What do you fed your chickens?

[WestKnollAmy]

None of my chickens will eat pellets. They hate it. I have over 300 adult birds right now and more than 300 chicks.

Even when I buy adult birds and offer laying pellets that they have been used to I offer what I feed my chickens and they never look back. I always wind up using it in a wet mash.

I am lucky to have a feed mill down the road from me. They mostly grow their own and mill it into mash. My chicks love it, my adult free range birds love it and my penned breeder birds love it. I do buy crumbles of different brands every now and then to mix in but I often find this scratched out or left in the bottom of the feeding pan. Thought I could slip that by them but they know better. Often I will mix that into a warm mash of oatmeal, hard boiled eggs with the shell and my red pepper flakes (natural dewormer) and if no crumbles or pellets then I use wheat bran and starter mash.

I buy bags of whole grains and mix that together to make my own "scratch", just something to throw down for them to scratch and pick at. My website has more info on that. I like buying bags of rolled oats but it has gotten outrageous in price so I don't buy it as often as I used to. There is plenty to offer though or even get a 5 grain scratch from a feed store.

My hoppers and feed bowls stay full of mash and I throw out my scratch every other day. More so to the penned birds since they can't roam as much but I do move their pens and tractors quite often. I look at what is eaten and decide if they need more or less.

They have free choice oyster shell. I add the vitamins A-D-E to their water 3 times a week and garlic/apple cider vinegar 3 times a week.

 

[elmo]

During the winter time when my flock is confined in a run without access to fresh grass, I supplement with greens: romaine lettuce, chard, kale, broccoli, etc. I also will give them a mashed up hard boiled egg from time to time as a protein supplement. Mealworms from time to time, also.

I also throw an ear of corn into the run sometimes, less for the nutrition than for the entertainment value. Gives them something to do.

 

[Captain Carrot]

mine get organic layer crumble, as much grass and insects they can find. Maybe two boxes of meal worms a week, veggy scraps from the kitchen, wind fall apples, pears and plums in autumn...need to watch out that they don't eat too much. They also get a handful or two of mixed corn and seeds.

I try to give them more veggy scraps and insects when it's cold and with snow on the ground.

I throw oyster shell in with the mixed corn, but they don't take it

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
I have flax seed in my recipe. You can look at my BYC page if you wish!

 

[gumbii]

i give crumble to my layers, and a game cock mix to my OEGB show birds... i supplement both with BOSS... then i feed different types of worms, crickets, giant roaches, veggies, bread, pizza, cake, tortillas, fruits, grasses whatever i feel like giving them really...

i sometimes give them these vitamin drops in the water if they look sad, or tired... i also had these iron pelets that i would give my silkies because the roo had a head bobbing thing going on... but i give them to the growing OEGB show birds like once a week or so...



but other than that, i'd suggest giving them a premium feed, and good variation of treats...


welcome to BYC...

 

[NottinghamChicks]

My Chickens get open access to Egg Maker Crumbles, Calcium, and Grit. I live in snowy New Hampshire and when they do not get to free range on grass I give them Spinach, Alfalfa, or other greens almost daily as they crave greens.

They also get BOSS, cracked corn, and oats just about every day. If it is really cold outside, I give some extra corn before roost time. Once every couple of weeks they get a treat of mealworms, yummy.

I did have hay in their nesting boxes and they would eat that which could lead to crop issues so that is why I began feeding greens every day (and removed the hay). They seem quite happy now and I get an egg a day from each without any extra lighting so this goes to show that it works!!

 

[RockwaterFarm]

Chicks get purina start and grow
chickens ducks and geese get homegrown layer crumbles
ducklings and goslings get poultry starter from TSC
they get popcorn, bread PB and J sandwitches, scratch and flock blocks as treats
in the winter i feed the ducks a mixture of scratch and layer feed to help stay warm
in the summer they get the BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) that the wild birds drop at the feeder
Good luck with your flock

 

[armadamork]

I have layer crumbles available 24/7 and give treats liberally in winter. Their favorite is everything. Every time they see me approaching the coop they assume I have something for them and they huddle around the door. I almost feel guilty if I don't have something for them. So far I have found they eat most of everything but as it has been said before I try limit the treats. Can I assume chickens will eat treats till they are gone? If there is too much of it will they overeat?

 

[Newbie chick 30]

Thanks for all your suggestions a good wishes!! Chickensaresweet I will def check out ur page. Do u notice a difference in ur eggs with the flax seed?

 

[carrlr]

I feed mine a mixture of layer crumbles and crushed corn. I also provide BOSS. They get all our vegetable scraps. In the Winter i grow grass from seeds in vegetable flats and provide them with the clippings.