One of the reasons people feed their chickens differently is because they have different goals. Some want to feed as cheaply as possible, while still having the chickens produce. Some want to feed adequately, as easily as possible. Some want to feed to produce the healthiest eggs for eating. Some want to feed a diet that is the healthiest for the chicken. Some are feeding to produce for a niche market and need to be able to advertise certain things about the diet their chickens are on. Some are showing or breeding. Some want their chickens to enjoy life. People may also be working at multiple feeding goals at the same time.
Free ranging or adding supplemental foods also effects what you can feed, compared to diets that are intended to be the total diet. Sometimes, when people are feeding inadequate diets to their chickens, their chickens are making up for it by free ranging or eating hay or feed from other animals. People also tend to see and think about the grain in a feed. They don't think about the soy that is actually a legume that is providing a more balanced protein. They don't think about the minerals and vitamins that get mixed in, even in the whole or cracked grain feeds some feed mills mix up, as a complete feed. Some people may only be feeding grain, but their chickens are eating much more. Some people may think they are feeding mostly grain, but they are feeding much more.
There are a lot of different diets that work for chickens. In general, they need carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. There are a lot of different ways to provide that. Do you have any particular goals for your feeding plan? That might help you decide what you want to do.
I have had chickens eat a lot of different diets over the years and I thought all their eggs were delicious. When I was younger, I think they mostly got chicken feed. Later, they got chicken feed, scratch and free ranged on pasture, eating a lot of bugs along the way. Plus they ate some of the hay and winter feed from the sheep, which had a mix of grains, soy, vitamins, minerals and molasses.
These days they get chicken feed, scratch, sunflower seeds (especially when molting), pasture that has grasses and legumes, greens that I plant, lots of different native plants, seeds, bugs and worms from out in the yard. I plant more things for them to eat than I used to. Some things I plant just for them, other food is also for us, I just plant more. In the winter they get wheat grass, alfalfa sprouts, plus some supplemental worms and bugs. And whatever misc. food we might give them.
Free ranging or adding supplemental foods also effects what you can feed, compared to diets that are intended to be the total diet. Sometimes, when people are feeding inadequate diets to their chickens, their chickens are making up for it by free ranging or eating hay or feed from other animals. People also tend to see and think about the grain in a feed. They don't think about the soy that is actually a legume that is providing a more balanced protein. They don't think about the minerals and vitamins that get mixed in, even in the whole or cracked grain feeds some feed mills mix up, as a complete feed. Some people may only be feeding grain, but their chickens are eating much more. Some people may think they are feeding mostly grain, but they are feeding much more.
There are a lot of different diets that work for chickens. In general, they need carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. There are a lot of different ways to provide that. Do you have any particular goals for your feeding plan? That might help you decide what you want to do.
I have had chickens eat a lot of different diets over the years and I thought all their eggs were delicious. When I was younger, I think they mostly got chicken feed. Later, they got chicken feed, scratch and free ranged on pasture, eating a lot of bugs along the way. Plus they ate some of the hay and winter feed from the sheep, which had a mix of grains, soy, vitamins, minerals and molasses.
These days they get chicken feed, scratch, sunflower seeds (especially when molting), pasture that has grasses and legumes, greens that I plant, lots of different native plants, seeds, bugs and worms from out in the yard. I plant more things for them to eat than I used to. Some things I plant just for them, other food is also for us, I just plant more. In the winter they get wheat grass, alfalfa sprouts, plus some supplemental worms and bugs. And whatever misc. food we might give them.
