Choosing The Correct Puoltry Feed

Providing chickens with the best poultry feed is
a bit more difficult than just getting a basic
commercial pellet blend. While chickens can get
by on this type of diet, the lack of other
necessary active ingredients will keep them from
realizing their full egg laying and meat building
potential. Not all chickens are created equal, so
it is important to comprehend how to feed them in
ways that deliver the end results you are
seeking. Here are some tips on deciding on the
right feed for your chickens.

Understand the Basics

Chickens are fairly straightforward creatures
in their nutritional needs, but they do require
the proper balance of ingredients to remain
healthy and productive. The five basic classes
of nutrients needed for poultry include
carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and
vitamins. Out of these, proteins are the most
important because it is the main building-block
for both eggs and meat. When choosing your feed,
be sure that it includes all of these nutrients
in proportions that are suitable for your
particular flock.

Feed for Desired Results

Providing the proper feed for your chickens
should be based upon whether you are raising
them for meat, eggs or a combination of both.
Each type requires different protein ratios and
blends of feed by age as follows:

Meat
0-2 weeks.....chick starter with 22-24% protein
2-4 weeks.....grower blend with 20-21% protein
4 weeks and above.....finisher blend with
18-20% protein

Eggs
0-6 weeks.....chick starter with 20-21% protein
6-10 weeks.....pullet grower with 16-19%
protein
At egg production.....layer blend with 16-18%
protein

Combination
0-6 weeks.....chick starter with 20-21% protein
Prior to egg production.....pullet grower with
15-19% protein
At egg production.....layer blend with 16-18%
protein

It is important that layer blends not be
provided to chickens grown strictly for meat
because the higher mineral content may damage
their kidneys. A chick starter with medications
is also recommended for getting your flock off
to a healthy start.

Choose the Right Form of Feed

Chicken feed comes in the three basic forms of
mash, pellets and crumbles. Mash includes all of
the ingredients that are ground into fine
crumbles and mixed together. Pellets are formed
from mash and held together with a binder.
Crumbles are pellets that have been broken down
into smaller pieces.

Which form of feed to use is best determined by
the size and preferences of your chickens, but it
is generally the case that mash is the most
common blend for chick starters. Some research
has shown that chickens grow and lay better on
crumbles, but the most important aspect is to
provide your birds with quality feed in a form
they will most consistently eat.

Supplement with Greens

Chickens love green vegetables whether it is
produce from the garden, clippings from the yard
or just common weeds. If your chickens are mainly
contained to a small area, supplementing their
diet with greens is a good way of providing
additional vitamins and minerals. However, at no
time should these supplements become the majority
of their food intake. Make them a treat, not a
habit.

Give Them Grit

All birds need grit to aid in their digestion
of food. Supplying your chickens with a grit
product like ground oyster shells will not only
keep them healthier, but also aid in producing
stronger eggshells

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This article is based on chickens for laying and
meat. If you are keeping exotic breeds then
enquire as to feed regimes from an authority,
however most of the advice still applies.
Resourced
http://www.dodsonandhorrellpetfood.co.uk

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