Feeding chickens can be costly, but there are ways to cut costs. Mealworms, fly larvae, dry corns and hays, fruits and even leftover cooked eggs all make great protein sources for backyard flocks!
This layer feed was specifically developed to promote strong and healthy hens, with 16% protein and the addition of kelp and marigold extract for enhanced egg production. Available in 10-pound and 40-pound bags.
Contents
Free Range
Free-range chickens are fed only natural foods without supplements or growth hormones, resulting in meat that is both healthier and tastier than its conventionally raised counterpart.
Free ranging chickens not only enjoy foraging for food on their own, but can also benefit from eating table scraps and compost, which can dramatically lower your feed bill. Just make sure they stay out of your garden as their constant search for insects and seeds could damage it significantly!
If your property does not feature a high fence, chickens could wander onto your neighbors property and spread poop across it – an unwelcome nuisance for both sides! Not to mention it can make for poor neighbor relations! In addition, it may be difficult to catch sick chickens while on the loose; having an indoor coop makes this easier; for outdoor raisers though quarantining sick hens is essential to their well being.
Grain Free
Grain free chicken feed is an effective way of eliminating gluten from your flock’s diet. Traditional feed contains wheat, barley, rye and other sources that contain this protein-rich substance; in comparison with this gluten free version which typically features ingredients like peas, lentils, quinoa and flax seeds that provide more protein and Omega 3 fatty acids than their gluten counterparts.
Grain free chicken feed not only reduces costs but is also better for your flock’s health. Chickens fed more natural diets containing insects, grass and other wild weeds produce richer and healthier eggs.
Start feeding your chickens a grain free diet by placing kitchen scraps into a worm bin; the worms will transform them into nutrient rich food for your birds. In addition, plant herbs such as comfrey, purslane, nettles and dandelion that contain plenty of essential vitamins. In addition to that, forage organic materials like fresh grass clippings and yard clippings as well as alfalfa hay bales for further feeding options.
Comfrey
Comfrey is an easily grown perennial shrub belonging to the Boraginaceae family that thrives under partial shade conditions. Easily managed, its growth is rapid and can be harvested up to four times annually for harvesting purposes. Comfrey thrives both in poor and rich soil environments and flourishes best where there is partial sun.
Comfrey roots access nutrients deep within the soil that may otherwise wash away or be inaccessible to shallow-rooted crop plants, while applying leaves of Comfrey on top releases these vital minerals back out into the surface layer so they’re readily available to plants again.
Comfrey contains allantoin, which promotes cell and tissue growth and serves as an excellent natural wound treatment solution. Comfrey’s allantoin content makes it an invaluable healer.
But it is essential that comfrey is fed in moderation as too much can damage liver tissue. Furthermore, using it on open wounds or broken skin should be avoided as comfrey can sting when used directly onto these areas. Finally, making sure baby chickens do not consume excessive comfrey could also prove hazardous.
Meat
Feed producers aim to replicate this natural foraging behavior when creating poultry feed formulas, taking into account factors like availability and cost of ingredients as well as flock nutritional needs and their own brand name.
Most bagged chicken feeds feature corn, wheat and soybean meal (or by-products of these cereal grains). Protein sources include animal by-products like bone meal and feather meal from birds as well as fish meal from fish; some organic feeds do not contain these components.
Chicken feed typically starts off as a mash, which provides a complete mix of vitamins and minerals, but you may also create pellets or crumbles from it. When researching different brands of feed for your flock, look at its guaranteed analysis (which contains information such as its protein, crude fat, and fiber levels), to gain an accurate picture of its nutritional profile as well as whether or not it meets their health and vitality needs.
