What do I feed my chickens?

[rockrdglady]

Hi My name is Cindy. We've just purchased a home and it comes with Chickens! I'm excited, but don't know what to feed them. They are laying hens. No roosters.

 

[mywifewasonherenowiamalso]

layer crumbles is your best bet. go to tractor supply or someplace and they will help you

 

[GlitterBug]

I like the layer pellets...but that's just me because my chickens seem to waste a lot of the crumbles. Why are chickens so messy sometimes?! But fun.

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

Yes, your local feed store will have the right food for them. Layer pellets or crumble is perfect. They need fresh water daily, and refill their food as needed, but be sure to dump it if it gets wet. They also love fruit and veggies, and whole grains. Avoid just buying "scratch" as it is not nutritionally complete. Scratch is perfectly good as a treat, just not as a main entree.

 

[mywifewasonherenowiamalso]

i know i give mine enough they can clean up and the rest is free range, and scratch grains

 

[emvickrey]

How many chickens did you aqire with your house? I give mine a layer crumble mixed with 1 part scratch grains. I keep oyster shell available for when they want it. When we cut the grass I put a pile of it in their runs for those that don't free range. I also hand out treats. Mine love love tuna. I mix up a gallon ice cream bucket with a mixture that they just love.

cooked brown rice
boiled or scrambled eggs / crushed shells
oatmeal
applesauce
ground oystershell
1 can of drained small green peas
1 can of drained whole kernel corn
4 cans of tuna in water or oil (I don't drain)


They can eat just about anything we can.

what I don't give them are any citrus fruits or fried foods. After thanksgiving when the turkey has been picked over I take the carcass to the coop. They will pick it clean. I give them any meats as long as it hasn't been fried. They are our left over lovers.

Around halloween they get a pumpkin. In the summer they get watermelon, cantelope, grapes. They've even gotten cake without the icing. Any scrambled eggs or pancakes left over they get.

But I always have their food dishes filed with layer crumbles and scratch grains. This other stuff is fed as treats. They don't get it everyday. It's just as we have it.

Mine won't eat strawberry tops though. I'll toss a head of lettace in the pens for fresh greens, you can use any greens as far as I know but mine get lettace. I hear cadbage will make a roo infertile as long as he's eating it. Oh and mine love little tomatos and the worms that get on the plants. Crickets left over from fishing. When we move something and find worms they get tossed in the pens.

Chickens will eat each other so they will eat anything. You just have to make sure what you give them isn't poisionus.

 

[rockrdglady]

Thank you so much everyone! This is so nice! We are aquiring 5-6 chickens.
Is grit scratch? If not, do I need some kind of grit?
We had lots of chickens when I was a kid, but all I had to do was gather eggs. I apologize for the 101 questions.
Thanks so much!

On a different note:

Is there a way to change my password so I can remember it?

 

[mariel37]

To change password - go to the very top blue bar - click on "profile" - it's right there.

 

[debid]

It may be worthwhile to ask the seller what they were feeding them and where they were buying their feed. They may already know where the best price can be found locally and keeping the hens on the feed they are used to eating will avoid additional stress for them (a change in owners is stressful enough).

 

[moetrout]

Grit is not scratch. They need grit to break down and digest their food. They should always have access to fresh water, layer cru,bles/pellets, grit, and oyster shell (or some other form of calcium).

Most anything beyond that is extra and not absolutely required. Like many others I feed all table scraps to my birds. Mine also free range in my yard every day so that keeps my feed bill down and makes for better eggs in my opinion. There is a list of treats for chickens on here that you can refer to as there are some things they should not be given. In general chickens are pretty good at eating what they need. I find they are super easy to care for and quite entertaining to watch! Have fun and share some pics if you can!

go to the top of this page and click on "Learning Center". there you will find the treat list I mentioned along with a whole bunch of other info.