Dependent upon the season and type of flock you own, there are a range of chicken feed supplements that can enhance its performance. From egg quality and production to heat stress relief, adding these supplements into their feed will aid with both egg quality and production as well as relief of heat stress symptoms.
Grit is an all-year round supplement for poultry flocks living on grassy runs or sandy coop areas, providing small bits of rocky material which help their gizzard grind food more effectively.
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Grit
Grit refers to passion and perseverance towards long-term goals, often associated with intelligence but learned through daily habits and self-control.
Chickens require grit to help break down food in their gizzard. While free-ranging birds use small rocks as an aid for this task, backyard poultry owners typically provide shell grit as a supplement that aids their chickens’ digestion of feed and ensure they produce strong eggs.
Shell grit is made up of ground up seashells that resemble coarse sand in texture and appearance. Hens can become sick without enough grit in their system; the grit helps break up their food into manageable particles for proper digestion. Some people make their own by crushing up eggshells and baking them before feeding back as calcium supplements for their chickens to eat as free-choice supplements; mixing insoluble grit into feed can be hazardous to their health.
Oyster Shell/Calcium
Oyster shell is packed with calcium, a crucial nutrient for chickens. When added to feed, oyster shell can help prevent calcium deficiency – often seen by thin or weak eggshells — while simultaneously supporting long-term health of all stages.
Calcium aids hens in creating hard, protective eggshells to keep bacteria out. Furthermore, calcium plays an integral role in muscle function, blood clotting and enzyme activity within the body.
Oyster shell calcium provides a slow release of its essential nutrient during the night when laying hens require it most for creating strong and nutritious eggs. Vitamin D acts like an intermediary in transporting this calcium directly into laying hens’ bloodstreams; manganese helps bind calcium molecules together so they form stronger structures.
Oyster shell supplements offer an effective and simple way to meet hens’ calcium needs in their diets.
Electrolytes
Electrolyte supplements may make the difference between life and death for poultry experiencing heat exhaustion, stress, injury or dehydration. When mixed with water, electrolyte powders replace lost electrolytes while also providing vital nutrients that promote healing of injuries. Keep one bottle handy in your chicken first aid kit.
Studies have demonstrated the significance of maintaining an optimal dietary electrolyte balance (dEB) to poultry performance. Achieve optimal dEB involves feeding diets with sufficient salts that maintain proper levels of sodium (Na), potassium (K) and chloride (Cl). For best results, feed those diets that include all these key ions such as sodium, potassium and chloride.
This supplement includes vitamin E to protect cells from oxidative damage and support immunity; B12 for healthy growth and appetite in birds; calcium to promote bone health, control heart rate and blood clotting rates, and support overall development – suitable for chickens of all ages! The formula has also been specifically tailored for optimal performance by using vitamins E and B12.
Flaxseed
Flax seeds (or linseed) are tiny brown seeds packed with an array of essential vitamins and nutrients. Widely considered a superfood, flax has been consumed by cultures worldwide for millennia.
Flax seed can be added to poultry feed to increase omega-3 fatty acid levels in their eggs, helping lower risk for heart disease and other serious health conditions. This healthy fat source is essential in providing your flock with essential omega-3s.
Integrating whole flax seeds into your chickens’ diets will give them access to prebiotics, which may help improve gut health and cholesterol reduction. Flaxseed also contains high amounts of fiber, helping them stay full for longer.
Be mindful that when adding whole flax seeds to the feed of your flock, grinding them first is often best to ease digestion and release all their nutritional value. A coffee grinder or mortar and pestle is perfect for this task; just remember to store any leftover ground flaxseed properly as it could spoil quickly!
