Chickens provide people with fresh and healthy eggs, and chicken is one of the most popular types of meat. In order for the bird to fully provide food, it needs to introduce useful components into the diet, containing both calcium and other mineral components. What to feed the chickens and how to do it is described correctly below.

Feeding chickens at home

First, it is worth figuring out whether it is possible to give chickens a certain type of feed, for this it is necessary to decide on the purpose of the poultry. Here are the basic rules to know when preparing feed:

  • When growing poultry for meat production, it is imperative to include mineral additives, compound feed and the so-called "mash", which is a ground mixture of grain, supplemented with vegetables, herbs and root crops. It should be noted that the share of the "mash" should be equal to the share of whole grain given out or even slightly exceed it.
  • If chickens are raised as layers, and the main goal is to increase egg production, then whole grains should be included in the diet to a greater extent. The amount of "mash" should be a small part.
  • An important factor is the number of daily feedings. For layers, it is necessary to give food no more than twice a day, but when raising chickens for meat - 3-4 times a day. This is especially true for broilers, since food in such quantities contributes to weight gain.
  • If it is impossible to ensure access to green spaces, it is important to additionally provide the bird with fresh grass and greenery from the garden.

Feeding chickens at home

note! Laying hens require the utmost attention, since in the case of overfeeding or underfeeding, egg production decreases and problems arise with the functioning of the liver and legs.

What can be given to chickens

What grass can be given to chickens

Chickens are practically omnivorous birds. They can even be fed with food from the table, but this is not always useful. Some foods can be given, but rarely, and some completely excluded from the diet. Read more about food for chickens.

The benefits and harms of bread

The first question that arises is whether it is possible to feed chickens with bread, what kind and how often, because you can hear the most contradictory opinions on this matter.

It is known that the stomach of poultry cannot fully digest baked goods, especially when it comes to fresh products. This is due to the fact that when such products enter the body, they become limp and swollen, thereby causing disturbances in the digestive system.

Feeding chickens with bread

In order to give chickens a bread product, you must first prepare it:

  • you can replace harmful white bread with stale black bread, but it is necessary without mold and hard crust;
  • bread must be stored in the form of crackers;
  • before serving ready-made crackers, they need to be slightly soaked, and then - mixed with sprouted grain and supplemented with the resulting composition of the "mash";
  • this feed must be given to the bird within two hours, since a longer period will cause the fermentation process;
  • you can also sometimes offer poultry black or white kvass bread, but do not overuse it.

Interesting to know! There are situations that require the inclusion of white bread in the diet. This is necessary for males who are being prepared for slaughter. It is believed that chicken meat becomes more tasty and tender after that.

About fish

Fish contains a lot of calcium, so it sometimes needs to be included in the diet of poultry. In this case, you should pay attention to the following nuances:

  • salted fish should not be given;
  • before serving, you will need to cook the product until the bones are softened;
  • it is enough to include in the diet 2 times a week, since more frequent use will lead to dehydration and delayed bowel movements;
  • it is advisable to mix fish with other feed, since poultry often refuses such a product.

Leftovers from the table such as head, tails and bones are also suitable for feeding the bird.

Feeding chickens with fish

Potatoes

Potatoes are a fairly common household product. And the question will certainly arise as to whether it is possible to feed the laying hens with raw or boiled potatoes. This boiled vegetable is useful for chickens, since their body has the ability to digest the product well. It is imperative to boil potatoes, since the skin of a green vegetable contains a dangerous substance called solanine, which is destroyed during heat treatment.

Potatoes are gradually introduced into the diet of 15-day-old chickens. Every day, they begin to give 100 g of boiled product.

Important! Potato peelings should not be fed to poultry, as this is a very heavy food for the digestive system.

Beet

Svela is a vegetable that can be dangerous for chickens, therefore, it is necessary to introduce it into the diet with extreme caution. This is due to the following features:

  • for chickens, beets are a strong laxative and in excess can cause diarrhea;
  • the vegetable stains the cloaca red and often causes pecking and cannibalism in the herd, therefore it is advisable to give the beets a fodder look.

It is also worth introducing beet tops into the diet, which contains a number of essential elements for the bird's body.

Feeding chickens with beets

Cereals

Consider what grains and cereals should be given to chickens:

  • Wheat is very important for poultry as it provides them with enough energy. How much will it take? For laying hens, at least 220 kcal per day will be required. Rice (100 g) can provide this volume completely. But, as you know, such cereals are quite an expensive pleasure. Therefore, it must be replaced by 30-40% with chopped corn.
  • Barley is always used to feed the household. But chickens are not very willing to use it, since it has a harsh texture.
  • Oats are rich in protein. But it also includes fiber, which requires a lot of energy to digest, so you should not be zealous with adding this product to the compound feed.
  • Legumes contain a large amount of oils, so it is very important to include them in the daily diet of chickens, but in small quantities. Sunflower seeds, meal, cake, lupine and soy are added to the compound feed.

What other cereals and grains can be included in the poultry diet? Buckwheat, pearl barley, millet are not bad. But don't abuse them. Their share in the total diet should be no more than 10%.

Feeding chickens with cereals

Root vegetables and vegetables

Root vegetables include many useful components that are of high value for chickens. It is advisable to include them in the diet raw, so as not to waste their useful part.

Before chopping, any root crop must be washed, removing all dirt that can harm the bird's body.

Most often, the diet includes carrots, which contain vitamin A and carotene, which affect the growth of the chicken.

Additional Information! Cabbage, both common and fodder, will bring great pleasure to layers. This is especially true in the winter period, when this vegetable is practically the only source of vitamins. You can also offer them sauerkraut or silage.

You can supplement the composition of any "mash" with radishes, turnips or radishes, only beforehand it is worth chopping the roots. Their tops are also perfect.

Onions increase the immunity of birds and are the most important source of vitamin C. The onion can be fed to both adult chickens and very small chickens. Before serving, onions must be minced, but green ones can be chopped a little with a knife.

Crops such as eggplants and tomatoes can be safely fed to poultry, but in small quantities. In no case should animals be fed with green vegetables of this type, since their peel contains the same corned beef that will harm the body. The tops of these plants should also not be given to chickens.

Note! Cucumbers are an excellent food for chickens. They are able to peck even whole vegetables. It's also a good idea to include squash and pumpkin in your diet.

Berries and fruits

For laying hens, fruits and berries are a wonderful vitamin supplement, thanks to which the egg yolks acquire a rich bright color.

The following fruits can be produced:

  • apples and pears;
  • tropical fruits (pulp of oranges and other citrus fruits), bananas and banana peels;
  • watermelons and melons;
  • strawberries and raspberries;
  • viburnum;
  • grapes and currants;
  • gooseberries and cherries.

note! Chickens, of course, love to feast on delicious berries, but excessive consumption can lead to negative consequences, since the bones contain a strong poison.

Greens

It is very important to include greens in the daily diet of laying hens. It is useful to give the following types of greens:

  • nettles;
  • alfalfa;
  • clover;
  • pea stalks;
  • swan;
  • horse sorrel;
  • onion feathers;
  • dill and parsley.

Additional Information! In order to provide poultry with vitamins during winter, plants such as nettles, alfalfa and clover are dried. During the period of vitamin deficiency, chickens eat dry grass with pleasure.

Eggshell

The shell of each egg is a dense shell containing a large amount of calcium. So can chickens be given egg shells? In view of the beneficial composition of the egg shell, I would like to replenish the vitamin composition in animals with this product, but is it possible for chickens? The answer is yes. It is very beneficial to give eggshells, but only if they are prepared correctly. This is due to the fact that the substance contains a large amount of calcium.

Before adding the shell to the feed, it must be thoroughly rinsed and calcined in the oven (temperature 100 ° C), and then chopped to a flour-like state.

Feeding chickens with shells

What else needs to be included in chicken feed

When raising chickens in an incubator, they should receive only nutritious balanced feed. Consider all the necessary components in the daily feed:

  1. Proteins, especially vegetable proteins (meal, cake, sunflower processing products).
  2. Fats (sunflower oil, oats, corn).
  3. Fiber (glucose, sucrose, starch found in sweet foods, and cereals).
  4. Vitamin complex, especially B, A, D (fish oil, fresh grass, baker's yeast, silage).
  5. Mineral substances (ash, gravel, lime, bone meal).

As additional components it is worth giving:

  • cottage cheese, whey, kefir;
  • meat and fish waste;
  • some lard;
  • salt.

Feeding chickens with fresh grass

Prohibited foods

Is it possible to give raw fish to chickens

Consider what foods should be eliminated or reduced to a minimum in the poultry diet and the reasons for this:

  • too many vegetables will cause digestive upset;
  • low quality fish oil will add an unpleasant smell to future eggs;
  • baking leads to negative consequences and even death;
  • peel from vegetables and fruits, due to their rigidity, is poorly digested by the digestive system;
  • too much salt.

Prohibited foods

Why chickens eat Styrofoam and is it bad for eggs

As you know, chickens do not belong to smart animals and can use useless or even harmful substances. This also applies to foam, to which birds often have free access, because the material is used to insulate farm buildings.

What can chickens eat?

Styrofoam is a building material that contains chemicals, so if it enters the stomach, it can harm the entire digestive system. And chickens are curious creatures and peck everything that catches their eye. Given that this building material has an interesting shape, it is not surprising that it attracts birds.

Important! It is necessary to try to exclude access to the foam, because often its use leads to the death of the bird.

Tips and tricks from experienced poultry farmers

  • For any laying hen, the most important thing is a balanced diet by the hour.
  • In winter, you need to take care of the device of additional lighting. You need to turn it on in the evening and turn it off in the morning.
  • During the moulting period, adults turn into small shabby birds. In order to ensure accelerated recovery, it is necessary to organize hourly feeding.

Of course, chickens can eat any food. But it is important to remember about the health of poultry, because the food offered should be not only diverse, but also healthy. In this case, laying hens will lay eggs regularly, and meat birds will delight you with delicious and juicy chicken.