The chicken crossed the road for what reason?

It’s obvious! To reach the collection of intriguing scavengers on the opposite side of the street! There are valid reasons why commercial producers feed their birds a strictly regulated diet.

To keep your flock content and healthy, we'll discuss what to feed hens and what not to feed them.

What is the best diet for chicken?

The basic chicken diet varies depending on the breed, age, and purpose of the chickens. The need for protein is typically greater with faster growth. Typically, meat birds would be those with rapid growth.

A slower development curve is advantageous for birds meant to be layers or breeders because it allows for genuinely robust internal maturation. Busy laying hens require a lot of calcium to maintain sturdy shells.

To ensure optimal growth, commercial feed firms have conducted the necessary research, studied the grains and feedstuffs utilized, and examined additions like salt. I advise starting with a balanced commercial feed suitable for your birds and picking a brand that you enjoy and is easily accessible.

When you gain experience, you can move on to creating your own rations. For layers, you should aim for a protein content of at least 16%, and for grower feed, you should aim for 20% or more.

Treats and Other Supplements to Feed Chickens

What other foods do hens consume? Keep in mind that anything you eat essentially dilutes your basic allotment. These are not intended to replace your main diet.

For your chickens, some delectable and wholesome foods include:

Eggs Yes, hens may safely eat eggs. If you feed them raw, the chickens will start to associate your eggs with their food, which is a negative habit. We scramble shattered eggs, eggs that have been found (you know, the ones hidden under a bush because your flock is actually free ranging), and the occasional older egg.

For an additional nutritional boost, flax oil, wheat germ oil, or a source of omega 3 fatty acids can be added. I immediately added the crushed shells back into the jumbled mixture.

One thing to remember: Float your found eggs first to check their freshness and prevent unwanted shocks!

What does the egg freshness float test entail?

The changes in the air cell of an egg are what the float test for egg freshness is based on. The main alteration that occurs as an egg ages is moisture loss. As the contents dry out, the air cell expands. A new egg will therefore rest on the bottom of the container.

The vessel must contain enough water to completely dunk the eggs. As the eggs mature, the egg's upper end first rises, and as the air cell gradually acts as a flotation device, the egg eventually floats on the water.

Anything floating is thrown in the manure pile or, if one is being built, on the bonfire. The various POPS that an exploding egg creates are hilarious to us all! Respectfully handle a floating egg to avoid learning the meaning of the phrase "rotten egg"!

Squash and pumpkin

Although pumpkins and squash can be fed raw, my chickens tend to reject this in favor of cooked food. However, we do feed them the seeds and insides raw.

Cooking has several objectives, including improving the digestibility and flavor of the plant material. If not grown at your business, raw squash can be purchased in the fall at a fair price and kept, in most cases, for several months in storage.

Here in the North, a warm squash gives you energy, and the carotenoids keep the yolks nice and orange when the outside greenery is covered in snow. It is important to note that it’s warm, not hot, or you might actually burn their little beaks.

Dairy Products

Although milk cannot be digested by poultry, small amounts can still be a source of nutrition. I periodically like to add goat milk to the dry feed that sometimes ends up in feeder bottoms or in the soggy feed that is left over after rain.

Dairy was advocated as a defence before the development of coccidiostats because it created mucus in the digestive tract, which may have protected the lining against protozoan harm.)

Ferment or culture if you're unsure. Chickens enjoy dairy products like yogurt, kefir, and even cheese, and the action of the microorganisms on the proteins and lactose makes them easier for them to digest.

Probiotics and a healthy gut are the first line of defence against sickness in this situation; bacteria act similarly to how they act on us and the chickens.

Potatoes

We do feed cooked potatoes, even though they are listed as "hazardous for hens" on several lists. Potatoes are not something we eat raw, and neither should birds. However, aside from the teeny, tiny potatoes that fall off the wash rack, I have yet to see a chicken consume a raw potato, so you shouldn't really be concerned.

If you were not cultivating potatoes, you would never even see those tiny potatoes. You might be surprised to learn how many nutrients potatoes have. Although I wouldn't use them as the foundation of any diet, eating cooked potatoes in moderation is not harmful.

Please cook the sweet potatoes! Like pumpkin and squash, sweet potatoes have advantages. Heating weakens the cell walls and increases the availability of all the beneficial properties of oranges. Have you ever eaten so many sweet potatoes that you were unable to finish them all?

Corn

All poultry species enjoy corn. I imagine it tastes like chocolate to them! The chickens will delicately remove the sensitive kernels from the cobs in the summer. Keep the best for yourself, but don't throw away the overripe cobs. In the winter, maize offers a high-energy supplement and can be used to change the bedding while also providing entertainment and exercise. Corn can also be put on the bedding to promote scratching.

Corn is demonized because it is so frequently genetically modified and because its farming primarily relies on pesticides. To prevent it, I try to buy organic maize as much as possible. It really is a tasty and easily digestible dish. Since corn only contains 8% protein, it should be consumed in moderation, but the concentrated energy is beneficial everywhere, especially up here in the North!

Grapes

They're not cheap, but they act like medications for your birds. The more fermented, the better. Even simple training exercises using incentives like grapes are possible; Anyone up for an obstacle course?

Other Snacks for Nutrition and Entertainment: Cabbage on a String

You can use whole cabbages as "tether balls" for your chickens by suspending them by their roots or using them as a makeshift harness. Greens or sturdy weeds like dandelions can also be used in hanging mesh baskets.

Due to the fact that it gives you exercise and a snack, this is especially useful in the cold! Dried mealworms are another well-liked "entertainment treat." When your chickens have little access to live worms and bugs, these are fantastic.

What Chickens Should Not Be Fed

WARNING: BE AWARE OF MOLD Any substance that is even slightly moldy should not be ingested. An illness known as aspergillosis can affect chickens, in part because of their distinct architecture, which includes air sacs. We once discovered a pocket of mold— triple eww! —inside a turkey's lung. (That bird was not consumed by us!)

Most of the time, hens won't consume food that they can't digest. When your flock has access to a compost pile, you may notice various debris dumped onto the yard.

The birds will steer clear of foods like onions, citrus rinds, melon rinds, potatoes and potato skins, corn husks, plant stems, carrot tops, and large, dense pieces of fresh vegetables.

Some of these things are listed on "never feed this to your chickens" lists, but I've discovered that they generally refuse to eat them.

Dry Beans

Hemaglutinin, a plant lectin found in dried beans that can clump red blood cells and interfere with cell metabolism, is present in dried beans. It is destroyed by cooking or sprouting. The main ingredient in non-corn, non-soy meals like Scratch and Peck Organic Feed, dried peas, however, don't appear to have this enzyme. Even the pigeons, who are supposed to enjoy dry peas, are not very popular with my birds.

Ornamental plants and trees

The same guidelines apply to ornamental plants and trees. Most of the plants that are on lists of those that are dangerous for your birds have never been spotted by me being eaten by hens. All but the most desperate of birds avoid the attractive nightshade fruit. In one list, rhubarb was included. C’mon! Without culinary alteration, nobody can eat those things!

Before they even touch the plant itself, your chickens will dig around it in search of bugs and worms. The leaves of the majority of tree species may contain tannins or phytochemicals that seem poisonous. But I've never seen a chicken eagerly consume leaves. In the fall, we even use them as bedding.

The strong nitrogen content of the chicken droppings and their excellent decomposition are perfectly complemented by the carbon content. Although they will be kicked all over the place by your chickens, they won't be eaten! The leaves of trees like walnut trees can be an exception. Those I would leave under the tree to compost!

Cocoa butter with flour

I only intentionally steer clear of chocolate with my flock. It is safe to state that in this location, very little chocolate poses a risk of being fed to hens. In addition, I won't give products like flour directly to my birds because of how sticky wet flour may get.

We used to make "glue" out of flour and water because we didn't have paste at home back in the day. No, I'm not joking. I actually bake something instead of feeding it if I have flour or an old mix.

Key takeaway

Don't Worry About Chicken Feeding!

Start with a nutritious diet, then unwind and take pleasure in your birds. Your feathery buddies can eat almost the same items as you, with very few exceptions. Keep in mind that moderation is vital in life as well.