As mixed flocks of pullets and roosters begin egg laying age, it is vital to provide them with high-quality layer feed containing essential proteins, calcium, vitamins and minerals for healthy eggs. Layer feed provides the right balance of these essential components.
Limiting snacks, treats, fruits, vegetables, scratch and table scraps to a balanced layer feed will help avoid nutrient dilution within it, leading to improved performance in your flock.
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Feed manufacturers must balance nutrient levels so that chickens receive enough protein, amino acids and fats for healthy development, as well as enough energy for body temperature regulation.
Ideal conditions for chickens include providing them with free access to food throughout the day, which allows flocks to fulfill their natural foraging and scratching instincts. Feed should also be free-choice so that hens may select whatever is necessary for strong egg shells and adequate calcium levels.
A hen’s primary job is laying eggs, and her diet must include essential nutrients that support her health and production. Their levels should be listed in its guaranteed analysis; some feeds claim high concentrations in certain vitamins or minerals but must clearly outline these levels in their guaranteed analysis.
Organic
Organic chicken feed can help ensure the health of a flock. Notably, these feeds tend to contain less fat – which might not seem like much at first glance but is an important consideration for some poultry owners.
Organic chicken feeds tend to be cheaper than their non-organic counterparts due to being created through less labor intensive processes than traditional feeds.
Organic chicken feeds are produced using less labor intensive processes while being free from genetically modified ingredients and thus better for the environment, drawing many poultry owners toward them. Kalmbach provides an organic mix that is nutritionally balanced for all the birds in a home flock – available as pellets and crumble. As soon as your flock reaches egg laying age, however, switching over to an organic layer feed with higher calcium levels that supports stronger eggshells should be done immediately.
Non-GMO
No matter if you are feeding chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys or quail; non-GMO feed can make all the difference for your mixed flock. This means that any food your birds consume has been carefully designed without genetically modified ingredients and this ensures optimal health and welfare.
Your mixed flock needs a diet tailored specifically to their laying hens’ specific nutritional needs, like protein, calcium and other vitamins that promote top egg production. Most veterinarians advise changing from starter/grower feed to quality layer feed once your flock reaches 20 weeks of age if possible.
Your mixed flock should feed exclusively organic and non-GMO feed. This approach offers greater peace of mind for their owners who are confident their birds are receiving healthy meals. This type of organic poultry food follows stringent USDA organic regulations throughout its life. Many flock owners feel more assured knowing their birds are well fed.
Ingredients
Most laying flocks require a high-protein feed with balanced amounts of proteins, calcium, vitamins and minerals – this feed offers 17.5% protein concentration to meet that need perfectly!
Oats contain protein, B vitamins and calcium; you can feed oat groats, steel-cut oats or rolled oats to give your flock all of the nutrition they require.
This feed includes prebiotics and probiotics to promote gut health in your flock. Probiotics help balance gut microbes that have an impactful impact on immune and reproductive wellbeing.
Mixed flocks of roosters and hens will benefit from using this same feed; however, adding 10 week old pullets into the mix requires grower feed until they start laying at 18 weeks; at that point they can switch over to layer feed. As an extra measure to ensure all the calcium they require, free-choice crushed egg shell or aragonite should also be made available as free feed for free-choice consumption by your flock of chickens.
