Keep your flock happy and healthy with a wide selection of chicken feed available online, such as chick starter and grower feed, layer diets for breeders, medicated feeds as well as supplements.
Chicken feed in English jargon refers to any small amount of something; however, it can also refer to food given to chickens.
Contents
What is Chicken Feed?
To ensure healthy chickens that produce nutritious eggs, it is necessary to provide them with a well-rounded diet. Commercially produced feed contains various essential vitamins and nutrients designed to meet all their dietary requirements throughout their lives.
A diet designed for poultry flocks should provide them with sufficient amounts of protein, calcium and vitamins. Most feed manufacturers include corn, soybean meal (a byproduct of oil production), wheat, barley and oats as staple ingredients; additionally these may include dried peas, brewer’s grains sorghum or lupins; sunflower seeds or alfalfa can provide additional nourishment to their flock.
The type of feed a person chooses depends on both their flock size and lifestyle. For instance, an individual may find it easier for their flock to manage pellets over crumble. Pellets are compact cylinders similar to bread crumbs; their shape makes them easy to pick up should their flock accidentally knock over their feeder.
What are the Main Ingredients in Poultry Feed?
Poultry feed is a mix of ingredients designed to meet the nutritional needs of farm poultry. Modern feed contains an assortment of vitamins and minerals, protein sources and carbohydrates – something your flock’s digestive tract might not always provide!
Diets for poultry typically consist of vegetable grains such as corn, wheat, sorghum and barley as the main energy source – often comprising up to 86% of total feed mixtures for birds.
These ingredients provide poultry with essential nutrients such as linoleic acid for cell membrane integrity and hormone synthesis, and contain important macro minerals like limestone for calcium supply and dicalcium phosphate for phosphorus supplementation.
Animal proteins are often included in chicken feed, including fish meal, meat meal and crab meal – these ingredients serve as sources of essential proteins which aid the development of poultry while supporting strong egg production.
How Much Should I Feed My Chickens?
Knowing how much chicken feed a hen needs helps you manage your flock’s budget more efficiently while ensuring the coop remains well-stocked at all times. Furthermore, this knowledge gives you a better idea of how to store their feed efficiently, thus avoiding spilling, dampness or vermin infestation.
At different stages in their lives, different chickens require different feed. After hatching to five weeks old chicks require starter/grower feed with 19-22% protein content for growth; when they begin laying they require layer feed containing 15-17% protein content.
Hens that don’t receive enough protein may begin laying less, making their eggs harder for humans to find. To ensure healthy and productive hens, quality, complete chicken feed should contain all of the required vitamins and minerals. Overfeeding or giving table scraps as scratch grains could dilute the balanced nutrition they should receive daily from their bagged food source.
Does Chicken Feed Expire?
Implementing proper storage practices for chicken feed can extend its shelf life and decrease waste while guaranteeing your flock has access to fresh, high-quality meals. Use food-grade plastic or metal containers that are airtight to seal moisture out as well as prevent insects, rodents, and other vermin from getting inside; utilize traps and natural deterrents like traps as further safeguards. Lastly, store it under ideal conditions by keeping it cool and dry with limited sunlight exposure.
The shelf life of chicken feed varies depending on its processing method and date of creation. Pelleted varieties tend to outlive other types of poultry food due to being cooked and compressed under heat for sterilization purposes, extending its shelf life significantly. Any type of poultry feed can quickly spoil in damp environments due to mold growth; thus it’s essential that before storing or purchasing more, one checks its shelf life first.
