What is a Good Chicken Feed?

If you are raising chickens for eggs or meat, finding the appropriate feed can be a challenge. Not using it correctly could negatively affect bird growth, feather quality and egg standards, among other things.

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When it comes to feeding your chickens, there are several types of feed available such as pellets, mash and scratch grain. It all depends on your budget and what breed of chickens you have.

Contents

Protein

Chicken feed must contain at least 16% protein to support the growth and development of young chicks, pullets and laying hens. A high quality feed should provide around 16% protein as well as essential vitamins and minerals your chickens require for growth, successful egg-laying, and optimal health.

Chicken feed typically includes protein sources such as soybean, canola, and sunflower meal. Some animal byproducts like poultry meat or feather by-meal may also be included.

A high-quality chicken feed should also contain essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid. Chickens need these fats for healthy cell membranes and hormone production, plus to prevent muscle and skin weakness.

Supplementing your chicken’s food with wheat sprouts or legumes, which are high in protein and easy to make. Oats are another cost-effective way to add protein to their diets.

Nutrients

Nutritionally speaking, your chickens’ health and the quality of their eggs is critical. A balanced diet should include carbohydrates, protein and fat for them to stay at a healthy weight and provide them with energy for daily activity.

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for chickens and can be found in cereal grains such as corn, wheat, barley, sorghum and rye. Other sources may include oats or fish meal.

* Protein – Chickens require protein to build muscle, skin and feathers as well as to replace worn-out tissues in their bodies. They get this from animal byproducts like fish meal or bone meal, or from plant sources like soybean, canola or sunflower meal.

They may also get some protein from seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin. These can be added to homemade feed to increase the protein content of your flock’s diet.

Cost

Raising chickens for meat or eggs requires the correct feed, and this plays an integral part in their performance and production. A well-formulated chicken feed includes water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins which all work together to promote healthy growth and optimal production.

High-quality chicken feed also contains beneficial microflora – gut-friendly bacteria and yeast – to strengthen your bird’s digestive system, prevent infections, and boost their immunity. While these extras may add to your budget, they are essential for happy, productive birds.

Chicken feed comes in many different forms. Some is compacted into tight pellets, others is mashed into crumbles and some even contain medicated ingredients.

Performance

A suitable chicken feed should meet all nutritional needs based on your chickens’ age and stage (chick starter, pullet grower, laying hen or meat chicken). This includes cereal grains, protein meal, fats and oils as well as vitamins and minerals.

Chicken feed commonly includes wheat, corn, barley, sorghum and rye; each with their own nutritional benefits.

This feed contains micro premixes which provide vitamins A, E, D3 and B12 as well as trace mineral elements like copper, manganese and zinc. These supplements help optimize the dietary output of your feed for efficient growth and egg production.

Some poultry farmers supplement a prepared feed ration with whole or cracked grains, garden waste and table scraps in order to reduce costs while providing additional nutrients for their birds. However, this approach can backfire if too much supplementation occurs, potentially leading to decreased performance.