to be that scientific - it isn't rocket science !

By the way, from Monday, my fees are up by 50% !