The land is unreliable

Ideally, you could turn your chickens loose, and they would find all their food. This scenario works, however, only if the environment contains the right mixture of foodstuff in sufficient quantity during all seasons of the year. A suburban lot can’t support many chickens very well.

Even a large rural area with room for chickens to roam may not have enough of the correct nutrients to maintain chickens year-round, especially in cold-weather areas. Your chickens need to be fed if any of the following apply to you:

• You don’t want them to go too far or become dinner for something else.
• You want eggs all winter or tender meat raised quickly.
• You want your chickens to survive when winter brings snow-covered fields to your homesite.

If chickens have unrestricted access to a large amount of relatively wild land, they may be able to find enough of a properly balanced diet to satisfy both their hunger and their nutritional needs. But it takes a lot of productive land to fully support chickens, and the more chickens you have, the greater the chances are that your free-range birds aren’t meeting their nutritional needs, even in the best weather.

The more exercise the birds get, the tougher their meat becomes. So, we especially recommend avoiding free-range conditions for meat birds. Use managed pasture if you feel strongly about raising your birds on grass. Free-range meat chickens vary tremendously in terms of how fast they grow and how tender they are when butchered. If you insist on raising meat birds with free-range diets and you want a good rate of growth, you need to provide some broiler feed.

Chickens don’t make good choices

Many people think that chickens will choose the right diet if they’re given many food choices. Not so, dear reader. Chickens are a lot like children. You need to guide their food choices. They may fill up on something they really like, even if it isn’t the best nutritional choice. A chicken thats forced to eat a wide range of items to feel satisfied tends to balance its diet in the long run. But a chicken that has an abundance of a favorite food simply fills up on that.

If chickens come upon a bonanza of mulberries, for instance, they won’t eat just a few and wander away looking for protein to supplement the meal. They’ll stuff their little crops as fast as they can until they’re bulging. Over time and territory, however, chickens tend to balance their nutritional needs in a wild setting.

Chickens have little sense of taste, and they often eat things that aren’t really foods, like Styrofoam beads, lead paint flakes in the soil, and rubber bands. Some of these “foods” may harm them. Some may be caught in the gizzard, and some may pass through the body. You can’t count on chickens knowing what’s good for them to eat.

Chickens also can ingest pesticides from eating grass and other vegetation. Small urban and suburban lots are mowed and trimmed and treated with pesticides to reduce the insect population. Even rural fields can be treated with insecticides and weed killers. If you let your chickens roam for part of their dinner, make sure they aren’t eating from “poisoned plates.”

Protein

Protein actually consists of a variety of amino acids, and each type of protein has a slightly different balance of these amino acids. In nature, chickens obtain their protein from insects such as bugs and worms. These bugs have a wide range of amino acids but are generally a small part of the diet in volume.

Protein is the most expensive part of the diet, so a little good-quality protein containing all the right amounts of amino acids is preferable to large amounts of poor-quality protein. Choosing the right sources of protein is important, as is balancing the protein content of chicken feed between too much and too little.

Chickens need 16 to 24 percent protein in their diet, depending on their age and intended use. Too much protein in a chicken’s diet is a waste because it’s secreted in the manure as nitrogen and ammonia. These elements are pollutants of both water and the air. Another downside to feeding too much protein is that a chicken’s body has to work harder to metabolize protein and break it down into urea to be eliminated. The process creates body heat, and birds on high-protein diets may suffer more from heat stress. Many people think that chickens should have more protein in the winter because it creates body heat, but this assumption is a faulty one. Too much protein places stress on the bird’s organs, and energy to break down the protein can’t be used to produce meat or eggs.

Diets that are low in protein or in some amino acids cause problems such as slow growth, poor feathering, and fewer and smaller eggs. Molt is stressful to birds and requires good nutrition to see the birds through it. Feathers need protein to develop properly, and it doesn’t hurt to increase the protein level at this time. A little supplementation with a high-protein feed, such as sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, pearl millet, cooked eggs, cooked peanuts, peas, or beans can be helpful at this time.

Laying hens need good-quality protein in their diet to produce quality eggs for long periods of time. If broiler-type birds don’t get enough protein, their legs and wings may become deformed, and they may become unable to walk. They then need to be disposed of because they won’t eat well.

Fat and carbohydrates

Chickens don’t require a lot of fat. High-energy broiler feeds need 6 to 7 percent fat, and laying feed and chick starter need about 3.5 to 4 percent fat. Hens do need some fat for the production of egg yolk, but chickens can use carbohydrates for most of their energy requirements. As we all know, unneeded calories are converted to fat and stored. Excess fat in chickens is deposited around the abdominal organs and under the skin and can cause many problems.

Carbohydrates should furnish the bulk of the diet, and a commercial diet based on grain easily supplies them. Carbs are burned in the bodies of all animals as fuel for all life processes, such as breathing and growth. Diets based on pasture or vegetation need grain supplements to provide enough carbohydrates.

Vitamins and minerals

Chickens require all the vitamins and minerals we do except vitamin C, which their bodies can make. Table 8-1 gives you an idea of what each vitamin and mineral does and the benefits they provide. Chickens need many other vitamins and minerals, but the requirements for some still aren’t fully known. So in the table, we cover the most important ones. If these vitamins and nutrients are adequate, the others are almost always available in healthy quantities. Chickens get these vitamins and minerals from a properly formulated feed.

Some types of chickens may need more of some nutrients. Layers, for example, need more calcium than other birds to continue laying well. This variation is why having the expertise of chicken nutrition specialists to formulate rations is so valuable.

The virtues of commercial feed

Most feed mills or manufacturers try to use feedstuffs that are abundant locally. Corn and soybeans form the basis of most chicken feeds. Meat and bone meal are sometimes added to increase the protein content and add some vital amino acids. Meat and bone meal from ruminant animals, such as cows, sheep, and goats, isn’t allowed in chicken feed because of disease concerns, but meat and bone meal from pork and fish are often used.

Some chicken feeds use only plant sources for protein and then supplement the amino acids that plant sources are low in with synthetic amino acids. Commercial poultry feed ranges in protein content from about 12 to 26 percent, with the higher-protein feeds made specifically for growing meat birds. To feed your meat birds, you can purchase commercial meat bird, game bird, turkey starter, or broiler feed. (It has different names in different places.)

Almost all commercial feeds use synthetic and natural vitamins and minerals to balance the feed, including all vitamins and minerals referred to in Table 8-1, plus some additional ones. Chickens on commercial diets rarely have vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

Poultry feed is generally based on vegetarian sources of protein, as noted earlier. But the vegetarian protein sources in commercial feed may not have the correct amount of some important amino acids, such as methionine and lysine, for optimal health in chickens. These amino acids are generally added to commercial rations as supplements.

Carbohydrate sources need to be chosen carefully, too. A diet high in fiber may make the birds feel full before they’ve consumed enough feed to get the protein, vitamins, and minerals they need. Birds on pasture that has become old and fibrous, and birds that don’t have access to some high-calorie grains and protein typically lose weight, grow slowly, lay poorly, and suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Chickens that are being given a lot of treats or additions to a commercial diet or that are fed a homemade diet may suffer from deficiencies from time to time. When birds get full on morsels they like, they may not eat the properly balanced diet in sufficient quantity to get the nutrients they need. And without some animal nutrition education, few chicken owners can devise properly formulated diets.

Because the nutrients available in grains and other products vary from batch to batch, these ingredients must be tested to see how much protein and other nutrients are in the feedstuff. Large companies employ animal nutritionists who test feeds and decide on the recipe or blend of ingredients necessary to meet the standards of the feed product to be made. These specially trained animal nutritionists also test the feed for mold and other toxic substances and make sure the feed is safe and nutritious after mixing.

Flavoring or color is rarely used in chicken feed. Some feed manufacturers add preservatives to keep the feed fresh longer. Growth hormones aren’t used in chicken feed, and if a medicine is added to the feed, it must be on the label.

Medicated feeds

In most cases, medicated feed is starter feed, the feed you use on baby chicks. Whether you choose to use a medicated starter feed is up to you. Most feed stores carry both medicated and unmedicated starter feed. We believe that using medicated feed on baby chicks gets them off to the best start possible and results in fewer chick deaths during the early weeks of life.

The most common medicine added to chicken starter feed is a coccidiostat, a medicine that controls the disease coccidiosis, which can be quite deadly in young birds. Common medications used in feeds for controlling coccidiosis include Monensin sodium, Lasalocid, Amprolium (Amprol, Corid), Decoquinate (Deccox), Sulfadimethoxine, and Salinomycin. Medicated starter feeds are fed for the first 16 weeks for chickens meant to be layers or pets. Check the feed bag for when to stop feeding medicated feed to chickens being raised for meat. Most modern medicated feeds for meat birds can be fed right up to the day of slaughter, but some require a short 5- to 7-day period when you stop giving medicated feed before butchering.

Don’t add medications for coccidiosis to the water if you’re using a medicated feed. You will overdose the chicks. Also don’t add antibiotics meant for other species to chicken feed without consulting a veterinarian, even if well-meaning fellow chicken-keepers urge you to do so. The FDA has special limitations for animals that produce food such as meat and eggs, regarding what antibiotics and other medications can be used on them. Some medications are actually illegal to use for food animals. With other medications, if you don’t know the dosage for chickens, they may be harmful to the birds. Keep pets and livestock from eating medicated feeds because some medications that are safe for birds can harm or kill other animals.

Letting birds feed on pasture

Chickens were not designed by nature to subsist on vegetation. Wild chickens eat a lot of insects and seeds to balance their diets. We also expect more eggs from domestic chickens than wild birds lay, and we expect our meat birds to grow heavier and faster than wild birds that subsist on a natural diet. Domestic chickens need some concentrated protein and calories to thrive. However, chickens that get some time every day to roam freely may get a third to a half of their food from foraging at certain times of the year.

Even chickens that have unrestricted access to large pieces of land may need feed at some times of the year. They may be able to find bugs and seeds to round out their diet in some seasons; however, in other seasons, the chickens may find those vital ingredients missing. Feeding your chickens well has the added advantage of keeping them closer to home, where you can find the eggs they lay and keep predators away.

If your pasture is properly managed and the weather keeps vegetation growing rapidly, you can meet more of the birds’ dietary needs. Some pasture plants furnish more protein and carbs than others. Latino clover, alfalfa, and some other legumes, for example, raise the protein content of the pasture. If you want pasture or vegetation to be the primary feed for chickens, consult with your county Extension agent or a poultry specialist at a university about what to plant in your area. You also need the proper machinery to plant this pasture and maintain it.

If you have well-managed pasture and not just a grassy spot in the yard, pasture can furnish a large part of the diet of layers, breeding birds, show birds, and pet chickens. Managed pasture includes plants that furnish quality protein and carbs. The birds usually need some high-protein feed on the side, but the amount of feed is greatly reduced. You also need to supplement the pasture-fed poultry diet with whole-grain feed (called scratch) for a few extra carbs, as well as grit to aid digestion.

Vegetation alone can’t keep the broiler-type (Rock X Cornish) chickens growing properly; their diets must be supplemented with concentrated carbs and proteins. The feed for these birds should be a commercial feed of about 16 percent protein or a mixture of whole grains and a high-protein supplement.

Getting pasture-raised birds to a good eating size may take a little longer. Because pasture-fed birds move around a lot more, you’ll find more dark muscle meat and less fatty breast meat in their carcasses. Also, the skin of the birds may be a bit more yellow because of pigments in the grass.

Chickens must be moved to clean pastures frequently. How often depends on the weather, the rate of vegetation growth, and the number of birds. Move them before all the grass has been eaten to the roots or the pen is too dirty. However, keep in mind that you must take care when moving pastured chickens. You don’t want to harm them or stress them too much. Water must be available at all times, and the birds should have a shaded place to go to when the sun is too hot.

Starter rations (for chicks)

The ration for layer-breed chicks should be 20 percent protein. It’s usually just called “starter feed.” From the time they start eating, meat chicks need a high-protein feed of about 22 to 24 percent protein for the first 6 weeks. It’s called “meat bird starter” or “broiler starter.”

If you’ve just received some baby chicks that you intend to be laying hens in the future, look for “chick starter.” Buy the same feed for pet or show birds. But if you have meat-type chicks, buy “meat bird or broiler starter.” Both types of starter feed can be medicated or not. We discuss medicated feeds earlier in this chapter.

If you have different types of birds in a brooder, it’s better to feed the higher-protein meat bird feed to all the chicks than use a lower-protein feed. However, separating your future layers from meat birds when they leave the brooder is strongly recommended. Meat birds need a protein level of about 22 to 24 percent until they’re butchered, which is too high for layers.

Layer rations

When chickens that are being raised to be laying hens leave the brooder, or at 6 weeks, you need to change from a starter ration to the next level of feed. Taking care to feed young laying chickens correctly results in healthy birds that give you optimum egg production. Because they’re around longer than meat birds, you should take an additional feeding step when raising them from chicks.

Here are the types of rations you should use:

• Grower pullet ration: The ration for growing pullets, from leaving the brooder at 6 weeks to about 14 weeks, should be about 18 percent protein. You want them to grow slowly enough to develop good strong bones and to reach a normal body weight before they begin producing eggs. High-protein diets tend to hurry the birds into production before their bodies are ready. Finding a feed labelled “grower” with this level of protein may be hard. If you can’t find the 18 percent grower feed, use the 16 percent finishing ration listed in the next bullet. These feeds are usually called “grower-finisher” feeds.

• “Developer or finishing” pullet ration: From 15 weeks to 22 weeks, it’s ideal to lower the protein level of the feed to 16 percent. The object is to get pullets well grown without too much fat.

  Your feed should have normal levels of calcium and other vitamins until the birds start laying. Feeding an adult layer diet high in calcium and phosphorus to birds that aren’t laying yet can damage their kidneys. If young hens start laying early, switch them right over to a laying ration.

• Adult layer rations: After the hens reach the age of 22 weeks or begin laying, and throughout their laying careers, they need a protein level of 16 to 18 percent. The calcium and minerals should be formulated for laying hens. A rooster housed with a laying flock will be fine consuming laying rations. These feeds are appropriately called “layer feed.”

  Don’t force extra calcium and minerals on hens by adding things to a properly formulated feed. Too much calcium can cause kidney failure. If you’re getting a lot of thin eggshells or soft-shelled eggs, give your hens some calcium in the form of crushed oyster shells in a feeder where they can choose the amount.

Broiler rations

Home flock owners may encounter two types of meat birds: the Cornish X Rock crosses that grow extremely quickly and require precise diets, and the excess males from heavy breeds of chickens, which require slightly different management. Here are the details:

• Cornish X Rock broiler hybrids: After the first 6 weeks, you can lower the protein percentage for these birds to 18 to 20 percent until they’re butchered. “Meat bird” or “broiler grower-finisher” is generally used on the label for these feeds aimed at meat birds in their last weeks. Many people feed starter rations for broilers right up to butchering — that strategy is fine, although grower rations are generally cheaper. (Check the label, if the starter feed is medicated, to see if you need to stop feeding that brand a few days before butchering.) A slightly lower protein percentage in the last few weeks of these broiler hybrids’ lives may keep them from “sudden death syndrome,” a condition in which rapidly growing birds flip over on their backs and die, and prevent them from getting weak legs.
• Heritage birds, dual-purpose males, and free-range meat birds: These types of meat birds grow more slowly and add less muscle meat than the broiler hybrids. They take longer to reach a satisfactory butchering rate. After the first 6 weeks, you can lower the protein to 18 to 20 percent for the next 6 weeks; after that, protein content can be 16 percent.

Whole-grain mixtures or scratch feed

Chickens do love these whole-grain mixes, but they’re almost impossible to accurately mix to provide all the nutrients a chicken needs. Many of the cheaper mixes are filled with pieces of corn cob and seeds that chickens don’t seem to care for, like milo. Chickens pick through these mixes, and the dominant birds in the pecking order get first choice, often concentrating on the corn or another part of the mix and leaving the lower-pecking-order birds with little variety.

Scratch and whole-grain mixtures are best used to supplement the diets of chickens that have good free-range or pasture conditions or to relieve boredom in confined birds. A little scratch grain is thrown on the floor for the birds to search for, and in the process, they stir up the litter. However, remember that if you use only whole grains for confined chickens, some important amino acids found in protein of animal origins may be lacking or deficient in the diet.

Whole grains tend to attract mice and pest birds like sparrows more than processed feeds. They’re also more likely to be infested with weevils and other insects. Relying on only one grain type, such as corn, doesn’t meet all your chickens’ needs, so don’t use a single grain as the sole food for chickens.

Variations for breeders and show birds

If you’re breeding birds, you may want to increase the protein content for roosters and make sure hens have a laying ration. If you keep any heritage or free-range birds for breeding, switch their diets to a layer diet.

The diets for show birds are often tinkered with based on elaborate formulas thought to grow feathers or improve color. Really, these birds just need a good, balanced diet that has a relatively low protein content (14 to 16 percent), unless they’re molting, when protein can be increased slightly. Birds that are caged in small areas should have a more fibrous-based feed to make them feel full without getting fat. You can add small amounts of whole wheat or oats to the diet for this purpose.