whether nobler 2 B consistent or diverse in diet

[amiachicknorwat]

I think it's better to diversify a chicken's diet, so long as we keep it au naturel: good quality feed/scratch/crumble right for the age of the chick/hen, compost without onions, citrus and the usual culprits, bugs and such. But maybe there's an optimal some thing or probably a few things that is considered best by those in the know? I am a new egg here. Thanks

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! I have a balanced feed available free choice, with oyster shell on the side for the laying hens if they want extra, and then the flock free ranges on my farm. They eat bugs, worms, plants, and some scratch for a treat. Also some kitchen scraps. I have never grown crops specifically for them, raised meal worms, fermented anything (on purpose!) or tried to make a homemade diet for them. It's not necessary to overcomplicate things, or try to "reinvent the wheel" to have a healthy productive flock. Mary

 

[amiachicknorwat]

Thanks. We basically feed them similarly. Mine just dont respond to scratch as a treat. The hens much more like the aging (2 mo. old) chick's crumble much more. They dig right in, keep head down.... It seems nutritious and besides what can I say -- they live and eat together. Am i part of the pecking order? Not really, my questionable identity aside ;-) Oh, i almost missed: "raised meal worms". How do you do that? I have a garden with some worms, but dunno if they're of the meal variety or red wigglers or what? Are meal worms best or is whatever's going in the garden best? Not trying to re-invent, just get with what's going. I am new at this, like said.

Regards, Nick

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't feed what is considered a balanced diet, mine free range, have access to all kinds of bugs, seeds, food scraps, garden leftovers, leftovers, dirty eggs, shells and all, corn, sunflower seeds, I do make available a layer ration, a grower ration, and oyster shell, you hens love the chick feed because of the higher protein, nothing wrong with feeding them it in my opinion, I am pretty liberal in my feeding ways, I don't have troubles with diseases, or behavior issues because I let my chickens life as natural as possible. The more you confine them the more you have to be worried about a balanced diet because they can't hustle their own. And I think it's nobler to allow a chicken to be a chicken.

 

[amiachicknorwat]

Yes, you dont need to feed your flock a balanced diet cuz they balance their own diet by your letting them range freely. Yesterday we let our chickens out into the front yard while erecting a new fence that opens their run around a fruit tree, where we want that superficial tilling and fertilizing chickens provide. We put birdhouses atop two of the higher fence posts, hoping to attract more swallows that swallow mosquitoes. I've even heard swallows called "day bats". But we got lotsa mosquitoes so planning to build bat houses too.


The 1st pic is the front of our coop with the new fencing that now includes the peach tree and compost pile. The 2nd pic is of our cat under the deck communing with our birds. I believe the cat now understands we love the chickens as we love our cat so the cat had better love the chickens too, and not give in to his love for chicken. My partner took the pic. She's not used to using a phone as a camera, so also shown is a blurred edge of one of her fingers.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Chickens do best on a balanced but boring diet. If they have pellets or mash available and free range, a teaspoon full of scratch or shelled corn broadcast widely per bird each day is plenty.