Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
When feeding baby chicks, we keep starter crumbles (the specially formulated food for baby chicks)
available at all times, but also don't hesitate to provide fresh greens at an early stage. The chicks
always seem to enjoy the diversion, and it helps supplement their food. These greens are considered
a treat that we begin offering on a limited basis if chicks are healthy at week 3 or 4.
When your chickens are feathered out, you won't need to feed such high levels of protein. In fact,
given enough room to run, your chickens will forage all their protein and most of their other feed
requirements for themselves. We allow free-choice laying crumbles (higher-protein commercial feed
for laying hens) for our hens and scatter some mixed grains to them in the evening.
My kids love to pluck seedy grass heads from the fence rows and push through the bars of their
ark to watch them jump and squabble over them. Overripe melons, unsuspecting grasshoppers that
allowed my boys to catch them, baked eggshells left over from our morning breakfasts, milk that
got pushed to the back of the fridge too many days ago, and a myriad of other bits and scraps make
their way to the chicken yard.
I know that my hens will be able to balance their own nutritional requirements with their commer-
cially prepared feed always available. We find that often they go without touching it—especially in
the summer months when more insects, produce, and green grasses are available.
Water.
Fresh water should be available at all times. We have a large self-waterer and usually refill
it completely when it gets down about halfway. Each day you have to check the water for any hay,
scattered feed, or soiling that may have accidentally gotten into the water bowl. Raising it off the
ground a little bit will help keep it clean but isn't a cure-all, I promise.
If you have a large flock of chickens that would empty your waterer too quickly, consider investing
in an automatic waterer. For most backyard farmers, a self-waterer will be good enough. You fill
a large water reservoir, which is then turned upside down into a shallow dish that fills with water
as the chickens drink down the available water. A word of caution—make sure the vacuum seal is
tight on the waterer before you walk away from it or you'll end up with 5 gallons of water flooding
the chicken coop. (Yes, that is the voice of experience speaking.)
thOrny MatterS
In the summer, especially in hot areas, you must check the waterer on a regular basis. During heat spells a
chicken will drink three or four times the amount of water as normal. Sometimes in the summer, especially
during heat spells, we'll add a water dish in the outdoor yard as well as the water dish in the chicken
coop. In the winter months you want to make sure the chickens have access to fresh water that isn't
frozen. In our area the chicken coop provides insulation enough to keep the water drinkable. If your area
experiences freezing daytime temperatures you can add fresh room-temperature water during the day.
Alternatively, you can invest in a heated waterer, but that is certainly not as economical.
