Topic of the Week - Feeding Chickens - What to feed and when?

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sumi

sumi

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This is a hot topic on our forums and questions like when to switch feed and what is the best feed comes up frequently. So, for our featured Topic of the Week this week I would like to ask your opinions and suggestions on feeding chickens. Specifically:

- Medicated or non-medicated feed?
- When do you switch from chick crumbs to grower and layer feed?
- Is it o.k. to feed older birds chick food, cockbirds layer feed, etc?
- Thoughts on organic feed?
- When do you start feeding treats and how much and often do you give these?
- Do you make/mix your own homemade feed? If so, what do you consider the best recipe(s)?
- Who uses fermented feed and what are your thoughts on that?


For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive
 
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- Medicated or non-medicated feed?

I believe it does not matter. Out here in the forgotten provinces where there are few choices where to buy feed, often the store doesn't have what I need at any given time. I've fed both medicated and unmedicated chick feed, and never had any problems. I've been thinking that if you can only find unmedicated starter and you really want medicated, why not just mix some amprolium (Corid) at the preventative dose in the chicks' water? Seems it would accomplish the same thing.

I've fed simple all-flock feed (Purina Flock Raiser) to baby chicks, too, and they did just fine. (Again, the forgotten provinces thing.)

- When do you switch from chick crumbs to grower and layer feed?

I get the smallest bag of chick crumbles and when it runs out, the chicks get whatever the big kids are eating.

- Is it o.k. to feed older birds chick food, cockbirds layer feed, etc?

I've bought the chick starter when my feed store was all out of the all-flock feed. (Forgotten provinces). It's really not much different. In fact, a lot of folks like chick starter for fermenting feed for their general flock.

I do not feed layer feed to any of my flock. I've run a taste test on my girls and they hate layer. Yuk, they say, we won't eat it. They prefer all-flock feed. The added calcium is a problem for my older, "retired" layers, and it's not good for the rooster, and it's not good for the pre-laying pullets, either. I recommend everyone but commercial egg producers just avoid it all together.

Unless you have a young flock of only laying hens and will be culling them before you get baby chicks, and if you don't keep roosters, using an all-flock feed is far more practical than juggling the different feeds in a mixed flock.

- Thoughts on organic feed?

Over-hyped. But if you can find it and afford it, go for it! Out here in the forgotten provinces, I have never seen it.

- When do you start feeding treats and how much and often do you give these?

Immediately. My baby chicks are brooded on sand outdoors in the run. They gobble grit their first two days, pack their little crops, and I feed meal worms practically from the first day I get them. That's how to bond with your chicks, by the way.

Treats are doled out sparingly. I've noticed that baby chicks won't tackle foods they aren't ready for. Chick food should be 99% of what they eat in their first few months.

- Do you make/mix your own home-made feed? If so, what do you consider the best recipe(s)?

No, I don't have the time.


- Who uses fermented feed and what are your thoughts on that?

I'm a big believer in fermenting feed. I've been feeding FF for several years now, and the results in my flock are astonishing. I ferment the feed I give to baby chicks. They take right to it.

However, dry crumbles sprinkled over the ground will "train" a baby chick to begin eating. They seem to have an instinct to find their food on the ground at first, and a broody hen has an easier time getting her chicks to start eating if I do this.

But the chicks are eating fermented feed by the end of their first week, no problem. I generally use very small cups for this so they don't go swimming and frolicking in their food, as is their inclination.
 
This is how I feed....
Chicks- Medicated Chick starter till 8 weeks....Treats on occasion, granite grit....
From 8 weeks till 18 weeks or first egg...Grower crumble, Granite grit free choice...Free range...Once or twice a week I feed treats at 5% daily ration...
Laying Pullets till one year old. I feed Grower crumble/Layer pellets 50/50 ratio for the extra protein to prevent feather pecking...Oyster shell, granite grit free choice...

With all ages I toss out a handful of scratch once or twice a week or use it to do a head count while free ranging.....

It all depends on what percentage your feed is at.....My feed is made locally to my area....

My Rooster eats what the girls eat.....

I have never used Fermented feed or Fodder so I can not comment on that....


Also, Sorry I did not follow your format on this thread.....


Cheers!
 
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sumi said:
This is a hot topic on our forums and questions like when to switch feed and what is the best feed comes up frequently. So, for our featured Topic of the Week this week I would like to ask you all's opinions and suggestions on feeding chickens. Specifically:

- Medicated or non-medicated feed?
Since medicated feed is a very low dose thiamine blocker which, in my experience, does NOT work anyway, I feel it's better to just feed non-medicated feed and keep Corid on hand to treat coccidiosis if it pops up. That way, you don't mess with one B vitamin and throw that out of balance.

- When do you switch from chick crumbs to grower and layer feed?
When they lay a first egg or are 18 weeks or older, generally, though on occasion, I have been in a position to have to put 15-16 week olds in with adults and they start on the same food as the adults are eating at that time. No adverse effects noted.

- Is it o.k. to feed older birds chick food, cockbirds layer feed, etc?

Well, you can do it, sure, but the chick feed does not have added calcium at all. If a bird feels under the weather, I think chick starter/grower may be easier to digest, but that's just my opinion. I find a pelleted feed is best-mine comes in mini-pellets which are good for the smallest bantams and that's what I use. Generally, I try to use the 22% layer feed when they are molting and alternate the rest of the time with the normal 16% layer pellets. Their morning and call-back-from-free-range scratch is a 16% protein cock conditioner grain mix (13 grains) that also contains granite grit. My roosters, if they are with the hens, eat the same layer feed the hens eat. I've never had any sign that they've suffered for it, though they do not need the added calcium. I have an oyster shell feeder in each pen. I live on a mountain with lots of rock so no added grit needed.

When I had a crippled rooster who lived in his own cage and did not have to share his bowl of food, he ate the scratch mix which had adequate protein for his needs.

- Thoughts on organic feed?
I feel there is no added benefit to organic feed and have never used it. I've seen some non-GMO which is not organic, but it is lacking in some nutrients, IMO, from what I've read and can cause problems like enteritis if based off wheat and fish. My flocks get out of their pen to free range periodically and eat all manner of whatever they find out there. We don't use chemical fertilizers or poisons on our place so that's as close to organic as they get.

- When do you start feeding treats and how much and often do you give these?
Depends on what you mean by "treats". Mine get their high protein grain scratch mix every morning. On occasion, I give them something like oatmeal or scrambled eggs when I want to give them supplements like garlic, turmeric, yogurt and other stuff, but on a regular basis, mine don't get "treats", just their layer or chick feed and the grain mix. I rarely give chicks scratch at all until they are about 8 weeks old and then, only a tiny bit to get them "hooked" so when I shake the jar with the scratch, they come running.

- Do you make/mix your own home-made feed? If so, what do you consider the best recipe(s)?
Nope, I use the KISS method and buy a good quality commercial feed.


- Who uses fermented feed and what are your thoughts on that?
I will never give it. I feel it's unnecessary and sometimes even harmful. I'm not talking about wetting feed immediately before you give it to them, but wetting and letting it sit for ANY length of time at ALL. You always risk mold, always. I was called one late night for a conference call with a friend of a friend who was sitting with dying birds. She had started giving the faddish (yes, I do believe it's a fad) fermented feed, believing as it's touted, to be beneficial. They were all sick or dying, all had sour crop or suddenly non-functioning crops. Some did die and she was devastated. I told her how to treat the sour crop and suspected the fermented feed as the cause. Necropsies done at the lab confirmed that the fermented feed was the cause of it. I have no idea where this practice started being so popular. It's always been my contention and general knowledge that you keep your feed bone dry to avoid molds and toxins from building up in the feed. Wetting feed to let it sit and "ferment" is just counter-intuitive to me and the religious-like zeal that it's defended tells me it's one of those things that will eventually fall by the wayside. So, yeah, my opinion may be unpopular in today's climate, but I am 100% against it.


~In summary, I believe people often overthink this subject. My method is the KISS method (hopefully, you know what that means, right?) My advice is always to give your chickens feed that is appropriate to the type, age and function of the birds you have. Keep it dry and give feed that is as fresh as possible, whether you mix it yourself or feed organic or just feed a good commercial feed. I have long-lived chickens, some hens are still laying periodically at almost ten years old. What I do works well for us. I feed Tucker Milling mini-layer pellets, hardly ever any dust, always smells fresh unlike Dumor or Purina, still contains animal protein from porcine sources and free range the groups on a rotating basis. My "scratch" is a 16% protein 13-grain cock conditioner mix and they all get a little of that daily as well. Nothing complicated here.
Click to expand...
 
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Medicated or non-medicated feed?


Non-medicated, its cheaper and here in North Dakota some feed stores and elevators don't even carry chick feed so if they do it's usually Non-medicated.


- When do you switch from chick crumbs to grower and layer feed?

It depends on the season, and breed for me. With my show Cochins I feed them chick feed to 20 weeks so that they grow to there fullest. For my layers, if they are hatched in the spring I feed them chick feed until about 12-14 weeks which is when I move them into the coop, or when they don't need a heat lamp. They can forage for bugs etc for the extra protein.
If layers are hatched in the summer they usually are only on for about 6 weeks since they don't need to stay under the heat lamp.
For the fall I keep them on til 14-18 weeks.
In the winter I basically keep them on until I run out of chick feed or til they hit 16 weeks or lay an egg.

The reason I take mine off so early is because 1. Right now I don't have the space to keep up to 40 almost full grown chickens and 2. They can go and catch bugs for that extra protein.

Also every night since mine don't usually start roosting til about 20 weeks I fill up a feeder and give them some chick food when all the other birds are roosting at night


- Is it o.k. to feed older birds chick food, cockbirds layer feed, etc?

I would never feed my older birds chick food cause its EXPENSIVE, the only time I do is when a hen hatches chicks then she gets it but that's actually better for her since she has not really eaten for a while and needs that extra protein to get her strength back up.


- Thoughts on organic feed?

I agree with @SpeckledHen on organic feed.


- When do you start feeding treats and how much and often do you give these?

My birds had never had an actual treat like mealworms until July 2016, and only because I had just won 1st place in market trio, cockerel, pullet, and grand champion in breeding poultry and showmanship so I decided to reward them.
My birds get table scraps from a young age, basically when I let them outside for the first time. But even then only maybe once a week.
I think people should be able to make their own limit for their birds


- Do you make/mix your own home-made feed? If so, what do you consider the best recipe(s)?
I don't know what you consider mixing, but for my layers I have a large feeder that is basically a 6 foot rectangle on 4 legs. It is raised of the ground about 5 inches. About 2 inches away from the feeder there are boards for them to stand on that are raised off the ground to the bottom of the feeder. The feeder is about 6 inches deep and 4 wide
There are 3 compartments in it, one that is probably 3 feet long, one that is 2 1/2 feet long, and one that's 1/2 foot long.
In the 3 foot long compartment I have Whole corn mixed with oats, I get these free from neighbors who farm and they take eggs as a trade. In the 2 1/2 foot compartment is layer feed. I'm the 1/2 foot compartment is grit and eggshells


- Who uses fermented feed and what are your thoughts on that?
Water and feed is a big no no for me. There's always a possibility of mold. I like my feed dusty thank you.
 
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sumi said:
This is a hot topic on our forums and questions like when to switch feed and what is the best feed comes up frequently. So, for our featured Topic of the Week this week I would like to ask you all's opinions and suggestions on feeding chickens. Specifically:

- Medicated or non-medicated feed?
I always use non-medicated. No earth shattering reason why - just my choice. My chicks are exposed to everything they'll ever come into contact with from their first days here, and I guess I just prefer natural immunity to substances.

- When do you switch from chick crumbs to grower and layer feed?
Mine are on chick starter for the first week (yes, I just buy a small bag) After that I start them on starter/grower or even All-flock if I have it, because that's what the rest of the flock eats. I just mix a little in their crumbs to start until they are totally switched over. My chicks are partly integrated with the flock by 3 weeks old and fully integrated by the time they hit 4 weeks. Since they are in with the adults I couldn't keep them out of the adult food anyway, so why bother? The adults have access to oyster shell at all times. Yep, sometimes in the beginning the chicks will go over and eat a little, but they don't get enough to make any difference and they soon decide that they don't want it yet and stay out of it.

- Is it o.k. to feed older birds chick food, cockbirds layer feed, etc?
Older birds and roos do just fine on grower/starter and/or All Flock, at least mine always have. Most grower has higher protein than layer anyway, so it works out well for all of us. Feeding a mixed age/gender flock is far simpler on the owner if only one kind of food is offered....and aside from having totally separate pens there's no way to keep them out of the food intended for other birds anyway. So I don't know about cockbirds getting layer food - I haven't done it.

- Thoughts on organic feed?
Many, but I ain't opening that can of worms here!
lau.gif
What folks want to spend their money on is certainly up to them.

- When do you start feeding treats and how much and often do you give these?
When my chicks are about 4 days old, I toss a clump of sod...roots, dirt, grass and all...into their brooder. They are terrified at first and that's funny to sit back and watch. They huddle together in the corner furthest away from it and stare at it like it's an alien that's going to eat them alive. But then one or two get brave and go over and peck at it. Before you know it they are getting into it wholeheartedly, digging, pecking, scratching. As the clump breaks down, they have this awesome dirt pile and discover dust bathing. I like doing this because it exposes them to natural fungi and pathogens in the world they'll be living in and helps build up their immunities. It's a natural behavior and encourages scratching for little tidbits like they will need to do as adults. And when they are pecking at it and nibbling, they are ingesting little bits of grit that their immature systems can easily handle. It's at that point that I start tossing in an apple for them to eat (and no, I don't peel it, chop it, or de-seed it), a little kale pr whatever I have on hand and whatever I'm giving the adults at the time. I've never had a batch of chicks eat mealworms, so I don't even bother with them.

I brood my chicks outdoors in a wire pen within the run. They are in full sight of the adults and the adults see them constantly. The Littles learn much of their behavior from watching the Bigs, and all kinds of stuff that I've given the Bigs gets scratched into the chick pen. So once I put in the dirt clump, and toss in some of the same scraps I'm already tossing in the big pen, they are, in a very real sense, learning to forage. I also let them out to free range with the big girls by about 3 weeks old, so I don't have a set "treat routine." If I have something handy, they get it. If not, they find their own.

- Do you make/mix your own home-made feed? If so, what do you consider the best recipe(s)?
Nope. Most days I'm so short on time I have all I can do to cobble something together for us to eat!
wink.png


- Who uses fermented feed and what are your thoughts on that?
I tried. Many of my friends swear by it, and in the short time I did use it I really liked it. So did the chickens! But I live in a 10X60 old mobile home. There is absolutely no place to keep the FF going in the house when our Wyoming temps are sub-zero.If I had some kind of porch or something it might be different, but I just have the living room/kitchen combination, a bedroom and a small office. Yeah, ain't happening. Also hubby is extremely active in an organization and we travel - a lot!! I mean A LOT!! My daughter-in-law and granddaughter, who live across the street, are my chicken sitters and both of them have a gag factor that's off the charts. They wouldn't even open the lid on the bucket. So FF just wasn't practical.
Click to expand...
 
Scenario: I get my birds once every few years from a hatchery. I buy in larger numbers from 30-100 at a time. Sometimes other people come and get some of them after they "aren't delicate little chicks" anymore. Sometimes people just come for "finished"birds. Sometimes people just give me the money to "get" their chicks because wuantity buying is cheaper. I do keep a lot of them. Some of my birds are 6 years old. 1 rooster is gonna be 10 if he makes it till next spring. I use my birds for eggs and meat and breeding experiments crossbreeding to different breeds and sometimes even with pheasants or Guineas.

On to feed/s/ing……

If I can afford it I will feed my chicks non-medicated "20% Chick Starter" for a couple of weeks then "18% Grower" till they are about half grown(4or5months).
More often than not it's free range with the adults after the chick starter. Regarding "medicated feed" I haven't seen a great positive effect. I ain't saying not to use it though. I suppose in some instances it is necessary. Just that in the long run it hasn't done anything good for my birds. Many times my hens raise their own chicks "un savauge"
They eat grasses and legumes and slugs and bugs and other fruits of nature. I sometimes throw some some mixed grains to them. They start knowing a certain call and come running. That helps in the fall and nights during aerial predator season. I like to feed more corn during the fall and winter for the higher fat content. It gets pretty darn cold here sometimes. I'm talking -50*C.
I really prefer organic but need to be real if I can't get it.

My birds get treats every day. It's kind of bothersome having them underfoot occasionally but it is a control thing to have my chickens running to and/or with me. It's also helped save a few lives.....of chickens and turkeys and ducks and geese and Guinea fowl and even rabbits....from roaming dogs. Geez I even have Eagles, Falcons, Redtails and owls actually landing in my yard. But it's also kind of cute. So ya the 'treats' have in this case actually been helpful.
That said about "treats" my treats are more down to earth than cubed veggies and balled fruit.

I like to mix my own feed of pretty much even amounts of wheat oats and corn and about half that of barley. I really like peas and some beans. All my veggie peels and egg shells get scattered on the lawn and they have access to their own gravel/sand pile. They also seem to like ingesting certain amount of the thick high quality clay from around the edge of the pond. And always alway always fresh water. Anywhere from once to 7 times a day depending on the weather. Winter has its own challenges but still kinda simple.

I don't do fermented food mainly because I don't have it and it would be too much bother to make and properly look after it...for safety sake....for the chickens
However, in the winter I like reconstituting dehydrated alfalfa for them. They seem to love it and the payoff is I still get the nice richly yellow, almost orange, yolks of summer free range chickens.
In my neck of the woods "free range" is essentially wild.... bush, wetlands, meadow, pasture and lawn.

I think most BYC people would be shocked at how very much "KISS"(thnx speckled hen) my operation is.
My birds aren't pets and although they aren't forced to roost in trees all year round their chicken coop ain't a palace either. I used to expend tons of energy in fortifications for my birds but my life ain't just about my birds anymore. So no barnyard fowl Fort Knox here anymore.
Like I said "essentially wild"
 
I tried fermenting last fall - spring. I kept a dry feed bucket out at all times but brought a dish of fermented out to them every day as well. They cleaned up the fermented feed every day. A little tougher in the winter because if they didn't eat it quick enough it froze in the dish. The problem I had with fermenting was that I had a bearded Salmon Faverolle. The fermented feed would get all gummed up in her beard every day and harden like a rock. I had to cut the poor dear beard all off. I like feeding fermented so I won't be getting any bearded breeds in the future. When Rosie Fluffybottom is no longer with us I will be returning to fermenting for sure.
 
Medicated or non-medicated feed? I have never used medicated feed. Have never had issue with coccidiosis. Use natural prevention: expose chicks to native soils within the first 2 weeks of hatch. Use fermented feed to give them a boost in probiotics.

- When do you switch from chick crumbs to grower and layer feed? I never use grower. Chicks go from starter to multi-flock around 8 weeks or when ever I am starting a new bag of feed. My preference is to keep the whole flock on multi-flock until the pullets are close to POL. However, I've put them on layer as early as 13 weeks and do not consider that to be bad practice. Fully aware of the "they said" mentality about not starting layer till POL due to concern about excess calcium causing kidney damage. Free range flocks consume more calcium in their daily ration of greens than can be found in any layer feed. Free range flocks (on good range) IMO have diet that is far superior to prepared feed. Really, IMO the only reason to ever use layer feed is b/c it is less expensive than multi-flock or starter. Both of the latter products are superior feeds.

- Is it o.k. to feed older birds chick food, cockbirds layer feed, etc? Yes, and yes. I would not give layer feed to chicks. But, chick feed (non medicated) is superior to layer feed. Ask any hen, and she will tell you that she prefers chick feed or multi flock over layer feed. Extra calcium can always be supplied by offering oyster shell on the side. Egg shells never get thrown out in my kitchen. They go back into the run most often, otherwise, they go into compost, into garden, or even in worm bin. I find the whole "never give layer feed to adult birds that are not laying b/c the extra calcium will damage their kidneys" argument to be a bit laughable. Roosters never lay eggs, and yet most back yard roos spend their entire adult lives on layer. Ever notice how the roos almost always look like the healthiest birds in the flock???

- Thoughts on organic feed? Total waste of money. Unless you are talking about giving home grown grains as a supplement.

- When do you start feeding treats and how much and often do you give these? I find the term "treats" to be a bit confusing. If I have left overs that aren't dog worthy, they go to the chickens. But, I rarely consider them to be treats. It's simply an other way to process scraps. If I have a soft apple, or other fridge scraps, they are simply tossed out the door or into the run. New chicks get a plug of sod, or simply get some supervised time to scratch around in the garden for bugs, worms, and greens. But, I don't consider those things to be treats. They are an important part of the diet.

- Do you make/mix your own home-made feed? If so, what do you consider the best recipe(s)? I do not make any home made feed. But, I do ferment my birds feed. Have been doing so since I started my first batch of chicks. I also sprout grains/seeds in the winter.

- Who uses fermented feed and what are your thoughts on that? I've been fermenting feed since my first chick hatch. Consistently, my birds reach POL faster, lay more often, and have better feather quality than the birds belonging to 3 of my friends (birds of the same age, from the same source, receiving prepared feed from the same feed store)
 

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