Different Types of Chicken Feed

different types of chicken feed

There are various forms of poultry feed. Pellets are the most widely available commercial feed form; their compact cylinder shape minimizes waste while their digestible carbs serve as energy sources for your chooks.

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Organic and non-GMO feed are popular choices among flock owners. Their ingredients mimic what chickens would typically find in nature such as insects and grubs, providing optimal conditions for flock health.

Contents

Pellets

Pellets are a form of chicken food characterized by compact and uniform cylindrical pellets that produce minimal waste when fed to backyard flocks. Pellets tend to produce less debris and mess compared with crumbles.

Pelled feeds are an ideal option for beginner breeders as they’re easier to administer and more likely to remain consistent over time. Numerous studies have also demonstrated how pelleted diets provide improved laying performance, protein metabolism and egg weight than their mash counterparts.

Protein for pelleting comes from various sources including soybean, canola or sunflower meal as well as animal by-products such as fish meal or feather meal.

Mash

Mash can provide an instant source of warmth in winter months and help support digestive health during periods of increased stress. Furthermore, it may serve to stimulate appetite.

Mashing should take place at temperatures 152degF to best take advantage of Beta-Amylase enzyme activity and extract as many fermentable sugars from starches as possible. At lower temperatures, however, starch gelatinisation decreases and therefore the thickness of your mash becomes compromised.

Speedi-Beet and Fibre-Beet from British Horse Feeds contain “super fibers”, which are more readily digested than forage fibre and deliver energy at similar levels without straining the gut. These feeds are particularly helpful for horses needing low starch diets such as ulcer-prone horses and veterans recovering from trauma.

Crumbles

Crumbles are made from pellets broken and rolled into various shapes. Although this extra step costs money, it also has numerous advantages for your flock.

Crumbles tend to be easier for chickens to consume than their mash and pellet counterparts, and can often serve as an intermediate step between these foods for young flocks or adult flocks.

They provide all of the same nutritional benefits found in pellet feed, while giving fussy hens an easier time eating their feed with confidence.

Shell Grit

Grit is composed of limestone or crushed oyster or cockle shells which provide chickens with calcium. It’s essential that they always have access to this source, as hens require calcium in order to breakdown feed efficiently and produce eggs with firm, hard shells. Without calcium being available in their diets, their calcium stores could deplete quickly leading to weak egg shells.

Grain and oyster shell should be provided freely so the chickens can help themselves, especially before going into roost for the 18 hour shell formation process overnight. By selecting how much food they require for themselves, there will be less chance of overdose or deficiency occurring.

Medicated Feed

Medication feed contains Amprolium, a coccidiostat drug which prevents coccidia parasites from overloading a chick’s immune system. By blocking absorption of thiamine that the parasite needs for replication, this drug prevents overburdening.

Many chicken owners feed their chicks medicated feed as an effective means of protecting against coccidiosis, an infectious bacterial condition prone to spread throughout humid environments and susceptible chicks. Coccidia thrive in such conditions, so using medicine may prevent its spread into chicks’ bodies.

Chick feed that does not contain medication may also help your chickens develop natural immunity; while this may be true for certain chicks, its effectiveness depends on their environment and feed selection.

Cracked Corn

Cracked corn and scratch grains are an effective way to supplement your chicken’s diet and ensure their mental and physical wellbeing. They give them something to peck at throughout the day and keep their feet busy, all essential elements for overall good health.

However, cracked corn should only be fed to your flock as a supplement and should not form the bulk of their diet. Chickens require a well-rounded mix of proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins in order to thrive and thrive as individuals.

Cracked corn is an effective way to attract backyard birds such as doves, sparrows and towhees! Use it alone or combine it with other feed to create your own homemade birdseed mix!