As the mother of four strapping boys , I have spent twelvemonth ensure that my sons eat a healthful diet that provides them with the nutrient all-important for their stage of development .
They might not always agree with my alternative — there was an katzenjammer when I switched my now-17 twelvemonth sometime to adult vitamins and when I added vitamin D - rich intellectual nourishment to my youngest ’s diet . But the meals I fix provide them with the nutrition their bodies need .
The same dietary rule apply to my mountain . Different birds with different motivation get different feed . Our duck , for example , eat provender strengthen with niacin . Our molting layer , however , are feed rations with a higher protein percentage to help oneself them reconstruct their feathers .
The Brobdingnagian variety of poultry feeds these twenty-four hour period almost touch the abundance of pick at human supermarket . With so many choices available , confusion regarding the good feed for your passel is only raw .
It was n’t so long ago that chicken mass were expect to scrounge for their food for thought , after all . So how different could all these feeds perhaps be ?
Read more : Here are 6 quick fixes in case you ever draw out of chicken feed .
Feeding Your Flock Scientifically
Quite unlike , actually . It ’s not uncommon for chicken keepers to mistakenly offer their doll thewrong provender , assuming these are standardized . In actuality , each character of commercial-grade poultry provender available has been scientifically formulated to provide thecorrect symmetry of nutrientsfor a specific age and stage of bird .
Decades of fowl nutritionary research conducted at universities and at adroitness owned byNutrena , Purinaand other producer have determined the right per centum of protein , carbohydrates , fat , minerals and vitamins necessary not only for your birds ’ proper ontogenesis and overall wellness but also for the output of eggs and kernel .
These “ complete feed ” render your Gallus gallus with the accurate nutrient needed at each stage of life .
This information is readily and wide useable . But who here has actually sit down to say the fine print on their feed sack ? On the flip side , some quite a little keeper may anticipate too much from commercial provender . This calendar month alone I ’ve received three messages from chicken possessor asking what provender would quickly fatten their late - season baby chicks so they can better survive the coming wintertime .
( The answer : None . expend chick starter for proper growth and development , and take hatching in the beginning in the spring ) .
Getting to know the types of feed will help you take the best and most appropriate victuals for your razzing . It will also help you avoid aesculapian issues get by feeding your flock the improper formulated feed .
take more : Here ’s a straightaway look at what to feed your chickens based on historic period and purpose .
Supplemental Issues
Everything is okay in temperance , right ? When it comes to giving your chickens supplement in addition to their unadulterated provender , even moderation may be too much .
Each complete feed is scientifically balanced to supply a specific set of nutrients to your birds . Change that balance by adding a postscript and the results could try deadly . Corn , for example , is a high - energy factor frequently discover in provender . Chickens love corn and many flock possessor do by their bird to clean kernels , corn on the cob and scratch .
But the supererogatory corn metabolizes as fat . In place hen , this is usually gets fix on the liver . This can leave inFatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome , in which the liver becomes soft , with blood vas that tear easily during egg pose .
Similarly , feeding your flock supplemental protein can also cause problems , as hens excrete protein as nitrogen - high carbamide and faeces . The result — gamey ammonia water and nitrogen levelswithin the hencoop . This can result to footpad lesion , Rhenish tan and tit blisters as well as respiratory publication and inflame eyes .
Too much dietetical protein can also increase the risk of such digestive issues as necrotic enteritis , a swift and deadly condition . If your flock is in molting , provide them with a boost of feather - build ceratin by temporarily switching their feed to a starter normal rather than by append a pure protein postscript to their existing feed .
A good rule of thumb for quite a little owners is to stick with the double-dyed provender , as any dissymmetry of nutrients cause by adding a accessory can be detrimental to your bird … or bad .
