Notes About Chicken Feed

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     When it comes to feeding chickens, it's really pretty straightforward. Chickens are not very fussy nor particularly greedy birds so there is not a lot to worry about. There are a few things however you need to know.

It's really not too wise to feed the birds certain food items. They include things like avocado, raw potato, salty and sugary foods. Eggs can take on the flavor of strongly flavored food like garlic, for example. Some people have complained to me that when they feed chickens onion scraps it can flavored the eggs and that's not too cool.

Just like their human owners, chickens don't like smelly, stale, moldy or rancid food. Using foods like that is a false economy. The birds won't eat it, so it will only waste time and money and actually could adversely affect the chickens.

Pay attention to where you stock your foods as well. They should be stored away from heat, direct sunlight and moisture,. If possible, you should check the date on manufactured feed. Foods past or near the pull date have less or no vitamins at all. An important consideration is to never stock more feed on your shelves than you chickens can eat within a two-month period.

So carefully plan your feed purchases so that you stock just the right amount. Aim to time it so the feed is consumed before it becomes stale and, and as I mentioned before, be sure to check the expiration dates on the bags you buy.

I fully understand the desire to save money on buying chicken feed, but you should know there are feed mills out there that are willing to sell feedstocks with no or limited nutritional value. Instead of really saving you money, this could end up costing you money in the form of lower production and less healthy birds.

When you see signs that say "thrifty' "country", and "sale" it could be a sign of poor quality feeds. Given the choice always choose quality over quantity.

If you know other fellow chicken raisers, you can always ask where they buy their supplies. Referrals are a much better way to go than relying on the sale sign saving a few dollars. Almost always, you can find quality feeds this way; just ask your friends about what feeds they buy. If you have a chance, check out their birds, too.

So what about free range chickens and chickens fending for themselves? Obviously, chickens will naturally scrounge around to find food if left to their own devices. They will roam around eating whatever they can find. In order for them to do that successfully, they would need ample space to wander. The number of chickens you have wandering for food means more individual competition and less food each individual. Don't forget the effect of pecking orders, here.

The weather is also a consideration when thinking about your wandering chickens. Of course, there's always the risk of predators waiting at the top of the food chain. Here's the bad news: experts suggest that a couple of chickens running free range require about an acre of land to thrive without supplemental feeding.

In the "good" old days, chicken feed came as a result of the farmers' practices. Food waste and garbage were dumped just around the corner of the house. The barnyard chickens loved scrounging for yummy maggots garbage and spilled grains from the horses or cows became the chickens' buffet. You might think this would produce an abundant smorgasbord for the chicken. But it depends on the size of the competition. These days we know better.

It's always a very good thing to provide your chickens with the complete healthy diet. The increased production of good eggs and meat is always a function of what you feeding. So when in the store look for a high-quality formulated feed having everything necessary to support a balanced diet. Chickens, to prosper, need feed containing a mixture of proteins, vitamins, calcium fats and trace elements. They do come in various forms to meet the necessary needs of your chickens i.e. egg/meat production or age of the birds. In other words, you can buy pellets or mash.

You need to identify what's best for your backyard birds at the right stages of their lives. If you're feeding chicks, they needed more refined diet than broilers and layers.

Copyright (c) 2011 David Soper