What do people feed their chickens

uck51js9zml2yt

We are looking at getting some chickens soon.
What do people feed them?

Saw bags with varying percentages but no idea what they meant!

They will be in a run and I plan on building a walkway(eventually) for them to go further afield without destroying my veggie garden.a

_Brian

Layers mash from coop, it has plenty of grit.
They roam the garden freely during the day.

All green leafy waste from kitchen is fed to them same with all bread waste, old fruit.

Lady Haywire

We use layers pellets here, same as the mash, just in pellet form so it's cleaner. Also have oats as well to scatter about the grass & they enjoy scratching about for it.
Bread, spuds, fruit, veg etc. Try anything with them!

sdp

Orgainc layers pellets here, also fermented oats and maze twice a week, fresh veg scraps, they free range all day, as got more electric poultry fencing, set up a dust bath, grit ad-lib,
you might find it handy to have a little med kit, wormers, Smite red mite and louse power,( add to dust bath and coop), Apple cider vinegar with mother, add to fresh drinking water, Gentian Violet spray, for small cuts ( use gloves) or you'll have purple hands as I found out..lol
basin and sharp scissors, for when you need to wash and trim fluffy bums..:cool:
try different foods with them, as my older girls still won't eat some things, younger girls will eat anything!
most of all enjoy been with them!

ps ..sorry for long post

uck51js9zml2yt

sdp wrote: »

Orgainc layers pellets here, also fermented oats and maze twice a week, fresh veg scraps, they free range all day, as got more electric poultry fencing, set up a dust bath, grit ad-lib,
you might find it handy to have a little med kit, wormers, Smite red mite and louse power,( add to dust bath and coop), Apple cider vinegar with mother, add to fresh drinking water, Gentian Violet spray, for small cuts ( use gloves) or you'll have purple hands as I found out..lol
basin and sharp scissors, for when you need to wash and trim fluffy bums..:cool:
try different foods with them, as my older girls still won't eat some things, younger girls will eat anything!
most of all enjoy been with them!

ps ..sorry for long post

Trimming fluffy bums .. looking forward to that

Any idea what the different percentages are on the pellet bags?

sdp

For laying hens the protein is usually between 15% -18% depends on what brand you buy,
Ie: red mills orgainic pellets have
Protein 18.0%
Oil 4.8%
Fibre 5.0%
Ash 13.4%
Methionine 0.30%
Phosphrous 0.55%
Sodium 0.19%
Lysine 0.75%
Calcium 4%
Copper 14mg
Selenium 0.28mg

Redmills pellets
Protein 15.0%
Oil 4.5%
Fibre 5.0%
Ash 13.0%
Moisture (Max) 14.0%
Methionine 0.32%
Copper 10mg
Vitamin A 10,000iu/mg
Vitamin D 33,000iu/mg
Vitamin E 10iu/mg

Gain pellets 16% etc,
higher protein for chicks and broilers,
Many different pellets to chose from, have a look at whats sold close to you, or you could always buy online.. hope this helps!:)

Anne_cordelia

sdp wrote: »

Orgainc layers pellets here, also fermented oats and maze twice a week, fresh veg scraps, they free range all day, as got more electric poultry fencing, set up a dust bath, grit ad-lib,
you might find it handy to have a little med kit, wormers, Smite red mite and louse power,( add to dust bath and coop), Apple cider vinegar with mother, add to fresh drinking water, Gentian Violet spray, for small cuts ( use gloves) or you'll have purple hands as I found out..lol
basin and sharp scissors, for when you need to wash and trim fluffy bums..:cool:
try different foods with them, as my older girls still won't eat some things, younger girls will eat anything!
most of all enjoy been with them!

ps ..sorry for long post

Just in case anyone is scared by this post! I’ve been keeping for about 5 years now and I’ve never trimmed a bum, never treated a cut so don’t have that violet stuff at home, no electric fencing.

Mine are fussy as anything. Won’t eat most scraps except porridge, sweetcorn and apples. I buy organic layer pellets and grit of course.

uck51js9zml2yt

Anne_cordelia wrote: »

Just in case anyone is scared by this post! I’ve been keeping for about 5 years now and I’ve never trimmed a bum, never treated a cut so don’t have that violet stuff at home, no electric fencing.

Mine are fussy as anything. Won’t eat most scraps except porridge, sweetcorn and apples. I buy organic layer pellets and grit of course.

Not used Gentian violet/ bluestone since I was a kid.

sdp

Anne_cordelia wrote: »

Just in case anyone is scared by this post! I’ve been keeping for about 5 years now and I’ve never trimmed a bum, never treated a cut so don’t have that violet stuff at home, no electric fencing.

Mine are fussy as anything. Won’t eat most scraps except porridge, sweetcorn and apples. I buy organic layer pellets and grit of course.

Sorry you think my post is scary! but I did not say to get those thinks, if you read my post fully, it says, you might find it handy to have. thankfully only 1 of my flock, ( got 2 Ex battery hens last year),she has never really got the hang of cleaning herself, so she does get a wash and a trim few times a year.



but 8 weeks ago, 7 hen were found in a small run, 4ftx2ft, and vet asked me to foster them, the poor things were in a sorry state, poo encrusted vents, open cuts, and infested in mites, so under vet advice, kept apart form my own flock, they were treated for mites and worms, and so came in the bum cleaning and trimming, gentian violet,
they are now healthy, relaxed and social, happy hens, they will be going to their new home this weekend.


You are very lucky not to have to worry about predators, we have so many foxs and pine marten around, the electric fencing gives a little peace of mind while at work.:)

Fracture

Can you feed the chicken?