New to chickens! Please help with diet question!!

[Repochick78]

Have you looked into what feed is available, at TSC or FFH, if you have those stores nearby?

I'm firmly in the "all flock" or starter/grower feed camp, with a protein percentage of 20%. I was feeding organic starter/grower, but due to cost have had to switch. I found what I thought was a good compromise in "non-GMO, 20% flock maker" from Kalmbach.

I like the 20% protein because then I don't need to worry that they are shortchanged on protein if I give them some treats. That said, their #1 "treat" is their regular food, wetted down into a mash. They love it, and I can dress it up with vegetable scraps or whatever I have on hand that they might like to eat.

If you have questions, and I'm sure you will, start a new thread. That's more likely to get answers than to keep adding on to this thread. Give the thread a name with what you're specifically asking, and people who know will be more likely to see it and respond.

And,

Thank you so much!

 

[Repochick78]

Okay… what I would do.

1 chose a higher protein feed that is whole grain and a good pellet or crumble feed, start mixing 50/50 and gradually transition it to 100% whole grain mix and seeds type mix. The reason I would do this is most likely they have been fed pellets or crumble their whole lives prior to you. I start my chicks right away on a mix of chick starter crumbles, seeds, grit, small whole or cracked grains, bugs and fresh fruits, sprouts and veggies… they do great and transition great onto whole grain feed as they get older.

I avoid corn based feed myself, I have my reasons, because I feed no corn my only option is organic no soy as well. I am not anti soy and organic does raise feed cost just so you are aware. I have hand mixed but it takes research, creativity in getting nutrients and lots of hunting around for feed ingredients. I did it because at the time no one in my county sold corn free chicken feed… it was an adventure... good premixed feeds have made my life easier.

2 supplement water with probiotic, electrolytes, oregano tea, or poultry vitamins for water (ACV only if your watering system has no metal.. vinegar will leach out metals of waterer into water and hurt your birds).

3 add lots of fruits, veggies, herbs, spices, sprouts, greens, kitchen scraps, seeds, seaweed, bugs, worms, dried and frozen shrimps/fish, liver, other protein sources to diet… if your lawn is not treated they usually like grass clippings too. Cottage cheese even. Chickens are omnivores, never forget that when thinking about their nutritional needs.

4 offer grit and oyster shells

The Eggs for You

If I was worried about their eggs health for my end use.

I would eliminate corn as it is linked to cholesterol in animals such as farm raised fish and cattle. Different countries use different grains to feed chickens and is probably why nutritional data from Asian countries is different from Western countries. What you feed the hens is reflected in egg taste, yolk colour, yolk consistency (my chicken produce eggs that are always bright yolk and the consistency is not like water whereas the store ones are always pale yellow and the whites watery), and end nutrition to you. Junk feed = junk eggs for you is my philosophy on eggs, even organically fed commercial chickens may not be getting proper nutrients for best egg quality for you. Your goals here should be proper nutrition for your birds first and lowering bad cholesterol causing elements in their feed... think heart healthy for them = healthy heart for you too. You want good fats in their diets via good sources. A little corn is okay now and then but should be just a treat in my opinion, not the daily feed.

I would document the eggs they lay as follows as I change their feed…
weight, photo and inspect uncracked eggs, crack eggs (thin or thick shell… do I notice a change in shells), look at yolk colour, and egg white consistency, number of eggs flock lays daily... if it is possible to match eggs to individual birds I would probably do that too… to help gauge how each hen is doing.

My expectations based on my flock keeping experience and comparing my bird’s eggs to friends flocks eggs who are on different diets and store bought organic and non organic eggs is you should see a gradual improvement in egg shell thickness (the eggs should get dang hard to break), egg yolk should get bright, whites should thicken up. My birds tend to have super bright dark yellow yolks, thick whites, hard shells regardless of breed but then my feeding goals are to feed them to live long to the best of my ability, in addition I allow them to free time in my yard, they have a big communal pen as well, so lots of exercise potential, sunshine, foraging time on top of me doing my best to feed them well. I have had my ups and downs in learning what my flock needs too, so expect you might have to tweak the diet as needed. I learned some of my breeds needed more protein early on to prevent them craving new feathers of fellow birds and egg eating… I try to always get extra protein and vitamins in them during molting for example on top of normal feed.

I think you will notice the improvement within a month. If your worried about medications or something like that probably a thirty day waiting period would be good.

PS you can crush the shells and scramble the eggs you crack open cook and feed back to them, it won’t hurt them and will just be extra supplement. Yes there might be trace elements in these eggs but by the end of a reasonable wait period it should be okay. Always cook the eggs never feed raw or shell in such away they know it is eggs… they will start cracking and eating own eggs... eggs are yummy.

Ethical and Religious considerations in feed… okay if this is an issue you need to be very honest with yourself about chickens not being humans… so please consider their nutritional needs first… there are ways to do everything but make sure you choose feeds after understanding their nutrition a bit so they stay healthy. You are keeping feathered dinosaurs who in nature forage for lizards, worms and bugs on top of wild seeds, grains and plants. Chickens are a Kosher and Halal food source both from eggs and meat. (Disclaimer I am not a rabbi, this is my understanding) To be Kosher your chicken must have 4 toes, three in the front one in the back. What a chicken eats does not make the chicken meat or eggs not Kosher or Kosher… it’s the fact it meets the rules in the Bible/Torah. The religious rules even state animals do not need to be fed human food… you can of course, but it is not an expectation or even practical for society or nutrition of the critter. Big Kosher egg/meat commercial facilities feed their birds special diets to make their life easier… Passover requires that 5 grains be absent from hearth, home and farm under modern orthodox rules… just easier not to feed those all year, then to purge a huge operation of the 5 grains yearly. For regular folks these grains are temporary removed yearly and returned, pets, zoo animals and livestock simply fed differently for that time period only. The main thing is if you do feed your animals non Kosher food you must keep it away from human Kosher food… for instance store not with your food. Pretty simple really. Some people do feed only Kosher human quality feed too, but then they are usually mixing feed… and the grain is for both them and animals.

I hope this helps

Wow! Yes, thank you so much!!

 

[Cookies-Chickens2004]

New with chickens here, Can someone explain to me the best way to incorporate grit into feed? How much to how much? People say offer it - how exactly? I put up a small hanging bin along with the hanging feeder and it doesn't appear as though they touch it. I'm confused. Thank you in advance.

 

[3KillerBs]

New with chickens here, Can someone explain to me the best way to incorporate grit into feed? How much to how much? People say offer it - how exactly? I put up a small hanging bin along with the hanging feeder and it doesn't appear as though they touch it. I'm confused. Thank you in advance.

It's better not to mix it in. If they need grit they will take it, if they don't need any right now they won't.

Since it's granite it takes a while to wear down inside their crops so they only eat it intermittently.

 

[Cookies-Chickens2004]

Ok, that's what I was hoping. So they know when they need it and I don't have to do anything but offer it to them. Now it's oyster shells the same as grit? I've read both it is and it isn't. I'm so confused . I offer both mixed in the grit bin. Is that right?

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

You can just put a pie plate of it out if you want.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Now it's oyster shells the same as grit? I've read both it is and it isn't. I'm so confused . I offer both mixed in the grit bin. Is that right?

Terminology depends on where you are. In the US oyster shell is for calcium, grit (usually granite) is for grinding down food. They're not interchangeable.

In UK (and maybe other places), oyster shell is called soluble grit and granite grit is called insoluble.

Do not mix them. Best to offer each separately so birds can take exactly what they need. I use parrot cups like this and hang it on the wall so one has grit, the other has oyster shell:

 

[3KillerBs]

Now it's oyster shells the same as grit? I've read both it is and it isn't.

My 60lb bag says "Calcium grit" -- which is not the same as grit for grinding food.

Oystershell is the shells of oysters specifically, calcium grit is a calcium source not necessarily from oystershell (honestly, it looks like limestone gravel), and grit is granite for grinding.

They need both grit for grinding and a calcium source.

However, many times when chickens have access to the outdoors and natural dirt you don't need to offer grit because they'll pick up what they need from their run.

 

[Brooks_]

However, many times when chickens have access to the outdoors and natural dirt you don't need to offer grit because they'll pick up what they need from their run.

That's largely been the case for me. Then all of a sudden it's like they all ate some at the same time--I know it didn't evaporate. I leave it out at all times--it's cheap enough and doesn't go bad.

 

[K0k0shka]

That's largely been the case for me. Then all of a sudden it's like they all ate some at the same time--I know it didn't evaporate. I leave it out at all times--it's cheap enough and doesn't go bad.

It's always good to provide some on the side regardless of whether they free range or not. It's cheap and there's no big hurdle to offering it. Even if they free range, they may or may not find enough rocks of the exact right size. Maybe the ground is frozen and they can't get any rocks out. Maybe after years of scouring the same area, they have already eaten all the little rocks of the right size. Maybe on that particular day, they just didn't come across any. Having a backup is always a good idea. They may still prefer to go out and find their own, but if for some reason they can't, they know they can go back to the bowl and get some there.