Getting the right type of chicken feed for your chickens is important, because it can help you to keep your chickens in good condition and prevent them from getting sick. If you are unsure about what to feed your hens, there are several things you can do to make sure you are getting the right type of feed for your birds. Whether you are raising meat birds or simply raising laying hens, there are several things you need to know about what to feed them.
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Laying hens
Depending on your chicken breed, the cost of chicken feed can be anywhere from a few cents to hundreds of dollars. Whether you’re a new chicken keeper or are adding to your flock, it’s important to consider the costs involved in raising laying hens.
Feeding your chickens can be free, but you still need to buy their bedding, feed, and other supplies. In addition to these costs, you’ll need to deworm your hens on a regular basis. These dewormers can cost anywhere from $10-30 per dose, depending on the size of your flock.
You’ll also need to provide a large, clean space for your flock. If you don’t already have a coop, you can start with a small one. If you’re planning to raise laying hens, it’s important to choose a breed that will lay eggs throughout the year.
Juvenile chickens
Depending on your location and budget, you could find yourself feeding your feathered charges at the local butcher or the feed store. For the aficionados amongst us, you might be lucky enough to find one of the aforementioned in your backyard. The cost of such a luxury could easily be recouped with a few savvy negotiating skills and a little savvy research. For less than the cost of one bottle of beer, you can have your own penned up in the blink of an eye. A little planning and research will go a long way in ensuring a successful and enjoyable endeavor. Whether you opt for the backyard flock or the coop, you’ll be rewarded with a few tasty treats and one very happy family.
Meat birds
Whether you’re raising meat birds for your own consumption or for sale, you’ll need to know how much you’ll be spending on chicken feed. Feed costs can be quite expensive. For starters, you’ll need to plan on spending $2,050 for the feed you need for the first 100 birds you raise.
You’ll also need to have enough space for the chickens to grow. The standard recommendation is to have at least two square feet of floor space and two to four square feet of feeder space per bird. You’ll also want to have water available in your pasture.
You’ll need to feed the chicks a high-protein starter mash during the first four weeks. After this, you’ll feed them a low-protein diet for the rest of the time.
Alternative protein sources
Increasing prices of protein sources for chicken feed has challenged the poultry industry. To cope with these costs, the poultry sector has tried to reduce ration costs using various feed additives and arranging amino acid profiles.
The poultry sector has also explored alternative protein sources. However, these alternatives need to be efficient and cost-effective. Using these alternative protein sources can increase the overall quality of poultry diets.
One of the primary conventional protein sources for poultry feed is soybean meal. However, the soybean meal industry is linked with pesticides and deforestation. It is also linked to eutrophication and soil erosion.
Moreover, soybeans are one of the most genetically modified crops. However, despite these concerns, soybeans remain highly acclaimed as a protein source.
Preventing feed waste
Buying chicken feed does not have to be a costly and environmentally damaging venture. There are several ways you can prevent feed waste from occurring.
For starters, you could repurpose some of your kitchen scraps into nutritious chicken food. While you should avoid feeding moldy food to your chickens, you can repurpose starches and other food scraps into an interesting treat for them.
Another way to prevent feed waste is to buy chicken feed that has been upcycled from other food sources. For example, Do Good Foods, a startup company, collects and turns retail food waste into animal feed. It plans to build production facilities across the United States.
Another way to prevent feed waste is by keeping your chickens in an area free of waste. This reduces the chances of them developing parasitic infections and other types of illness.
