Feeding the girls

[Sunny Days]

Hi I am new to raising chickens and I'm not sure about how much variety I should be giving them. As I live next to a dog park and dogs can get into my yard so the girls can't free range. I give them green leafy veg nearly every day or some grass pulled out of the garden. There main food is growing feed which is always in their run but they also get some scratch mix in the afternoon. Can you feed them too much? I have also heard they should have some shell grit. Is this mixed in their food or just given on its own?

I have 1x light Sussex, 1x australorp (both hatched sept 2012) and 2xRIR bantams (hatched august 2012. Unfortunately no eggs yet.

 

[Wisher1000]

First, welcome to BYC!

Most commercial feed is formulated to be an all inclusive diet. Choose a brand name layer or flock feed as the base for their diet. Offer crushed oyster shell in a small bowl {(always availabe) and they will eat it if they need it. The grass and greens are good for them and I doubt you could over do that. The only thing I would caution you about is the scratch. Too much scratch is a bad thing. Use it to lure them where you want them or to train them to a routine. It should be a treat only, not a staple. I give mine some grain (scratch) to teach them to come when I call and BOY do they! I can go out anytime and call them all to the coop where they know I will throw some grain out for them and they'd better hurry, because there may not be enough for stragglers!

BTW - is the dog park fenced? It should be........ I think I would build one of my own if the park authority won't.

 

[Sunny Days]

Hi, thanks for the advice. I may have been giving them too much of the scratch.