Feeding your chickens a complete and balanced diet is essential if they are to stay healthy and lay lots of lovely eggs!

 

Chickens will eat almost anything so to prevent deficiencies and health problems, a wide range of foods should be offered

 

From hatchlings to chicks, from days old right up until about six to eight weeks old depending on the breed, you need to be feeding a chick crumb such as Epol Econo Broiler Starter Crumbs. Then, from six to eight weeks again, depending on the breed, you move on to grower pellets that have got everything they possibly need in it. From about sixteen to eighteen weeks, you need to put your chickens onto layers pellets. BUT, it’s very important not to put them onto the layers pellets too soon. You don’t want them laying too early as their bodies aren’t ready for it.

 

You’ll find that the feeding patterns of your chickens change throughout the year. Your chickens will benefit from foraging for bugs and greens in the summer and consequently eat fewer pellets. Whereas in the winter when the weather gets colder, they’ll eat far more pellet based food to keep warm.

 

Another good tip is to hang your feeders. Hang them about five inches off the ground so that they’re mobile and the chickens can’t knock the feeders over, spilling food and wasting it, which in turn attracts rodents.

 

Corn is a huge favourite with our chickens – whole or crushed maize and “Chick-chick” which is a slightly finer crushed form of maize. It warms them up at night in the winter, but more importantly, it can be thrown on the floor so they can scratch for it. It’s their entertainment. It’s going to keep them occupied and hopefully, they’ll fill up on that, and go to bed with a nice, full crop, which will keep them warm over night.

 

The other thing that chickens need available all the time is mixed grit. The grit and food goes into their gizzard where a strong muscle action, ‘grinds’ the food up. It also helps prevent crop impactions. Soft or thin shelled eggs may indicate calcium problems in your birds. Egg shells and layer pellets are supplemented with calcium as well to aid in adequate supplementation. In addition to a good quality poultry pellet, a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables should also be given daily. Examples include spinach, cabbage, vegetable peels etc.). In addition, table foods such as rolled oats can be offered as well occasionally.

 

If you are unsure about the safety of a particular foodstuff check with your veterinarian and/or experienced chicken owner first.