What can you feed suburban chickens?
What can you feed chickens? Chickens are well known for eating almost anything obviously this reputation is not unfounded. They will even eat a lizard or two. Things like lizards are just supplemental treats, though, and a chicken’s diet will mainly consist of cereals like seeds, greens and insects.
It’s important to remember that an animal’s nutritional needs can be very complex therefore a recommended daily routine of commercial feed is to ensure a healthy bird.
How many times a day can you feed chickens?
Chickens are hungry critters who spend most of their day scratching for food. Chickens are good at finding food, but you should always ensure some commercial feed is available for them to graze on.
There are several ways to make your chicken feed available to your flock. How you keep your chickens will determine what feeder you need:
- Use a chicken feeder like a ‘Hopper’ for a continuous supply, and you can top up.
- Scatter the food on the ground if you can feed them a few times daily.
- Feed your chickens directly from a bowl or trough that is topped up regularly.
In any case, you should avoid leaving food out overnight in their coop or run. Bird feed can often attract unwanted visitors like mice, rats and squirrels.
Can you overfeed chickens?
Layer Hens
All chickens can be hungry critters at the best of times, but it depends on the species of chicken. Layer chickens tend to eat little and often, making it hard to overfeed them as long as they eat a good and varied diet.
Broiler chickens
The Broiler chicken, which people breed for meat, will eat themselves to death if given the choice. They also require a balanced feeding routine, which you must manage carefully to avoid overfeeding.
How much water do you give chickens?
Chickens need a good amount of fresh, clean water available at all times.
What can you feed your chickens to increase egg production?
Chickens will lay their eggs according to their environment. The better their conditions, the more likely they will lie. We should respect nature and allow the chickens to live, roam, and lay eggs as naturally as possible.
Forcing them to lay more is not recommended as it can stress the animal and decrease the egg quality.
Some foods can help improve egg quality and production. Each egg produced will use up some of the chicken’s energy therefore by providing the right foods, you can promote the developing egg.
Foods that increase egg yield include:
- Chickens use Calcium to form egg shells and surprisingly it takes quite a lot of Calcium to keep the eggs coming. To help eggs develop, feed your chickens food supplemented with oyster shells.
- Egg shells are a great source of Calcium for chickens. Bake them in the oven to kill bacteria. Crush them and add them to your chicken feed.
- Protein is also vital to egg development. Providing protein-rich foods like mealworms to your chicken’s diet will help increase egg size and yield.
- Greens are full of vitamins and are great for chickens. A healthy hen will lay more often than a sick one. A steady diet of cereals topped with greens and other treats will keep your hens happy, increasing the number of eggs chickens lay.
What can you give your chickens as treats?
If you’re like me and want to reward your chickens for being great egg layers, you want to fatten up your broiler chicken a little more.
Chickens are avid food lovers who will eat almost anything laid out before them. There are some foods, though, that your chickens will love you more for giving them.
Below is a list of foods we’ve found our chickens love! We have also considered how healthy some treats are because some foods could improve a chicken’s health.
Here are ten healthy & natural treats for your chickens
- Mealworms – Rich in protein, and chickens love them, only in moderation, as too many can cause health issues and obesity.
- Sweet corn – Not only is sweet corn a tasty treat, but it also helps add a great flavour to the meat and eggs from chickens. You can also dangle a partially boiled ear of corn for them to peck at as a healthy boredom buster.
- Leafy greens – Salad leaves and other greens like cabbage are tasty and healthy for chickens as part of a varied diet.
- Carrot tops – You can smell the flavour of these packs, and you’ll find the chickens falling over each other to get some.
- Berries – Like many birds generally chickens are suckers for berries. Their favourites are blackberries & strawberries.
- Scrambled eggs – with some egg shells mixed in is an excellent protein & calcium boost for your chickens. Once every week or two will help keep them healthy. You can add some bits like oats, salad leaves or garlic (small amounts) too.
- Melons – Chickens love melons at the best of times, but they will enjoy them even more on a hot day! Pop a melon in the fridge and cut it open for them the next hot day. Your chickens will appreciate the cooling effect and vitamin content.
- Worms & insects – This is one of the most cost-effective treats as all it requires is lifting a rock or logging into your garden. At the most, you may have to dig a small hole. Our chickens run to my feet whenever I’m digging in the garden because they know it means some tasty worms are coming. You can tell by the happy chirps that they appreciate the natural delicacies.
- Stale bread – whether crumbs or a whole stale bun, chickens love a bit of bread as a treat. It would help if you only gave stale bread to chickens as a treat because too much could cause the chickens to get too fat.
- Pumpkin and squash – are two very nutritious and functional treats for your chooks. The flesh, seeds and skin pack a high nutrient content, including potassium, an essential mineral for any living animal. The seeds also act as roughage and a natural dewormer for your chickens.
Foods chickens should avoid
Avocado – The skin and seed are poisonous hence you should not feed them to chickens!
Chocolate – Chickens and other poultry should not eat chocolate! It contains Theobromine, which is not only toxic to birds but is also dangerous to other animals.
Green potato – should not be given to chickens. When green, potatoes contain solanine, which is poisonous to birds & chickens.
Oatmeal/porridge – chickens love a warm bowl of oatmeal or porridge. However, it is not very good for the chicken’s health and can lead to obesity.
What are some examples of disease epidemics caused by livestock eating insect proteins?
Disease epidemics caused by livestock consuming insect proteins have been a concern in the past. One notable example is the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in the early 2000s. This outbreak had a profound impact on millions of cattle. It resulted in substantial financial losses, estimated at around $13 billion, for the United Kingdom.
Another significant disease epidemic caused by livestock consuming insect proteins was the BSE, known as mad cow disease, which emerged in the 1980s. This epidemic affected many cows, reaching hundreds of thousands, and caused widespread disruption within farming communities across the UK.
These examples illustrate the potential consequences of livestock consuming insect proteins, as they can lead to severe disease outbreaks that affect animal health and have considerable economic and social ramifications.
What to feed a chicken with a respiratory infection
Chickens can be prone to respiratory infections and are standard whether you have a few chickens or a few hundred. If your feathered friend isn’t feeling too good, you will hear or see one of the following:
- Sneezing
- Open-mouthed breathing
- Wheezing and gurgling sounds
- Ruffled feathers
- Discharge around the nostrils and eyes
- Head shaking
Some common health problems that can affect a chicken’s respiratory infection are:
- Mycoplasma
- Infectious Bronchitis
- Dust/Ammonia
- Gapeworm
Less common infections found in chickens are:
- Avian Rhinotracheitis
- Infectious Laryngotracheitis
- Avian Influenza aka bird ‘flu
What should you do if you think a chicken has a respiratory infection?
Contact a professional veterinarian if unsure what to do with a sick chicken. If, however, your chicken is acting a little under the weather or is sneezing now and then, there are some things you can do to help.
If you can isolate the sick chicken from the rest of the flock, then do so. It is important to remember that chickens rely on each other to keep warm and are very social. You may need to provide extra warmth and stimulation to an isolated chicken.
How to help clear & treat a respiratory infection in chickens
Apple cider vinegar is an excellent antibacterial that will help clear up any minor infections. Adding around 25ml to 500ml of water once per month can help boost the immune system and fight infection.
Check out our article on apple cider vinegar for chickens.
Garlic – is much like Apple cider vinegar. It boosts the immune system when added to your flock’s diet in managed doses. It also contains antibacterial properties that will help clear repository infections.
Herbs can provide a considerable amount and variety of nutrients to your chicken’s diet. Nutrition is vital in maintaining a healthy immune system in any animal. Herbs like thyme, dill and oregano are great for chickens.
Some herbs and spices that are good for chickens are:
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- Cinnamon
- Turmeric
- Salt
- Ginger
How to make herbal ice cubes to keep your chicken healthy
Herbal teas aren’t just good for humans. You can also make one for your chickens! Herbal tea is a great way to deliver vitamins and nutrients to your flock. Once brewed, you can add a generous amount to their water regularly to keep them fit and healthy.
- Take any herb that is safe for chickens and steep it in hot water
- After 5 minutes, add any of the above herbs or spices to the tea
- Leave for another 15 minutes to settle
- Strain and cool the liquid, then freeze it into ice cubes
- Add ice cubes to your chicken’s water once or twice a month
How to prevent repository infections & sickness in chickens
As always, prevention is better than a cure – try to avoid treating your chickens for health ailments by providing them with proper care and shelter. You can help prevent health problems for your chickens by:
- Keeping their outside environment clean
- Regular mucking out of their chicken coop
- Keep the coop and nest boxes as dust-free as possible to prevent mites
- providing a well-balanced diet with the nutrition they require
- Protect them from extreme temperatures
- Add some herbs like thyme, dill and oregano to their diet
Dust baths – will help prevent mites and other parasites from taking hold. While these do not cause a repository infection, they can stress your flock, lowering the strength of their immune system.
Cost-effective ideas for chicken feeds
Chicken fodder
Chicken fodder is the simple but fine art of sprouting seeds and creating a source of fresh greens for your chickens to eat. To create fodder or chickens, follow this process
- Choose a good crop seed like barley to create fodder from
- Soak your seeds in a bucket for 24 hours to soften them, which speeds up germination.
- Find a tray with raised edges, something like a baking tray and create a layer of your chosen seeds. The tray can be as deep as you like.
- Cover your seeds & prevent as much light from getting to them as possible
- once they have sprouted leaves. Removed the cover and placed it in a warm area out of direct sunlight
- These can be fed to chickens at any time during this process, but grow until the seedlings are around 2″- 3″ tall for the best results.
- Remove the seeds, roots, and plants from the trays and feed them to your chickens.
Kitchen scraps
Chickens will eat almost anything and are great for recycling your kitchen scraps. If you cut the scraps into chicken-sized chunks and steep them in hot water, your chickens will love you even more!
Apart from a few vegetables & fruits overall you can give your flock any vegetable scraps from your kitchen.
Chickens can eat meat, although it may trigger cannibalism. Therefore, you should avoid it for obvious reasons.
The UK law on feeding your chickens kitchen scraps
In Britain, it is illegal to feed your chickens kitchen scraps unless the household is vegan. The law exists to help reduce the risk of diseases developing in the avian populations.
Sources: Keeping backyard chickens, Respritory Disease in Chickens
