What To Feed Chickens



Posted: Saturday, March 12, 2011

by Sam Davis
http://www.squidoo.com/blueprintsforachickencoop

Having your own chickens is both fun and very rewarding.  There are definitely some things that you need to know before you jump right into buy your chickens, but one thing you shouldn't worry about too much is what to feed them.  Chickens will eat most of the stuff you toss at them and will fill up on the grass, weeds, bugs and pests they find in your yard.  There a few nutrients that you will want to add to their diets to make sure they are healthy and happy, but this is not a hard task to accomplish.

Grains are a very common food that chicken owners feed their chickens.  Peelings and scraps of food left over will also make them more than happy and they love to eat bones with a little meat on them.  There are a couple options for feeding your chickens, you can scatter the food around your yard or you can buy a chicken feeder.  If you do get a feeder, make sure it is large enough to hold enough food for the number of chickens that you have.  You don't want your chickens fighting over food because you didn't give them enough.  Both methods work well, so choose the one you like the best.

During and before laying season, calcium is a very important nutrient for your hens.  Proper amounts of calcium will allow your hens to lay the best and most eggs they are capable of.  You will want to start adding calcium to their diets before laying season starts and continue during the season.  If your chickens lay all year long you will want to make calcium a constant in their diet.  A great source of calcium is crushed clam shells which you can find at most feed stores.  Make sure they are crushed up nice and small and that there are no whole shells, as your chickens may mistake them for their own eggs.

If you happen to have a large yard, then your chickens will actually find a lot of the nutrients that they need by eating your grass and the bugs.  Unfortunately they can't just live off of this, that would be too easy for you.  Animal protein is another important ingredient in a chicken's diet, which they will not get from things in your yard.  Small bones with meat on them and fish are great sources of protein and are tasty treats for your chickens.

I hoped you have enjoyed this short article about feeding your chickens.  The real main point of this article is to let you know that there isn't much to worry about when it comes to food for your birds.  Remember that protein and calcium are two important parts of their diets.  So get down to your local feed store and check out what they have.  Some stores will have bags that will cover most of the stuff you need and you can add in some stuff to boost the other things like calcium and protein.  You can also easily create your own blend of food instead of buying a pre-made bag.  So good luck with your chickens and have fun!
John Locke is an expert on chickens and everything related to chickens, come over to his site on blueprints for chicken coops to find blueprints for all types of coops. http://www.squidoo.com/blueprintsforachickencoop
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