UPDATED INFO:
For NEW articles about chicken feed, check out Happy DIY Home. They just posted an up-to-date article with lots of great information. It has all the Pro’s and Con’s of different chicky feed.
Chicks If you're starting out with baby chicks, you'll need to get a chick starter feed. There are both organic and non-organic, medicated and not. That is totally up to you. I used non medicated and they were fine. Chick starter contains the nutrients and high protein that quickly growing chicks need. Kick start your BOK BOK's
Pullets After about 12 weeks, your chicks are now pullets. They're not babies anymore (sigh) and they're not laying any eggs, so they are teenagers! At this time (approximately 10 to 18 weeks of age) begin feeding your chickens a grower feed. I fed mine the crumbles Vs. pellets. The Grower Feed has less protein than the chick starter, and less calcium than the layer feed.
Layers:
When a hen gets 5-6 months of age, she's ready to start laying eggs. It's time to start feeding chickens layer feed at this time. It has more calcium, to help them lay strong shelled eggs and to give them the added nutrients they need to lay several eggs a week (it's hard work!)
In addition to feeding chickens some form of feed, it's also important to give them additional
calcium (such as oyster shell or baked and crushed egg shells)
and grit. The calcium, again, helps with egg production while the grit acts as 'teeth' inside their stomachs, helping to grind up all the food they've eaten.
Treats:
There are all sorts of treats you can feed chickens!
is a great treat for them and encourages healthy scratching behavior. It is also good to give it to them before a cold night, as it raises their body temps. reversely do not give them scratch when it is hot. Cool treats only! Mine also love fruit.
Watermelon and bananas
specifically. I recently gave them some yogurt for their tummy troubles, and they loved that too! They also love crickets and meal worms. There's a wide variety of 'extras' you can feed your flock, just go easy on it. Too many treats for chickens and they could get sick.
Foraging
We free range our chickens all day while we are at work. This is great because they love to forage in a free range environment, chickens will also feed themselves. They love bugs, worms, slugs, weeds, and even snakes...so gross! The only problem is when your gone, you never know what else they might be getting into. Mine hop the fence and cruise the neighborhood. So you never know what they might get into.
For more articles about chicken feed, check out Happy DIY Home. They just posted an up to date article with lots of great information.
