Wyandotte feeding?

[o0Zilla0o]

I have been curious, how do you guys feed your chickens of this breed?
I expect to get my first home in 3 weeks and am so excited.

They will be running free on our big ground, where there are lots of different green for them. And then only give them some night food in the form of: cereal, oatmeal, food residue from the kitchen - That's what I've been recommended by the breeder I bought them off - just drop one full feed as they will get so much green. they are no more than about 10+ weeks when I get them.

make me wiser, pls.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Chickens are omnivores. Given lots of pristine forage in a mild climate, chickens' ancestors, the red jungle fowl would make greens about 20% of their diet. The rest would be fruit, nuts, seeds and a great variety of animal protein sources both vertebrates and invertebrates. Jungle fowl hens would eat much more animal protein than the cocks. Likely because the hen needed more protein to produce eggs.

However, jungle fowl aren't modern chickens. Jungle fowl produced a clutch of perhaps 5-12 eggs a year. Wyandottes, on the other hand are expected to lay about 200 eggs a year. Much has been learned over the last 100+ years about the nutritional needs of chickens to make for optimal health and production. In addition, modern chickens have been selectively bred to be much more productive. Wyandottes, like other continental breeds, are much larger and exponentially more productive than their ancestors. It is very unlikely one would get optimal production from the diet you suggest unless your kitchen scraps are heavy on meat and fish. Further, there won't be much forage for the chickens in Denmark for perhaps 4 months of the year or more.

I've raised over 30 breeds of chickens, including wyandottes. We have somewhat similar climates and my birds free range a large area but from the end of November to early April, they would starve if I didn't provide a complete chicken feed with all the amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fats and energy chickens need. They may eat half as much in summer as winter but they still eat a fair amount of feed.
A complete feed that is 18-20% protein and 1% calcium is appropriate for dual purpose chickens at that age. You can cut back on protein a bit as they mature and when laying commences about 16-17% protein and 4% calcium is recommended.

 

[o0Zilla0o]

Ty, for your post.

I had not thought they should have this for the rest of their days, as I'm very aware of the need more when they lay eggs, but now I'm talking about feeding right now, when the still are young and the summer is fine - When they start making eggs, I want to go to something completely different. - I'm just thinking about feeding here and now, over the summer. And was in doubt around, about the owners recommended, was enough? which I understand, from your writing is not entirely enough.

I just save your writing, because there are some good facts to start from when I start choosing good form them.
*A complete feed that is 18-20% protein and 1% calcium is appropriate for dual purpose chickens at that age. You can cut back on protein a bit as they mature and when laying commences about 16-17% protein and 4% calcium is recommended.*