Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chicken feed also comes in different mixtures. Look around the feed store, and you will see
feed for different chicken ages and purpose: baby chicks, pullets, layers, broilers, and crushed
oyster shell, among others. Oyster shell helps the development of the eggshell, and if a chick-
en does not have enough in its diet, the eggs it lays will be brittle or soft. Commercial feed
mixtures will be balanced, so you do not have to add anything to them.
MAKE YOUR OWN!
Making your own feed may save you some money, but it will require more time. You will
need:
• Split peas — these have a high protein content
• Lentils — a plant from the legume family producing flattened seeds used as food and a
good source of protein
• Oat groats — minimally processed oats
• Hulled barley — these help provide intestinal protection
• Sunflower seeds — benefit the heart
• Sesame seeds — rich in vitamins B and E
• Flax seeds — this provides omega-3
• Winter wheat — higher gluten protein than most wheats
• Whole corn — this provides energy for flock
• Soft white wheat — this is lower in protein and higher in carbohydrates compared to hard
wheat
• Quinoa — good source of dietary fiber
• Kelp granules — gives the birds potassium, iron, and fiber
• Oyster shell — provides calcium and helps build hard egg shells
• Granite grit — helps aid digestion in birds
• Millet — most nutritious of the grains, providing proteins, carbohydrates, as well as phos-
phorous and other nutrients
• Kamut — this is known as a high-energy wheat
Mix equal parts of the ingredients, except corn (use two parts), soft white wheat (three
parts), and hard red winter wheat (three parts). Mix, and store in an airtight bin.
Because chickens do not have teeth, they eat
grit
, which is stored in the crop area of their
stomachs. Grit is little stones that break down the food so the chicken can digest it. You can
