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Owning chickens can be enjoyable and a great way to enrich your diet! Most chicken owners already know this. Many people take full advantage of their backyards, using them to house chickens. The great thing about chickens is that they lay eggs, which are a great part of a balanced diet.
It’s also important to pay attention to what your chickens are eating. Whether you want them at peak health or some great eggs, this is true. Maybe you are new to raising chickens, and this is your first time, or you consider yourself a seasoned pro. Either way, there’s no harm in learning more about what these birds need to eat.
For those starting out, it’s good to first learn what chickens normally eat. It’s important to know whether they’re kept in pasture or allowed to roam and eat outside! Finding out the basics and then going from there is a great place to start.
What Chickens Will Typically Eat
The basis of a chicken’s diet can be very similar to other types of poultry. They like to eat growing grasses, including varieties such as buckwheat or clover. They’ll consume many types of weeds that have broad leaves. Chickens are fond of eating seeds and the growing ends of these types of plants.
These birds eat plants and bugs, which is great if you want an organic form of pest control right in your backyard! Those hens are going to do a lot of the work for you. The end result is fuller, healthier chickens that are happy with their diet. They eat a wide variety of insects, slugs, and earthworms.
Chickens also typically like to eat grit or dirt. This may sound surprising, especially to beginners in chicken raising. They eat coarse dirt, sand, or grit for digestive reasons. The material is kept in the gizzards, which aid the chicken by grinding up what they’re foraging outdoors. So don’t be surprised or alarmed if you see your chickens pecking at the ground. Chances are that they’re just continuing part of their healthy diet.
Chickens are also great for recycling. Instead of throwing your organic food scraps in the compost or the garbage, you can toss them out to your birds. They love pecking at recycled scraps.
You should avoid giving them avocado, rhubarb, citrus, onions, garlic, beans, or raw potatoes (which can poison them). Also, ensure they’re not eating strange things, such as their bedding.
Monthly Egg Tracker For Chickens
This planner will help you track production so you can notice trends and celebrate results!
What Do Chickens Need To Eat
Chickens are omnivorous, which means that they will attempt to eat a wide variety of foods. Free-range chickens can find a variety of nutritious seeds, insects, and vegetation to supplement their diet. If they have that option, a lot of a chicken’s typical diet can come from foraging.
If you do not keep your chickens free-range, you can still give them a healthy diet. Most owners will use a layer of feed, which can come in crumble or pellet form. It’s specially made to give chickens laying eggs the nutrition they need.
Proper nutrition results in healthy eggs that are well-formed and without issues. Commercial feeds will give your chickens the minerals and vitamins they need to lay healthy eggs.
Giving them scraps and food to supplement feed is a good idea. Chickens also take in more food during the cold season. You can give them grains, vegetables, and fruits that give them the balanced intake they need. This can be anything from apples and berries to grains and cereal to corn, leafy greens, and cooked beans.
What Chickens Need In Their Diet
Protein and calcium intake are very important for chickens. These building blocks allow the chickens to lay eggs that become an owner’s pride and joy. While they don’t necessarily need commercial feed, it’s a good idea if you want to provide a baseline of nutrition for your birds.
As such, making a good pellet for poultry is the main part of their diet. These can be put into dispensers that keep the product protected and dry. Owners may want to give supplemental nutrition through scattered corn and wheat. All this is great but add fresh vegetables and fruit daily to take it to the next level.
Your chickens will love tearing into a head of cabbage or pecking at some banana or endive. These birds love their greens, from bok choy to vegetable peels or spinach. You can give them cooked bread, legumes, pasta, rolled oats, or wholemeal rice.
Chickens that lay eggs can also get a calcium supplement. This is usually done by grinding eggshells to make a powder, which is then added to the feed they eat daily. If you see eggs with thin shells, this may mean that your chickens need more calcium. Adding grit and letting them get insects in compost and garden plants is also great for chickens.
Avoid giving your chickens processed foods, foods with sugar or high fat, or overly salty foods. Of course, never give chickens food that is ‘off’ or has spoiled and gone bad. They won’t like it and could get sick!
Why Do Chickens Need Protein
Why do chickens need protein? Protein is a must-have in the diet of most animals. It helps them grow and is a basic building block for these animals. Protein helps chickens grow eggs, make feathers, and grow nails.
Chickens need different amounts of protein depending on their life stage. Chicks and young chickens need protein to develop their bodies, and feeds are formulated accordingly. A starter feed will have more protein than a layer or normal chicken feed.
Giving them too much protein is not good, but they need it for a healthy diet. Molting season is a good time to give them protein snacks to let them grow strong new feathers. Consider giving them cooked eggs, shellfish, pumpkin seeds, Japanese millet, tuna/sardines, pork/beef scraps, or parsley.
Nuts, seeds, fish, organ meats, and even cooked chicken are good protein sources for this omnivorous creature. Healthy protein paired with a nutritious diet generates healthy chicken that lays fantastic eggs.
Which Foods Should Be Avoided?
Foods made from canola seeds and soybeans can be a bit too heavy for chickens’ digestive systems, potentially leading to stomach problems, including excessive gas. Similarly, certain foods like kidney beans can cause bloating and flatulence. In general, feeding chickens too many legumes can result in digestive discomfort and should be limited.
Additionally, some chicken owners advise against feeding spicy foods, as they may not sit well with chickens and could cause further digestive issues.
