Minerals for chickens?

[Rcornerranch]

Do you offer a mineral mix to your laying hens free choice? I’ve seen some mineral mixes for chickens online and wondered if I should get some for them just in case they need it. They get dumor layer pellets and/or purina omega 3 layer pellets, two scratch mixes mixed together, oyster shell, grit, mealworms, hydrated chia seeds, and occasional fruit or veggies. They also free range on weeds. That sounds good to me, but our goats need lots of minerals and mineral gel once a week because the soil around here is old farm land. Plus, winter will make most of the ground die off and dry up. We give Poultry Cell in water for sick birds to drink. Can you mix that into feed to give them on occasion?

 

[Percheron chick]

No. It's just the feed companies trying to separate you from your hard earned money. They are nothing more than calcium, salt and sone goodies to make them eat it. You have taken care of their needs. Liquid vitamins are easily mixed into feed. Just add water to their regular pellets and mix it in.
As far as the goats go, have you ever had your hay and pastures analyised? Equi Analytical is the company i use. Simple. Add what you need and save $$ in the process.

 

[NatJ]

We have an adult hen we bought that needs to gain weight. She loves chia seeds, and they seem to spark her appetite after she eats them. She eats the chia gel, then shows interest in the layer pellets. Before she just barely ate anything. We’re trying. She’s getting more active.

Have you tried getting a few layer pellets wet with water? Some chickens like it better that way, and it's a really easy thing to try!

It's also fine to give starter feed, rather than layer feed, to adult chickens. It's got more protein, which is good for any bird that needs to grow feathers or build muscle. (Just be sure to keep the dish of oyster shell available--starter has less calcium than layer feed.)

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some people take those multiple vitamin supplements. I once asked my doctor about them. His response was "What do you think you are short of?" He considered them a waste of money for people unless they have a known problem. If you have a known problem, address that. Otherwise there is no benefit.

I take the same approach to my chickens. As long as they are healthy, laying well, the eggs hatch baby chicks, and all that they are doing great. If it isn't broke why fix it? You may wind up doing more harm than good.

 

[NatJ]

They get dumor layer pellets and/or purina omega 3 layer pellets, two scratch mixes mixed together, oyster shell, grit, mealworms, hydrated chia seeds, and occasional fruit or veggies. They also free range on weeds.

The layer pellets are intended to have everything chickens need, including minerals.

our goats need lots of minerals and mineral gel once a week because the soil around here is old farm land. Plus, winter will make most of the ground die off and dry up.

If the chickens get all the right minerals from their feed, then it does not matter what kind of soil you have.

As for the old farm land and the goats--unless you've had it tested, or seen deficiencies in the goats, I would not make assumptions about what it has or what it needs. Some farmers add all sorts of things to their soil and some do not. And your goats are probably adding some of their minerals every time they poop on it, too.

 

[aart]

They get dumor layer pellets and/or purina omega 3 layer pellets, two scratch mixes mixed together, oyster shell, grit, mealworms, hydrated chia seeds, and occasional fruit or veggies.

Hopefully the scratch feeds are mixed together but fed separately from the regular feed...and in small quantities relative to the regular feed.
Oyster Shell should be in a separate small feeder. same with granite grit.
Not sure the purpose for the chia seeds.

Layer feeds are meant to be the sole ration,
any other foods/treats given can dilute the nutrition there, especially the minerals, vitamins/amino acids.

 

[NatJ]

Good to know we are not depriving them then! I was worried we weren’t giving them something they needed.

"Complete" feeds have that name for a reason

They are fed to caged chickens that have no other options to make up deficiencies, and even those chickens remain reasonably healthy for over a year. So that means it really is pretty close to what a chicken needs.

 

[Rcornerranch]

We are seeing mineral issues in the goats. The one’s bald spots are disappearing. This land was cow pasture, then soybeans. After soy beans were harvested, the farmers left bare dirt all winter and spring. Soil run off and erosion has played a big part in lack of nutrition, I think. We were sent a letter about the property being land at great risk of erosion. That said, with dairy goats minerals can be difficult anyway! We saw the line of topsoil when the soil was dug and tested for septic, and it is very thin above the red clay underneath. Clay has been absolutely wonderful for retaining the water in our duck pond, though. We’ve had two rains a few weeks ago. Can’t wait to see the pond full for the ducks.

 

[Rcornerranch]

Have you tried getting a few layer pellets wet with water? Some chickens like it better that way, and it's a really easy thing to try!

It's also fine to give starter feed, rather than layer feed, to adult chickens. It's got more protein, which is good for any bird that needs to grow feathers or build muscle. (Just be sure to keep the dish of oyster shell available--starter has less calcium than layer feed.)

That might help her! The chia seeds are wet, so maybe she would like the pellets wet, too. She’d probably put weight back on better with chick starter.

 

[Rcornerranch]

Good to know we are not depriving them then! I was worried we weren’t giving them something they needed.