Feeding chickens

[Shadrach]

Hi Friends.. need help. As new chicken owner with no knowledge of what to do. I have let my chickens free range in my back yard. Now I have no grass and put chicks back in coop area. I hung a feeder and put in a waterer but they appear as tho they are starving. I also put corn in as a filler with the laying pellets but don't know how to provide greens. They are picky about lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and just about all fresh veggies... what do I do?

You've written 'chicks'. How old are these fowl?
If they are not yet laying you should not be feeding them layers pellets.
Feed an all flock type feed with 18% or more protein and 1% calcium. You can feed this throughout their life and supply calcium carbonate on the side.
You may find given they free range that they won't eat much of the calcium.

 

[21hens-incharge]

But adding plain corn to a diet may dilute other nutrients.

Not a myth, really, but how it's applied is a myth.
Any digestion will create 'heat'....but, I'll repeat, adding extra corn to a diet may dilute other nutrients.

My bird pack their crops before roosting, and their chicken ration contains corn....but also all the other nutrients they need.

I should have been more clear in my post. Thank you for clarifying.

 

[123RedBeard]

But adding plain corn to a diet may dilute other nutrients.

True. (I'm guessing that your refering to a "diet" as "formulated" feed from a manufacturers bag)

However ... corn in itself has nutrients of its own ...

"Free ranging" also "dilutes" and "substitutes" ... "other nutrients" ...

So called "formulated chicken feed" is designed for chickens that stay in a confined area, with access to no other nutrients ... once a chicken get other nutrients than the "formulated feed" ... they are " diluting" some nutrients, but adding others ...

If a chicken eats some meal worms, grasshoppers, or a mouse, they are diluting the corn the feed mill put in the "formula" too ...