what is the "natural" diet for chickens?

[MareeZoCool]

What DON'T chickens eat is more likely the question, LOL!

On any warm, sunny day, go outside and spend some time watching your birds as they wander your yard, pecking and poking everything in sight. It's hilarious when one finds a few bugs and makes a delighted cluckle. Then the others come running to get their fair share!

 

[DIMBY]

It's true, I love watching them forage about. However, you wonder how bright they are. When one finds something, like a worm or grasshopper, she'll take off running, which gets the attention of the others who of course take off after here. Then a tug of war ensues.

 

[MyFirstFarm]

Thanks for all the replies, folks. I hear what you are saying about omnivores, Akane. I don't know that we'll ever get away from supplementing with commercial feed, but it's a goal to have in mind.

Oh, can the chicken's need for calcium be covered by giving them eggshells, or do they need oystershells/other types as well?

Oh, and one more question while I'm at it: would chickens like old flower/vegetable seed? I have some packets from a few years ago that are likely no good for planting anymore. Would the chickens be able to eat these?

 

[DIMBY]

On the egg shells, they're great, just make sure they're crumbled into tiny pieces. One of the posters here sez to bake them first, maybe that makes the crumbling easier. I have found that shells more than day old are pretty easy to crush. But I think having some oyster shell on hand is a good idea if you don't have egg shells on a regular basis, or have lots of chickens.

 

[digitS']

Chickens are not 100% efficient in digesting eggshells. You will find that by looking at their droppings. If their own eggshells are a sole source calcium in their diet, it won't be adequate.

I have read a little about jungle fowl and about those in Sri Lanka, most recently. The reports are that their diets consist a good deal of orchard fruit. I've wondered if this wasn't because the research was conducted because farmers were trying to keep jungle fowl out of their orchards. But, it shows a couple of things. One is that wild chickens may live very close to humans and this may explain how they became domesticated in the first place.

Few fruits have much protein. As has been pointed out by others, eggs are made up of a fair amount of protein. Laying hens must have sufficient amounts beyond what is required by their own bodies.

The Sri Lankan jungle fowl have, what seemed to me, a remarkably small clutch. Typically, they lay only 2 to 4 eggs, twice each year. I suppose it is also remarkable that the species is not considered endangered or threatened. Each hen producing 4 to 8 eggs a year is "working" for these wild chickens.

If we are expecting more from our backyard hens, they are probably going to need a more nutrition-rich diet than their wild relatives. And, more than they can forage on their own.

Steve

 

[Akane]

They may not be able to absorb all the calcium in egg shells but that should not be their only source of calcium. If they are also getting layer feed I don't see why feeding egg shells back wouldn't be adequate. Layer feed already has close to and for some plenty of calcium. All you need is to boost it a little more. If you start feeding your own diet then maybe a better source would be required just in case but going off a feed that is suppose to be complete (not that commercial feeds really are for any animal) you shouldn't need a 100% efficient supplement. That said oyster shell is easier than storing, drying, and crushing every egg shell and quite cheap. Occasionally though the feed stores here don't even carry it. They seem to go back and forth between having grit or having oyster shell. If I run out before they switch I don't have any of one or the other for awhile.

 

[digitS']

Of course layer feed may have adequate calcium since it is formulated for production layers. In fact, it should have more calcium than necessary for our backyard chickens.

I don't mean to discourage the use of eggshells and the evidence of them in the droppings in my backyard shows that I make use of them, along with oyster shell. My feed is FlockRaiser, however, and that has insufficient calcium for layers.

Steve

 

[Spore]

Chickens eat more greens that non-free rangers realize. When I had my rocks they loved eating grass, mint, weeds, seeds, and worms. Whenever I offered them anything green from my kitchen scraps they would look at me like..."hey, you usually have corn or oats or something, we get plenty of this stuff in our yard."

If chickens are flocking to green treats they are not getting enough range time. Who needs a lawnmower when we have chickens.

 

[gsim]

Quote:
I have always supplemented my feed with raw greens, other garden produce, and fruit scraps. After they got to laying age, I added in bread scraps and on rare occasions when we have them, meat scraps. I gave mine raw greens from day 1 mixed with the starter feed. They always gobbled them up too. Regards calcium, all greens have some calcium. I never gave mine any calcium supplement until they started to lay. I now give them crushed oyster shells and also recycled crushed eggshells,( which we also eat in casseroles, oatmeal, etc.) I also give them weeds that I know they like. There are 3 kinds that I know they love and I will pick a bucket full on any winter day I can and toss them in. I give them fresh cut grass clippings as available.

 

[kilby]

Hi,
I agree free run eat plenty of grass. Makes the yolks darker. I thought I would look up here about calcium because my new laying hen is not eating the layer pellet. Her egg shells are getting blotchy with lighter beige instead of brown and even gritty on the outside of one. Does anyone think feeding them sterilized, powdered in a magic bullet, egg shell will make them want to peck open their laid eggs?
I doctor up the feed with whipping cream and they will eat it. I will get some yogurt though to replace it but for now the weather goes below 0 C so I am thinking they could use it.
My hens like sprouted organic wheat berries. something I learned to do for my lovebirds.
The nutrition is 100 fold when you do it that way. Calcium might be there too don't know.

:cd