Is all chicken food the same?

[jomary2013]

My chicken recently started laying eggs and I was feeding her chick starter food the bag said to feed it till they start laying eggs. I went to the store and got her feed for chickens once they lay eggs but I got a bag that had a similar egg and chicken as mine. The food is a little bit bigger and she has trouble eating it and noticed she didn’t really eat it. Does the picture of the chicken matter in feed? I know it’s a dumb question but just don’t know.

 

[demonic]

My chicken recently started laying eggs and I was feeding her chick starter food the bag said to feed it till they start laying eggs. I went to the store and got her feed for chickens once they lay eggs but I got a bag that had a similar egg and chicken as mine. The food is a little bit bigger and she has trouble eating it and noticed she didn’t really eat it. Does the picture of the chicken matter in feed? I know it’s a dumb question but just don’t know.

The layer feed is just to provide extra nutrition and calcium to support the hen while she lays because she will need more when she lays To prevent being egg bound/weak eggs, etc. Its bigger because its pellets, she will probably get used to it if not there are crumble layer foods.

 

[sourland]

Look at the ingredient label and feed name. You want either an all flock or layer feed. When changing feed do so gradually adding increasing amounts of the new to the old. Chickens hate change.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Not exactly sure what “does the picture of the chicken matter in the feed” but short answer, no. Not all chicken feed is the same. I personally feed a 20% protein All flock feed. Layer feed will have more calcium than all flock, so if you feed and all flock feed make sure to supplement oyster shell on the side. Gradually change the feed so it’s not a surprise.

What breeds do you have? I doubt the pellets (I’m assuming they’re pellets) are too big if she’s laying already.

 

[jomary2013]

Not exactly sure what “does the picture of the chicken matter in the feed” but short answer, no. Not all chicken feed is the same. I personally feed a 20% protein All flock feed. Layer feed will have more calcium than all flock, so if you feed and all flock feed make sure to supplement oyster shell on the side. Gradually change the feed so it’s not a surprise.

What breeds do you have? I doubt the pellets (I’m assuming they’re pellets) are too big if she’s laying already.

The bag of the food

 

[jomary2013]

Not exactly sure what “does the picture of the chicken matter in the feed” but short answer, no. Not all chicken feed is the same. I personally feed a 20% protein All flock feed. Layer feed will have more calcium than all flock, so if you feed and all flock feed make sure to supplement oyster shell on the side. Gradually change the feed so it’s not a surprise.

What breeds do you have? I doubt the pellets (I’m assuming they’re pellets) are too big if she’s laying already.

New Hampshire chicken and yeah they it’s pellets she bites them and just bites them and they just can’t crush them I guess when she’s eating them

 

[cmom]

Cickens don't have teeth to chew the pellets. It gets ground up in their gizzard. As @sourland said chickens don't necessarily like change. I would mix some of her previous feed with the new feed. It has worked for me. You can get layer feed in pellets and crumbles. I feed pellets. They will usually eat them when they get hungry enough. I have never had a chicken starve. I feed All Flock or Flock Raiser which is good for all ages of birds. Again it can be had in either crumbles or pellets. It's a little higher in protein. You can also give them some oyster shells for the calcium. Many people give it on the side. I mix the oyster shells right in with their feed and they take what they want. I don't believe there is a right or wrong way, just different ways. Good luck...

 

[GC-Raptor]

The food is a little bit bigger and she has trouble eating it and noticed she didn’t really eat it. Does the picture of the chicken matter in feed?

Is this the bag of feed you bought? It should say Layena on the bag.
If so it's the correct feed for laying chickens.

The one on the right is crumble, same size as Start and Grow feed for chicks.
Left one is pellets, much bigger. GC

 

[nuthatched]

You can feed laying feed once they all start laying but many chicken tenders feed all flock/flock raiser/chick feed with oyster shell on the side for calcium. Layer feed has only 16-17% calcium, which is a tad low imo, but it does have the calcium built in.