By Theresa Gibilisco, owner, The Hungry Puppy
Chickens will eat almost anything, which is exactly why new flock owners ask us what they should eat. Here's the short list I give at the feed counter, in order of how much of the diet each one should be.
1. A complete layer feed, most of every day
For laying hens, a complete layer feed is the meal. Everything else is extra. Layer feed is balanced for protein, vitamins, minerals and the calcium hens need for eggshells, so it should make up the bulk of what they eat. A laying hen eats about a quarter pound of feed a day, according to the University of Kentucky's poultry extension, so a flock of six goes through roughly a pound and a half daily.
Nutrena's directions start layer feed as the sole ration at 16 weeks of age. Keep the feeder from running empty.
Crumble or pellet? It's mostly a question of shape, so compare the tags and go by what your hens like. Nutrena Country Feeds Layer 16% Crumble is easy for hens to eat and an easy step up for pullets coming off chick crumbles. Nutrena Country Feeds Layer 16% Pellet tends to get scattered and wasted less. Pick whichever your hens actually clean up. We also carry the NatureWise Layer 17% in both crumble and pellet if you'd like to compare tags.
2. Clean water, all day, every day
Water is easy to forget because it isn't in a bag. A hen drinks about twice as much water as she eats by weight, roughly a cup a day, and Kentucky's extension notes that about a quarter of it goes down in the last two hours of daylight. In summer, check it twice a day. In winter, a frozen waterer by afternoon is a real problem, so plan for a heated base or a second trip out to the coop.
3. Oyster shell on the side
Laying hens use a lot of calcium. Layer feed covers most of it, and a separate dish of NatureWise Oyster Shell lets each hen take extra if she needs it. Offer it free choice to birds 16 weeks and older, in its own container. Don't mix it into the feed.
4. Grit, if they eat anything besides feed
Chickens don't have teeth. They grind food in the gizzard using small stones. A bird eating only commercial feed doesn't need much help, but the minute you add scratch, kitchen scraps or free ranging, she does. NatureWise Poultry Grit is insoluble crushed granite. Offer it free choice in a separate feeder. Grit and oyster shell are not the same thing: grit is for grinding, oyster shell is for calcium.
5. Scratch grains, as a treat
Hens love scratch, and tossing it is half the fun of keeping chickens. Just remember it's a treat. Nutrena Country Feeds Scratch Grains is 7.5% protein, compared with 16% in the layer feed, and Nutrena's label says not to let scratch make up more than 10% of the diet. A handful per few birds in the afternoon is plenty. Too much scratch fills them up on the low protein stuff, and egg production can slip.
6. Kitchen scraps and garden greens, in moderation
Leafy greens, vegetable trimmings and garden leftovers are fine in small amounts. I count them toward that same 10% as scratch. Skip anything moldy or spoiled. If you notice the layer feed in the feeder isn't going down, the treats are probably crowding it out.
7. Chicks eat something different
Baby chicks and young pullets need a chick starter grower until they're ready for layer feed. Layer feed carries a lot of calcium meant for hens that are laying, so don't switch early. We carry Nutrena Country Feeds Chick Starter Grower Medicated and a NatureWise starter grower. Our post on raising chicks covers the brooder and the early weeks.
8. In the fall, a little extra protein for molting hens
When your hens drop feathers and stop laying in the fall, they're growing a whole new coat, and feathers are mostly protein. That's a good time to look at a higher protein feed. I wrote a separate post on molting and Nutrena Feather Fixer.
A typical day for a small flock of six
- Morning: top off the feeder with layer crumble or pellet, about a pound and a half for the day, and refill the water.
- Anytime: oyster shell and grit in their own small dishes.
- Afternoon: a small scatter of scratch or some greens, then check the water again.
- Weekly: clean the waterer and feeder, and freshen the bedding.
Which Nutrena chicken feed do we carry?
For layers: Country Feeds Layer 16% in crumble and pellet, NatureWise Layer 17% in crumble and pellet, NatureWise Feather Fixer, NatureWise Hearty Hen and NatureWise Harvest Blend. For chicks: Country Feeds and NatureWise starter growers. For extras: scratch grains, Hi-Pro scratch, TidBits treats, grit and oyster shell. A few more, like the organic Nature Smart feeds and the duck starter, are special order. Our guide to Nutrena chicken feed lines them all up by bird and age, or browse our chicken feed and treats collection.
The fun part, without the heavy part
Backyard chickens should be fun. Lugging 50 lb feed bags and bales of shavings out of the car is not the fun part. Our own trucks bring chicken feed and bedding right to your backyard Tuesday through Friday on your town's route day, free with a $20 minimum. See our backyard chicken feed page and farm feed delivery page, or call 732-938-4470 with your flock size and we'll help you figure out how much to order.