Feed Advice - Is their diet ok?

[krista74]

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to the world of chickens, my aim is always to put the best interests of my little flock first. With this in mind, I was wondering if some experienced chicken owners would mind casting an eye over the diet of my birds and checking to see if it seems ok? My flock: One BO Cockerell (George), 2 BO pullets (one laying for 2 weeks, one laying 4 days), 4 RIR pullets (one laying 1 week, 3 not yet laying). We are in early Winter here, so George wakes everyone up around 6am (thanks, George!) Everyone has free access to water, cracked grain, layers pellets and shell grit in the coop 24hrs a day, so I assume they munch on this whilst waiting for me to show up. At 8am I arrive with 1/2 a bucket of 'scraps' for them, which they eat in their coop also. This consists of carrot offcuts, spinach, red capsicum, lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, some oats (sometimes cooked, sometimes raw) with the occasional piece of bread and a few sultanas occasionally thrown in for good measure. Whatever we have from last night's dinner preparation, basically. Nothing is left uneaten! At 11am I go back to the coop and let them loose into the run, which is quite large and full of bushes and trees and grass. They scratch around eating bugs and things I am probably best not thinking about! At 4pm I go back to check on everyone, and they get a scoop of whole grain, and a small scoop of cracked maize, which they scratch about and eat all of, from what I can see. At 5.30pm they head off to bed back in the coop (it's dark by then). If they get hungry at night they still have access to the water, cracked grain, layers pellets and shell grit. Does this diet seem ok? Everyone looks lovely and healthy, with beautiful glossy feathers and bright eyes. 3/6 are laying, which is good - we are unsure of ages but were told 'nearly ready to lay' when we bought them a moth and a half ago. Any advice or recommendations gratefully accepted! Thanks

 

[iwiw60]

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to the world of chickens, my aim is always to put the best interests of my little flock first. With this in mind, I was wondering if some experienced chicken owners would mind casting an eye over the diet of my birds and checking to see if it seems ok? My flock: One BO Cockerell (George), 2 BO pullets (one laying for 2 weeks, one laying 4 days), 4 RIR pullets (one laying 1 week, 3 not yet laying). We are in early Winter here, so George wakes everyone up around 6am (thanks, George!) Everyone has free access to water, cracked grain, layers pellets and shell grit in the coop 24hrs a day, so I assume they munch on this whilst waiting for me to show up. At 8am I arrive with 1/2 a bucket of 'scraps' for them, which they eat in their coop also. This consists of carrot offcuts, spinach, red capsicum, lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, some oats (sometimes cooked, sometimes raw) with the occasional piece of bread and a few sultanas occasionally thrown in for good measure. Whatever we have from last night's dinner preparation, basically. Nothing is left uneaten! At 11am I go back to the coop and let them loose into the run, which is quite large and full of bushes and trees and grass. They scratch around eating bugs and things I am probably best not thinking about! At 4pm I go back to check on everyone, and they get a scoop of whole grain, and a small scoop of cracked maize, which they scratch about and eat all of, from what I can see. At 5.30pm they head off to bed back in the coop (it's dark by then). If they get hungry at night they still have access to the water, cracked grain, layers pellets and shell grit. Does this diet seem ok? Everyone looks lovely and healthy, with beautiful glossy feathers and bright eyes. 3/6 are laying, which is good - we are unsure of ages but were told 'nearly ready to lay' when we bought them a moth and a half ago. Any advice or recommendations gratefully accepted! Thanks

Can I move in???

Your lovely flock has definitely got a Super-Chicken-Mama taking care of them! About the only thing I would say is don't be too 'heavy' on the treats and goodies. You don't want your hens getting overweight...doesn't bode well for good egg production. Best of luck.....when's dinner??

 

[krista74]

Ha ha, for one horrible minute I thought you were suggesting I eat my flock! Then I realised you were referring to all the vegie scraps! So maybe less of the bread, more of the grain, corn and pellets? They don't much like the pellets but I put them out there anyway, in the hope that they will have a nibble. They are slowly getting through them. They don't seem to eat much of the grit either, then again maybe they don't need much. I noticed while cooking that their egg shells are really hard! Thank you for your comments, it's nice to know I'm on the right track Krista.

 

[Den in Penn]

With all the vegetable scraps You might be a little lite on the protein percent. I would remove the lower protein cracked grains from their free access menu and put them on the once and a while menu and then limit it a hand full for each a day.

 

[krista74]

Ah, ok. I currently have the cracked wheat in a feeder and give them a scoop of whole wheat as a treat each day. Looks like I've got it backwards! I will do a swap tomorrow. They seem to like the whole wheat better anyway. Thankyou so much!

 

[Den in Penn]

I don't think I was clear enough. All grains are lower then the 16 % protein chickens need, cracked or whole. What I meant was to use grains only as a treat and have feed as their main feed. Giving them vegetables also helps lower the protein. So boosting the protein closer to an acceptable level is what you want to do. For a while the bugs is the run should help raise the protein, but come cold weather that may need to be supplemented.

 

[krista74]

Oh, I see. I'm sorry I'm so new to this and getting the feed right seems to be more than just 'throwing out a bit of grain' like everyone says! If I take away all the grain (aside from a handful as a treat) then I assume I have to supplement with layers pellets or something similar, especially on the 2 days a week they are confined to their coop while I work?

I do give them layers pellets but they don't seem to want to eat them. They sit there for a week before I throw them out and replace them with fresh ones. I am wondering if this is due to the fact that they do have such good access to their ranging area, and that they are getting the bucket of vegies every day. I have heard that pellets are not popular with many chickens. Would you agree? I am searching our area for 'crumbles' and perhaps they may like them better?

Also, do you know if I can feed cracked lupins to chickens in small amounts? We have lots available at our dairy which gets mixed with cracked grain for cattle feed. The data sheets seem to infer they are appropriate to feed to pigs and poultry also, at about 10% of their total diet. I wouldn't risk it without checking with experienced chicken owners first though!

Thank you again for your kind advice, and sorry I was slow to catch on! Krista

 

[Den in Penn]

A good balanced feed is always a good place to start. Especially if they are going to confined for a day or two and can't find their own food. Back in the Nineteenth Century and before, raising chickens was just a matter of letting them run around and find most of their own food. Taking what the other live stock left as well as grazing. Supplementing with grains, that most farms grew, was a way to make sure they got the calories they needed and keep them around the coop. There are still a lot of people who like to think nothing has change even though not many now keep a horse for transportation and a cow for milk, which leaves the chickens much less to sort through for food. Add (or subtract) the manicured monoculture yards that most have and the need for a good feed becomes more necessary. Opps starting to rant. Back to you situation. If they are getting good graze and scraps they may not need much in the way of other feed. Add to it the fact that they will eat grains before pellets. It is no wonder they leave the pellets till last. With less grain they should eat more feed. Try putting out two pounds a day for a couple of days to see how much they are eating. Then you will know how much to put out for the week. You can also wet the leftover feed, they see that as a treat and eat that right up, but only do less then they would eat for the day. Mine don't care what form the feed comes in they eat both just as well, crumbles or pellets.

 

[krista74]

Hi again Den We are very fortunate that our house backs onto a creek and we have 5 acres of land, a good portion of which our flock are able to graze, and a good portion of which is wild - ie not manicured in the slightest! They seem to be eating/scratching their way across the property! I have bought some crumbles to give them a go and will reduce the free access grain accordingly. They seem happy and healthy, and considering it's winter I feel very fortunate that 3/6 have started laying when the weather has been far from ideal. (They are around the 22-24 weeks old mark.) Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Krista