Anyone have any good tips and tricks that are Cheap and easy to boost protein and nutrition for chickens?

[Peter_Rabbit_Farm]

I give mine the Friskies salmon, pate, or any other seafood pate, cat food. It has omega-3’s and other fatty acids as well as proteins that are not normally found in chicken food and they’re good for your chickens, coat and body condition. Also, I will give them dog food that is 75% off at stores. That is also good for them. Cat food is better though. I another thing I will do is if I have any leftover meat, I will give it to them. my friend gives the the leftover scraps of a deer carcass after he has gone hunting and took the meat he wants to his chickens. I have also bought a 50lb bag of fish food for 75% off at five dollars for the bag.

My big thing of protein is meat and the more me the better it doesn’t have to be from the grocery store. You can get reduced dog food or cat food or if you hunt you can give the scraps. But the main part of their diet should be Chicken Feed because it does have essential vitamins and nutrients for chickens.

 

[clumberfam]

ours get cat food when the others are fed and seem to do well with it. We just get cheap WalMart cat food (without the dye) and they all love it and do well on it.

 

[Moonwspr]

Hey everyone!
I’ve been keeping chickens for several years now, usually several flocks at a time, all free range over about 1 acre areas per flock. I’ve moved and started over with a much smaller flock.
The difference between this flock and the previous ones is that they can’t free range. Also, in the area I’m in, there is no access to anything in regards to chicken food other than some sort of powdery chicken food (which I personally don’t like to feed them), although I have been able to find some wheat and whole corn. I have been fermenting the wheat and corn, and their egg production has increased greatly as well as their overall health.
My questions are: are there any cheap ideas out there to increase their protein intake, since they aren’t free ranging, and any ideas for increasing their nutritional intake? I don’t have access to a lot of things out here, but I just thought I’ll ask around and see what others have come up with
Thanks so much!

I make homemade Greek yogurt and while I usually use the left over whey to make bread, I sometimes put some in a small bowl and feed to my chickens. They get crazy when they see me coming with the bowl! Whey is a good source of protein and nutrients plus probiotics.

 

[Koiandchicks]

My chickens go crazy for cat and dog food

 

[RoyalChick]

That sounds like a good idea. Would yogurt be a good idea, instead of the milk? And should it be given on a daily basis or only every once in a while?

Mine love yoghurt, kefir, cheese and whey. I don't give it to them every day because I don't have it available every day - but I don't ration it.

 

[Farrari]

Does your soil have earthworms? I would not introduce them if it doesn't but if there are some in your area, you could "farm" them - basically, keep a space watered/drained to their liking, sheltered from predators of earthworms, mulched, and with food for the worms.

Milk can be a good, inexpensive option - like for people with a cow or goat who can't otherwise use all the milk.

If I didn't have access to good commercial chicken feed, I would look into raising meat for the chickens. Rabbits or quail probably, if it was for the chickens only.

I’m in the UK and our DEFRA CHICKEN CONTROL lot say NO kitchen scraps to be fed whatsoever as they are a salmonella risk, etc., I feed sunflower cornels, dried meal worms and dried peas as extras mixed with meal but mainly our layers pellets and very little corn. I also feed greens and weeds from the garden when their electrically fenced are turns into a mud patch in the winter.

 

[Dragonlady1956]

Hey everyone!
I’ve been keeping chickens for several years now, usually several flocks at a time, all free range over about 1 acre areas per flock. I’ve moved and started over with a much smaller flock.
The difference between this flock and the previous ones is that they can’t free range. Also, in the area I’m in, there is no access to anything in regards to chicken food other than some sort of powdery chicken food (which I personally don’t like to feed them), although I have been able to find some wheat and whole corn. I have been fermenting the wheat and corn, and their egg production has increased greatly as well as their overall health.
My questions are: are there any cheap ideas out there to increase their protein intake, since they aren’t free ranging, and any ideas for increasing their nutritional intake? I don’t have access to a lot of things out here, but I just thought I’ll ask around and see what others have come up with
Thanks so much!

Mine love raw hamburger, 4.99 at Aldi for organic grass fed beef. Really helped with the hard molt they just had! Now if I could only get them to eat chicken feed again. .