Help! New at raising chickens

[llyn444]

We need help! Or, I should say, I need help!
I've been getting advise (not wanted) from my husbands, dear grandfather about feeding our chickens. But, I am reading on here that we might be doing it wrong.
We only have 4 chickens and got them young and not laying. Grandfather tells us all we need to feed them is Scratch and Oyster Shells.
IS THIS RIGHT?
We are starting to get eggs and they are small and firm. Some have been broken in the nest but mostly good. However, I don't think all the girls are laying yet.
We let them out of their house in the day time to roam around their chicken yard and we have the feed both inside their house and scattered on the ground for them to peck at during the day.
Can anyone help me get started raising these girls right?

 

[meriruka]

You need to feed them more than scratch to get all the nutrition they need. Scratch is ok as a supplement & the oyster shell is good, but they should mainly eat layer feed. I know that makes it more expensive but it's like feeding a dog just dog treats......

Sounds like everything else is good, out during the day, safe inside at night. Maybe make sure they have some grit to digest their food if you don't have small rocks in your soil. A bag of crushed granite is cheap & will last a while.

Congrats on your new flock!

 

[llyn444]

That helps...I knew they needed something else. Grandfather told me that was all they used to feed their chickens and they were fine.
So, should we put the feed in their feeder and the scratch on the ground along with the oyster shells or put both the feed and scratch in feeders too?
Thanks so much for helping!

 

[underground chickenman]

Once they are laying, oyster shell is fine, but scratch is nothing more than a treat, and not a very nutritious one at that...at least as far as protein goes. They need a good quality layer ration or a starter ration with added oyster shell. I prefer the latter because the starter has a slightly higher protein content. You can increase layer protein in other ways, such as by adding a little game bird feed to it. Google "pearson square" to learn how to mix feeds to get the protein content you want. I suggest getting the protein content up to 18% and make sure they have plenty of calcium, such as free choice oyster shell. Instead of scratch, give them a handful of black oil sunflower seeds every day.

Here is a good explanation of the pearson square: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/LIVESTK/01618.html

UGCM

 

[maizie]

The protein is so important especially if its winter and no bugs are available.

 

[meriruka]

My older relatives also fed only scratch, but they also routinely ate the chickens at a young age before the 'scratch only' diet had a chance to cause problems for the bird.

Edited to add, the chickens will always eat the scratch first, like kids will always eat candy before vegetables. So you may find if you mix the scratch in with the feed they will just pick out the scratch. I'd give them feed available in their dish available at all times (along with the oyster shell & grit in another dish, if you have a roo, this will cut down on the calcium he gets, layer feed already has too much calcium for him, but it's very hard to feed him non layer and the hens layer feed if they are all penned together). Chucking a handful of scratch on the ground as a treat gives the chickens something to do and lets you control the amount of it they eat, so that is probably the best idea.

 

[llyn444]

Okay, so maybe just put the feed in their feeder that is in their house to eat while they are inside and then when we turn them out, feed them a handful of scratch on the ground to give them something to do while they are outside, "peckin round?"

I appreciate everyones response to this. Hopefully we will have happy girls and a happy mommie that doesn't have to buy store bought eggs anymore.