think of their starter/grower as power bars. Nutritionally complete for sustained life, but boring and a poor second to real food. Bugs, greens, fruit, meat. . . chickens are walking food machines. I give mine all kinds of kitchen scraps and do so from the 3rd day home or so. make sure to offer...
Oh good. I get so tired of reading about behavior problems in chickens that are due to over crowding. I've got my 5 and would love to have more, but right now it wouldn't be good for my birds to add more. and if I went by the "rule" that keeps getting thrown around of 10 ft/bird in the run I...
If your siggie is correct, I suspect your chickies are over-crowded. the coop is fine, but your run should be close a tenth of an acre, or about a normal suburban lot for that many chickens to be happy.
I would offer then a little bit of everything. Chickens will like all sorts of things. Tomatoes, sausage, meat trimmings, apple cores. . . Make sure you are also offering free choice chick grit, or they can't digest anything though.
Out of the pullet bin at the feed store, now feathered out a bit more. I've tried google, to no avail. Help me, my feathered gurus! oh, she is black, not grey.
Worst case scenario get them all stock 14% and give them a bit of ground beef every morning, and crunched up store bought eggshells, or their own, free choice.