Recent chicken Owner

[SofisChicken]

Hi everyone! I am a recent single hen owner and for the past few months I've been feeding her mostly fruit and table scraps; however, now I want to give her actual chicken feed but there are so many options to choose from I don't know which one will keep her most fit and not malnourished. I'm not sure if I should get her oyster shells (she is laying eggs) or grit (she is mostly free-range in my backyard) or if I should get her chicken feed or layer feed! Please help!! I want to make her happy and healthy!

 

[azygous]

A commercial chicken feed, either a 16% protein layer or a 20% protein all flock feed will have all the vitamins and minerals a chicken needs. If you buy the layer feed, it has adequate calcium, but an all flock feed won't have the calcium in quantities a laying hen needs, so you will need to buy oyster shell.

What you are now feeding your hen, while it fills her up, does not provide the nutrients she needs. It risks depleting her calcium levels and if they get too low, she would be in danger of sudden death syndrome from laying down a shell on an egg and having her body draw on blood calcium, triggering a heart attack.

If she free ranges,she likely gets the grit she needs from the soil.

 

[PoultryCQ]

Grit and oyster shells are two different things, both are needed. I recommend not to feed layer feed. Some all flock or grower with 20% protein is good. I like to use purina. Scratch and peck has great reviews too, although I never tried it before. Provide oyster shells and grit in two seperate bowls. Dont mix it with her chicken feed. She will get it herself when she needs it. Since you only have one hen, I recommend replacing her oyster shells with some egg shells (they like it better). Also, free feed her startung from the morning and take away the feed at night. Chickens dont tend to over eat.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Layer feed is just fine because you have only one hen. She will need access to grit if she doesn’t free range.
I leave my feed and water in the run all day and night because she will roost at night.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I want to give her actual chicken feed but there are so many options to choose from I don't know which one will keep her most fit and not malnourished. I'm not sure if I should get her oyster shells (she is laying eggs) or grit (she is mostly free-range in my backyard) or if I should get her chicken feed or layer feed!

Since she is your only chicken, I would keep it simple.
Get her layer feed in a small 10 lb bag and a small 5 lb bag of Poultry Grit.

I would get her the Crumble feed on the right. Offer the feed and Grit each in a separate container.
The same company also has Layers feed called Layena + Free Range and Layena + Omega 3. Both are a mini-pellet. All these feeds in a 10 lb bag are available at my local TSC (Tractor Supply Co). GC