Feeding scraps plus homemade combination of grains

[Kyng]

I haven’t heard one single black and white answer for feeding chickens and was hoping someone can clarify a few things.

How much food does an eight week old chicken need to eat - mix of different grains, seeds like oats/flax/peas/corn/wheat/sunflower seeds/nutritional yeast and eggshells - plus table scraps available all day ?

I’ve heard mixed reviews about onions and garlic. What’s the deal?

what’s the best mixture of seeds/grains for them?

 

[TooCheep]

what’s the best mixture of seeds/grains for them?

There is a very strong argument that the best mix(es) are those found in commercial pellet feed. Chickens are among the most intensely studied animals for nutritional needs and the findings are reflected in the mineral/vitamin/amino acid/fat balances found in commercial feeds.

As for feeding food scraps, random vegetables, etc. Most of them are perfectly fine in limited amounts (as treats), but unless you really do a *lot* of analysis, creating your own custom feed plan will almost certainly have gaps in their nutrition which will impact their health, productivity and lifespan.

Paging @U_Stormcrow

 

[talkinboutchickens]

How much food does an eight week old chicken need to eat - mix of different grains, seeds like oats/flax/peas/corn/wheat/sunflower seeds/nutritional yeast and eggshells - plus table scraps available all day ?

I don't exactly know how to answer that question....I guess it's as much as they want to eat??
But for table scraps...Very little every day. If you do feed them table scraps, only healthy scraps such as fruits and veggies but NO BREAD....Bread had NO nutritional value. Just heard from the vet when we took my hen in who had a prolapsed vent because of a calcium deficiency that you technically should only be feeding your hens layer feed, no scraps. Let's say a hen eats some watermelon. It fills her up, thus making her not wanting to eat any layer feed or very little layer feed which is full of all the stuff she needs to lay an egg. So instead of eating layer feed she eats the watermelon which has no calcium, basically none of the stuff that layer feed has. If she has multiple snacks/scraps a day, of course she'll prefer the snacks so she eats the snacks, it fills her up, so she doesn't eat her feed that she needs to lay good eggs. She could lay softshell eggs, get eggbound, get a prolapse, and multiple other things could also happen.
Trust me, you do not want your hen getting any of those. But yeah, if you have scraps, go ahead and feed a small amount to your flock every day or every other day or so Just keep in mind what I said

I’ve heard mixed reviews about onions and garlic. What’s the deal?

Onions and garlic aren't bad for chickens, it just makes the hens' eggs taste bad I would only feed it to them once in a great while if at all.

 

[Sally PB]

What are your goals? Making your own feed to... save money? Grow healthier chickens?

Where are you located, @Kyng? Just the state is fine, or the country, if you're not in the US. Location/climate will influence what you can grow/source/do, and how easily/economically you can do it.

 

[Kyng]

What are your goals? Making your own feed to... save money? Grow healthier chickens?

Where are you located, @Kyng? Just the state is fine, or the country, if you're not in the US. Location/climate will influence what you can grow/source/do, and how easily/economically you can do it.

Not so easy to get feed where I live.
Not in the US

 

[Perris]

I haven’t heard one single black and white answer for feeding chickens and was hoping someone can clarify a few things.

How much food does an eight week old chicken need to eat - mix of different grains, seeds like oats/flax/peas/corn/wheat/sunflower seeds/nutritional yeast and eggshells - plus table scraps available all day ?

I’ve heard mixed reviews about onions and garlic. What’s the deal?

what’s the best mixture of seeds/grains for them?

Here is another approach, closer to what you are already doing
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...eat-tears-a-calculator-or-deep-pockets.78655/

You won't get one answer because some people keep backyard chickens as if they were commercial outfits, and other people have essentially feral flocks roaming wherever, and everything in between. And it happens all over the world, so in every type and variety of environment. What is suitable in terms of chicken breeds and nutrition varies with it.

 

[Kyng]

Here is another approach, closer to what you are already doing
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...eat-tears-a-calculator-or-deep-pockets.78655/

You won't get one answer because some people keep backyard chickens as if they were commercial outfits, and other people have essentially feral flocks roaming wherever, and everything in between. And it happens all over the world, so in every type and variety of environment. What is suitable in terms of chicken breeds and nutrition varies with it.

THANK YOU! This is exactly what I was looking for. Much appreciative.