what to feed chickens for eggs

What are the 5 best chicken feeds for laying eggs?

• Well balanced protein and calcium for egg productivity
• Probiotics for boosting digestion
• Proper nutrients combination for healthy chickens and quality eggs
• No animal protein and fats
• Added flax seeds for omega-3
• High colored egg yolk

What is the best food to feed chickens?

• Eggs – It’s always easy to whip up scrambled eggs in the morning. Perhaps, you can make some for your chickens too. ...
• Chicken – Like how chickens provide protein to humans, chickens are also good protein sources for chickens. It’s delicious! ...
• Shellfish – Yes, chickens are into seafood too! Shellfishes are good sources of proteins for the flock. ...

What type of feed should I Feed my chickens?

Usually, commercial feeds will include grains like wheat, oats, or corn. These grains provide all the phosphorus, B-vitamins, and whole grains (as well as more protein) that your chicks need to stay healthy. Chicken need certain vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, and B. They also need salt.

What can I Feed my chickens to fatten them up?

You can supplement what you give the chicken to help it fatten up more. Cracked corn, whole wheat and soy can be fed to chickens throughout the day. These items help to pack on the weight.If you decide your chickens need better nutrition for better weight and muscle development I would recommend using a conditioning feed.

What can I feed my chickens to lay eggs?

Treats That Will Make Your Hens Lay More EggsMealworms.Eggs and Eggshells.Greens.Watermelon and Fruit.Japanese Beetles.Sunflower Seeds.Scratch Grains.Cracked Corn.More items...•

How do you increase egg production in chickens?

Provide Artificial Daylight Use a low wattage light bulb in the coop. Extending the hours chickens are exposed to light is often enough to increase egg production. A timer is recommended to limit light to 16 hours.

What do you feed chickens for healthy eggs?

Wheat grass is very high in protein, and protein is key to healthy chickens and better tasting eggs. You can also use barley, but I use wheat because barley isn't available in the quantities I need in my area, and I try to support local businesses.

Are coffee grounds good for chickens?

Coffee contains compounds that are toxic to animals, so chickens shouldn't eat coffee grounds. While some backyard raisers have claimed that their chickens ignored the coffee grounds on the soil, others have shared that their birds ate some.

How can I increase my egg production naturally?

16 Natural Ways to Boost FertilityEat foods rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants like folate and zinc may improve fertility for both men and women. ... Eat a bigger breakfast. ... Eat fewer refined carbs. ... Swap protein sources. ... Add in a multivitamin. ... Take time to relax. ... Aim for a healthy weight. ... Avoid excess alcohol.

What is the healthiest food for chickens?

Select fruits, vegetables and grains will keep chickens happy and ensure they are receiving a nutritionally balanced diet. Good choices include leafy greens, cooked beans, corn, non-sugary cereals and grains, berries, apples and most other fruits and vegetables.

Things To Know

How you feed your chickens is obviously one of the more important tasks you can have when taking care of them since, you know, nobody can survive without food. This is not as easy as it looks though since getting it wrong can lead to reduced egg production, feather picking, and even deformed eggs which are of no use to anyone.

How To Feed Them?

If you have a small flock, the simplest way to provide for them is to buy a complete feed from a feed store. This way, you can make sure that all their nutritional needs are covered and they get a balanced diet.

How To Choose The Feed

If you want to go ahead with buying a feed, we recommend to always scour the market first and see exactly what products are available as well as the reviews on them. One bad feeding may not hurt your birds but you may not realize the feed is not what it should be after just one meal and you’ll never get back the time and money you spent buying it.

The Manner Of Feeding

Now that you know a little about what things your chickens should eat, what about the proper space required for their feeding? Some people like to throw the pellets straight onto the floor and let the birds peck at it, further encouraging this already natural behavior from them.

How Much To Feed Them?

Generally speaking, free-range chickens are different from their cousins that are being raised for industrial egg production. They won’t really overeat so whatever you feed them that is extra will simply remain untouched. You should remember though that any food left out overnight can attract mice that could potentially be dangerous for your birds.

Step 1: A high protein diet

The foundation of that diet is the wheat grass fodder I grow. Wheat grass is very high in protein, and protein is key to healthy chickens and better tasting eggs. You can also use barley, but I use wheat because barley isn’t available in the quantities I need in my area, and I try to support local businesses.

Step 2: Fiber and Herbs

Along with the wheat grass, I add oatmeal, alfalfa, garlic (fresh or powdered), and dried oregano to my chicken’s feed. You can find those herbs in this non-GMO product I love:

Step 3: Fresh foods

I don’t use a set recipe. I just sprinkle and mix. I also add kitchen scraps, as well as fresh veggies like cabbage, tomatoes (which they can pick through), etc. Since it’s winter and their water keeps freezing, the fresh veggies help them stay hydrated in addition to giving me better tasting eggs.

Feeding Your Layers For Egg Production

The simplest and most effective way of feeding your flock of hens for egg production is to buy a complete feed intended for this purpose. Complete chicken feeds are processed to provide all essential nutrients needed by your egg-layers for better production.

Top 5 Chicken Feeds for Laying Eggs

Here comes Hiland-Naturals Non-GMO Chicken Grower feed for your hens. This brand offers different types of chicken feed, especially for layers. Also, you can provide it to your growers and starters if you want to.

5 Essential Dietary Ingredients

The chicken’s diet is largely related to superior tasting eggs. During my years as a backyard chicken farmer, I’ve explored many choices and have narrowed it down to six items I consider the best for egg layers.

Feeding Your Hens Eggshells

Because your hens use a lot of calcium laying eggs, it’s important to add calcium to their diet. Most local and online feed stores carry oyster shell as a calcium supplement. But, if you’re like me, you prefer sustainable living which includes caring for your chickens naturally. This is why I use egg shells instead of buying calcium supplements.

Importance of Quality Feed

Providing good quality feed is essential for both chicken health and maximum egg yield. I never use cheap feed; only feed containing all the nutrition my girls need.

Treats are Nice

As with any pet, chickens love treats. I keep a bag of mixed corn on hand for this purpose. The chickens love it. Scatter a couple handfuls around the chicken yard. The chickens love scratching the ground and digging out those golden kernels. It’s also great for getting your chickens to go to bed.

Scrambled Eggs for Your Chickens

Eggs are a good source of different useful nutrients. These include proteins, beta carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E among others. Feeding chickens eggs helps them during the molting process. The whole process requires proteins as it involves the production and growth of feathers.

Baked Egg Dish for Your Chickens

A large baked egg dish will provide your birds with most of the essential nutrients as mentioned earlier. In this regard, you should collect eggs, especially those that are slightly deformed to prepare them for your chickens.

Flax Seeds

For instance, the flax seeds will add a substantial amount of Omega-3 fatty acids to the baked egg dish. Just like humans, your chickens need more of these acids to stay healthy, lively and productive.

Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds are a great source of fat as well as vitamins B and protein. Also, these seeds are rich in minerals such as manganese. This type of mineral plays a significant role in the development of strong healthy feathers including their high gloss. Whenever you see your birds’ feathers with an appealing gloss just remember this.

Greens

When it comes to greens, you should understand their purpose in your chickens’ diet. Greens are known for being healthy and a good source of vitamins including a few useful antioxidants. A perfect example of greens that chickens love the most is the spinach.

Herbs

Herbs are also a great addition to the baked egg dish. Most of these plants are useful in one way or the other when chickens feed on them. However, some birds prefer some herbs over others for reasons unknown. Probably it could be their individual taste caused by different aromas from different herbs.

Garlic

How about garlic? Garlic is a wonderful choice of ingredients that can make your baked egg dish delicious for your birds. This vegetable boasts some natural healing properties as well as promoting good health to its consumers. Your chickens will find it irresistible when you add to their baked egg treats.

The Right Type of Feed

Before delving into the treats you can give your birds, you’ll need to make sure you’re giving them the right kind of feed. If you’re starting out with baby chicks, it’s important to give them chick starter/grower. This type of feed is intended to make sure they get all the nutrition they need.

7. Apples

Apples make excellent chicken treats, and they’re rich in vitamins. You can cut up apples into small cubes. If you peel apples for use in cooking, you can also offer peels to your birds–they’ll love them!

Summary

Knowing what to feed chickens is important, especially if you want to give your birds snacks and treats outside of their normal diet. By offering healthy, nutritious additions to their diet, you can make your chickens’ days a little brighter.