What do I feed my chickens?

[yakitori]

Fermenting chicken feed is something I’m currently looking into. I’d like to give it a try.

You totally should! It’s really easy and will put all the nutrients in the feed to good use, so you will end up feeding less. Other benefits includes massively reduced odor (I forgot to ferment once, and my goodness, the coop smelled foul), solid poop, and better gut bacteria... I also read that they won’t pick and choose as much if they’re given a whole grain mix like yours (from what I can see from the yt thumbnail).

 

[NatJ]

Fermenting chicken feed is something I’m currently looking into. I’d like to give it a try.

One reason fermenting food causes people to save money is that the chickens waste less (because it's harder to throw around when wet.)

You can get that particular benefit just by wetting the food with water, without the additional time to ferment it.

 

[yakitori]

One reason fermenting food causes people to save money is that the chickens waste less (because it's harder to throw around when wet.)

You can get that particular benefit just by wetting the food with water, without the additional time to ferment it.

My fermented feed gets equally thrown around

They were less messier when they were younger and fed dry feed. I wonder why...

 

[thepick4uchicks]

One reason fermenting food causes people to save money is that the chickens waste less (because it's harder to throw around when wet.)

You can get that particular benefit just by wetting the food with water, without the additional time to ferment it.

Hey I am all for some of that. I have that one crazy Legbar I have told a few of you about who is like psycho chicken when she eats only. All the other parts of her personality are fine. She just goes crazy when she is either at the feeder or even eating out of your hand. She bites and pecks like crazy. She slings food everywhere and wastes it. Then she also picks through it in a way sort of it seems like trying to get out pieces she wants. But the Nutrena feed is basically all the same so I don’t know what benefit she has in doing it to that feed. I can even have meal worms or the grubs in my hands and she will do the same thing and it hurts to feed her by hand after a while. I won’t let her eat from my hand much. She really doesn’t seem to be doing it as trying to be mean actually to me but I can’t break her from it. I have tried. She eats the same way from everything and everyone. Anyway I have forgotten what our original topic was at this time of the morning. Lol! Sorry!

 

[yakitori]

I just watched your video, and if i mathed correctly (my math is terrible), protein levels of your mix is about 10%?Is that enough? I keep reading that for adult birds, protein needs to be at 16% or something. My birds are still young (15wo）, so I haven’t switched out of grower food yet, I’m currently using a 20% because my guineas needed the extra protein.

 

[The Happster]

I just watched your video, and if i mathed correctly (my math is terrible), protein levels of your mix is about 10%?Is that enough? I keep reading that for adult birds, protein needs to be at 16% or something. My birds are still young (15wo）, so I haven’t switched out of grower food yet, I’m currently using a 20% because my guineas needed the extra protein.

We're still waiting on an answer for that.
I'm inclined to agree with you.

So what protein content does your chicken feed have? Because none of those ingredients seem to have a very high protein content. Are you specifically measuring it or just chucking it in?

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I don’t know what video you are referring to but if you have chickens that are still just 15 weeks old you are correct on keeping them primarily on starter grower feed as their main feed with treats or other greens or veggies making up about 10% of their diet on a daily basis on any given day. The feed being what they are fed first thing daily and if they are eating it very well then treats are given only after that fact has been established. Excuse my errors in typing this morning /tonight. No sleep yet.

 

[cmom]

I feed my birds pellets and have had no problems. Some chickens are pretty smart but still have a pea for a brain. Originally many years ago I fed crumbles and they wasted that more than the pellets. I do have 40# hanging feeders in my coops. The store I originally bought my feed closed and the owner passed away. I had to find another feed store. I had to change brands of feed because of what they carried at the new place. At first the birds kind of ignored it but some did peck at it some. They did eventually eat it and did from that point on. Some chickens aren't fond of changes but usually come around after awhile. I didn't have any birds that starved to death.

 

[NatJ]

I don’t know what video you are referring to

Probably the one in the first post of this thread.

 

[chickencoop57]

You culled 4 of your best egg layers because they are their own eggs??? Chickens do that when they are lacking in nutrients. In my opinion, you should have switched up their diet and seen if that made a difference. ALSO, crushed egg shells are AMAZING for chickens. No, it’s not a reminder to eat their eggs, it’s actually a great source of calcium. And COOKED chicken is perfectly fine to feed your flock OCCASIONALLY. Not as a staple, just as a treat here and there. If you do some research you’ll see what I mean.

Yep! it started out with one but the others saw how much she was enjoying them and decided to join in. Sorry we disagree but that's just the way it is! And like I said, I have happy chickens!