Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
your property, diving after bugs and worms and snipping blades of grass with their
beaks. Between their clover salads and insect entrees, you'll better understand the
chickens' diet.
They're omnivores and should be treated as such. A pure vegetarian diet (as some
egg cartons boast) is ridiculous. A chicken's gullet requires protein, and it's in the
chicken's very nature to find some on its own. It's quite the sight to watch these nat-
ural hunter-gatherers at their best. I've watched my birds catch frogs, small mice, and
dragonflies out of midair! However, it's not always so bucolic. They'll eat their own
eggs (or each other!) given stressful circumstances. The best way to avoid egg eat-
ing and cannibalism is a balanced diet and ample space. These two things keep your
stock happy, healthy, and civil.
Grain and Scraps
Most folks who keep laying hens feed a grain ration bought from the feed store. This
is (usu-ally) a soy-based protein feed that comes in many forms: pellets (like rabbit
food), crumbles (pellets hit with a hammer), or mash (loose grain, finely milled). I
feed my birds pelleted layer ration but try to keep the protein higher for my produc-
tion animals. I want at least 17 percent of their diets to be protein and make sure the
tag on the 50-pound bag supports that.
Crushed oyster shell, fed to chickens as a dietary supplement, will strengthen the
shells of their eggs.
