Chicken feed must contain an ideal combination of proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats to support optimal poultry development and egg production. Protein plays an essential role in growth; high-protein feed can speed feather development and egg production by spurring on feather development faster.
Chicken feed comes in crumble, pellet and mash varieties; with the latter typically reserved for baby chicks due to its easier digestion process; fully mature hens may also consume it.
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High-quality ingredients
Chicken feed should provide more than just calories – its nutritional composition has an immense influence over a flock’s health, size and egg production. Therefore, selecting high quality ingredients when selecting chicken feed ingredients.
Looking for soy-free or non-GMO bird feed can be challenging, so when choosing one it is essential that the ingredients contain calcium and amino acids (especially important if breeding egg-laying flocks). Furthermore, quality feed should have natural flavors so your birds find it appetizing.
A quality chicken feed should contain both grains and legumes, along with shell grit for digestion purposes – chickens store this material in their gizzards to better access nutrients in their food and digest it more easily.
Freshness
An excellent chicken feed should contain high-grade ingredients that provide all of the essential nutrients required by chickens for optimal growth, with no harmful additives or preservatives present.
Chicken feed comes in many varieties designed to fulfill specific purposes. For instance, layer feed is specifically formulated to meet the needs of mature laying hens by providing high levels of protein and calcium that supports strong egg shells and may even aid recovery from molting more quickly, improving egg quality overall.
Grain (grit) is another key component for chicken digestion. Chickens swallow it into their gizzards to grind up food for digestion. You can find grit in chicken feed or purchase it separately; just remember that different breeds of chickens have specific dietary requirements.
Anti-caking agents
No matter if it’s mash, crumble or pellets you select for your flock, its important that they contain anti-caking agents to avoid clumping and optimize nutrient flow within their food source.
Mash varieties are popularly used as easy to digest meals for baby chicks, although some chook lovers also utilize them with fully grown chickens. When combined with hot water, the mash creates a porridge-like consistency which many chickens love.
Mash is not typically supplemented with anti-caking agents; however, pellets often do. Such additives, such as sodium aluminosilicate (found in table salt), help limit moisture absorption and absorb oil from powder feed to stop it sticking together and sequester mycotoxins to protect animals from their harmful effects.
Natural flavors
As you shop for food, it is likely you will come across products with “natural flavors”. While these may appear harmless enough, it’s essential that we understand exactly what these substances entail.
Wright states that natural flavorings are created by flavorists who identify volatile compounds found in plant or animal ingredients that contribute to desired tastes, then extract them with water or ethanol for extraction. Natural flavors do not contain any nutritional value or calories, making them safer alternatives than artificial ones.
Feeding your chickens natural products will not only ensure their wellbeing, but will also give them an irresistibly delicious taste! For optimal health and taste, organic wheat and Kamut (Khorasan wheat), both high in proteins and nutrients. Other excellent feed ingredients include Arrowroot powder, Green tea leaves and black soldier fly larvae.
Non-GMO
Chickens fed non-GMO feed have the potential to produce stronger-shelled eggs with richer flavors, while also being more ethical and sustainable due to using ingredients without genetic modification.
Looking for feed free of corn, soy and other low-cost fillers such as fillers. Incorporating nutritious grains like wheat or soft white wheat as the centerpiece. Or try Khorasan wheat (Kamut Wheat), which provides more protein while also being an excellent source of magnesium and zinc.
The best chicken feeds are organic and made with natural ingredients such as peas and peanut meal. These ingredients offer high-energy nutrition while being easy for chickens to digest; additionally they’re an excellent source of amino acids as well as omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.
