Finding your way through the maze of chicken feed options can be difficult for new or semi-experienced flock owners. From life stage and texture, there are so many considerations.
Pellets are small cylinders of chicken feed with an easily manageable and balanced combination of nutrients that make them an attractive option for homesteaders and homesteading enthusiasts.
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Pellet
Chicken feed pellets are compact, cylindrical-shaped forms of poultry feed produced using a pellet machine and often supplement the diets of flocks of poultry. Also referred to as mash or crumbles, they provide essential nutrition supplementation for flocks.
Pellets tend to produce less waste than mash feeds as they retain their shape better and can be picked up more easily by chickens. However, many chicken keepers find that their birds prefer crumble meals due to their soft texture.
Both pellet and crumble are designed as complete poultry feeds that provide all of the essential nutrients for health and productivity in poultry flocks, but how they are presented can have an enormous influence on consumption levels and egg quality produced. When selecting between pellets or crumbles it is crucial that taking into account each chicken’s preferred feed texture into account – especially crucial when selecting egg-laying hens as their nutrition impacts egg quality directly.
Mash
Mash is an unprocessed variety of chicken feed. Often fed to chicks because it’s easily digested, however it can also be fed to fully grown birds as an addition. Some Chicken Ladies or Lads use hot water and mix the mash with it to create a textured feed their flock will relish munching down on.
Grain-based chicken feed is typically less processed and thus more economical, although it may produce more incidental waste and spoil more quickly than pelleted or crumbled alternatives.
Feeding options depend on your chicken’s individual needs, from starter feed for chicks to meat or egg producing hens to complete layer feed – often called “complete” due to providing all the nutrition your bird requires for healthy growth and production. Treats such as vegetables, fruit, mealworms, sunflower seeds or scratch should be limited since their addition dilutes the balance of essential vitamins found within its complete feed formulation.
Scratch
Scratch chicken feed typically features a combination of grains and seeds such as cracked corn, wheat oats and sunflower seeds; as these ingredients aren’t as balanced or healthy than commercially prepared feed, scratch should only be fed occasionally for variety and excitement in your flock’s diet. Its origin can be traced to early farmers throwing away leftover seeds and grain into chicken pens in order to save waste while stretching their regular supply more efficiently.
Too much scratch can be harmful to hen health. Too much scratch fed may become imbalanced and lead to unhealthy skin and feathers (mini molts), loss of energy, dull eyes and poor egg production. If these signs appear in your flock, consider providing more balanced feed instead – this will ensure they live long and productive lives!
Fermented Feed
Just like a potato can come in various forms such as fries, baked or mashed, chicken food comes in various forms as well. There are pelleted feeds, mashes and fermented feeds – each offering specific nutrition needed by specific stages in their lifecycle (starter, grower, finisher or layer).
Fermented feed is created by mixing complete feed with water so it can sit and ferment, unlocking many of its essential nutrients that have been locked up by its outer layers and hulls, making it more digestible for your flock. Furthermore, fermentation adds natural probiotics that aid digestion and strengthen immunity systems – leading to healthier flocks with reduced waste production, stronger eggs with stronger shells, lower feed costs for you. A properly fermented fermented feed should have an earthy and slightly tart flavor similar to yogurt’s tart taste.
