Feeding chickens only sprouts

[21hens-incharge]

Like what else could I give them, maybe other kinds of plants ? I’ve seen many people say that their chickens eat a diet mainly consisting of plants

I have chickens that live LONG healthy lives. I will share my feeding regimen and know that I put it out there and you can take the advice ....or not.

Layer pellets for high production breeds.
All flock or flock raiser for my aging birds no longer laying often.

Everyone has grit and oyster shell available at all times.
19 birds share 1 cup of scratch a day.
Greens from the garden, grass from having mowed, the occasional cantaloupe and corn cobs are rare treats that they all share. Once in a while they get meat scraps from the kitchen. Meat is always cooked and not fatty.

Water is dumped on my plants every night and fresh water is given at dawn every morning. Yes 365 days a year (366 on leap year).

I have bantam cochins going into years 8 and 11. Most full sized hens are culled around age 7-8 to make room for new layers. There haven't been issues with sick, skinny, dying birds in my flocks. I have been keeping birds going on 20 years.

You can take our advice....or not. It's your choice.

 

[black_cat]

Yes and supplementing whatever else I needed, I figured that’s I could sprout things that would be high protein as well like lentils and other things like that, trust me I’m not just gonna throw some sprouts in there and leave them I understand that they have needs and that was kinda the point of the question and I also thought that is what this website was for was questions, if I it’s too much to ask then sorry

This is a great website for questions, and we've answered your question several times. However, you're refusing to accept our answer to the question.

 

[black_cat]

I honestly would rather them not have

@Kiki , @NatJ , and @21hens-incharge are among the most knowledgeable posters on this entire site. I would trust them with my chickens' lives. If you don't want advice from them, that's on you.

 

[aart]

a vitamin & mineral supplement.

This is the key^^^
People and feed mills who mix their own feed add a 'premix' to the grains.
It contains all the vitamins/minerals/amino acids that chickens need, in the right proportions.

 

[Chicken Heel]

I apologize to the OP and any others who found it offensive for my earlier post. It was condescending and I shouldn't have stated it.

 

[Kiki]

Is there any more natural way to go without layer feed that would be more balanced

No there is not. A balanced complete diet is best for preventing problems.

 

[NatJ]

Like what else could I give them, maybe other kinds of plants ?

In addition to several kinds of sprouts, they would need a properly balanced set of meat or insect foods, and a source of calcium, and probably a vitamin & mineral supplement. I do not know enough of the specifics to figure it out correctly.

I’ve seen many people say that their chickens eat a diet mainly consisting of plants

Many kinds of chicken food are made with only plant products, but that usually includes a fair amount of soybeans for protein, and some special balancing of ingredients.

If chickens are really foraging for all of their food, "most" of that food will be plants IF you measure by weight or volume. But the smaller amount of not-plants provides a very important amount of the protein and calories and vitamins and minerals. The animal part of the diet will include bugs and worms, and quite likely mice and frogs and parts of any bigger animal they find dead.

 

[black_cat]

I honestly would rather them not have I mean I understand it’s not a good idea but it’s not like I’m torturing my chickens I mean I’m wondering if I should feed them sprouts or not it just came off that everyone thought they were being malnourished and I was a horrible person because they weren’t being taken care of right, but I understand it isn’t a good idea and I will not be doing it so sorry to anyone who I worried I am not doing anything different they are still getting all their feed that they were before

I think that you're misinterpreting what we're saying. We didn't think that you're a horrible person, and we don't think that you're torturing your chickens. You asked if you could feed them only sprouts, and we told you no, and that WOULD be malnourishing your chickens. You then continued to argue with us.

 

[black_cat]

Yeah I got it from someone I bought a chicken from that I should not have, they are not stressed at all and I don’t understand how it is malnourishment it’s natural and I would be able to supplement anything I needed I could supplement vitamins, minerals, protein and calcium so I really don’t see the problem if all their needs are met

Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's better. A quality layer feed has EVERYTHING that a chicken needs, and it's extremely healthy for them. It's not like for humans where a salad is natural and healthy and candy isn't natural and is unhealthy. It's like if the candy had everything in the salad PLUS all of the other vitamins, minerals, protein, calcium, nutrients, carbs, and whatever else a person needs.

 

[Kiki]

I asked a question of if I could feed them sprouts and supplement anything else they needed if that would work, I’m not interested in a class I just wanna know what else I could supplement with it, I want mine organic and fed a more natural diet it’s a waste to buy organic feed, it was just a simple question

This isn't what you said but now that you are saying it you should know that it will cost you wayyyy more money to try to make your own balanced feed for your birds.
Way more than buying a bag of organic feed.