What grain to feed laying hens

Millet is millet, but peeled from the plant shell. It consists of small grains of yellow color. It is used for preparing culinary dishes and for feeding domestic animals and birds.

It's nutritious. It contains many vitamins and minerals. Millet is included in many compound feeds. Can chickens add this grain to their diet? What are its characteristics?

How do nutritional standards depend on the age of the chicken?

We have already looked at how to feed chickens in the first months of life.
Next, nutrition will change as the chicken grows: Period from the 2nd to the 4th month of life. During these months, bones are quickly formed, weight increases, and future productive qualities are being laid. Calorie content is reduced to 260 kcal per 100 g of feed. Protein is given at 15%, and the fiber rate increases to 5%, and remains this way until the end of the chicken’s life. The bird must also receive enough microelements from the feed - the dosage is the same throughout the life of the chicken. The period from the 4th to the 5th month of life. The stage of formation of egg production is completed. Laying hens are given food with a calorie content of 270 kcal/100 g. Protein – 16%

At this stage, it is especially important to provide the chicken with calcium - 2-2.2%. Phosphorus and sodium—0.7% and 0.2%

From the 6th to the 11th month, the formation of the body is completed. The bird continues to receive the same feed as before, only the protein rate increases to 17%. From 12 months, calorie content is reduced to 260 kcal/100 g. Protein – 16%. Increase calcium and phosphorus levels. It is important to prevent overeating, which causes digestive problems, obesity and a drop in egg production in chickens.

Is it possible to give millet to chickens: at what age, in what form and quantity?

I recently got little chickens, but I don’t know how to feed them properly. I'm afraid of harming them with my inept care. For example, I would like to know whether it is possible to feed millet to chickens when breeding at home, at what age it can be given and in what quantity. I would also like to find out if it can be given to adults.

Millet is millet grain peeled from its shell. It is one of the products that is allowed to feed chickens of any age, even day-old chicks. This is explained by the fact that it is small in size, so even very small chickens can swallow the grains without problems. In addition, they are rich in easily digestible protein and various vitamins that chicks need for rapid growth and normal development of the young body.

Expert opinion Irina Titova Poultry farming expert Ask a question to an expert It is permissible to feed millet to chickens immediately after they emerge from the egg and dry out. But it should not be given in its pure form, but in a mixture with shelled, hard-boiled and mashed eggs, non-acidic homemade cottage cheese, finely crushed corn, oats, and wheat. You need to give millet approximately 2 g per head on the 1st day (1 egg should be divided into 25 chickens), at a week of age - 3 g.

Millet can be given raw to two-week-old chicks, but it is better to steam it once hatched. You can prepare such food by pouring boiling water over the cereal, cover with a lid and leave for half an hour to swell. Porridge should be given to chickens warm, not hot. There is no need to completely boil the millet, as it turns into a sticky mass that can stick the chicks’ beaks together.

How exactly to feed? The easiest way is to pour the mixture onto a small board and place it in the brooder under a light source. Place warm water in a saucer next to the food. The next day, you can add finely chopped fresh onions and garden herbs, such as lettuce, dill, parsley, to this mixture.

You can feed millet to both regular chicken breeds and broilers. Adult laying hens can also be fed this grain (but it is better to replace it with millet). However, it must be remembered that its maximum share in the feed for young chickens should not exceed 15-20% of the grain part of the diet up to 15 days, starting from the 60th day, and adult millet is also given at the rate of no more than 10% of the grain part of the diet.

Feeding birds in winter with products that seem suitable for them at first glance is practiced not only by those who keep them on their farms, but also by those who care about the fate of wintering sparrows and titmice. The latter, by the way, do not always do well for birds, not knowing why birds cannot be fed raw millet, fried seeds and some other “delicacies”.

Corn

Whole grains are an important component in the nutrition of adult chickens. For chickens, it is also almost the main component of the diet. However, they begin to offer it to babies when they reach the age of one and a half months. Until this time, only crushed grains in the form of small and medium grains can be given. Corn and wheat grains, as well as oatmeal and millet, are perfect for these purposes.

Grain should be introduced into complementary foods gradually, increasing the dose weekly. One week old chicken should receive 24 grams of grain per day. For individuals of one month of age, the dose should be increased to 32 grams. From two months it should be 45 grams. Usually yeast is also added to the grain.

Millet and peas: yes or no?

Millet is a favorite delicacy for chickens, so many poultry farmers safely include it in the diet of babies. It is worth noting that millet contains an impressive amount of protein, and it, in turn, is the main building material for muscles. In addition, this product is rich in B vitamins.

It can be given to babies the day after they are born. Some breeders combine millet with corn, semolina and wheat cereals. Before this, the millet should be steamed so that the chickens’ body absorbs it faster and better. It is simply poured with boiling water and then left to steep until the cereal swells.

Millet is also used to make mash. For these purposes, you can use yeast, herbs, cottage cheese, grass flour, sorrel. You should not give boiled millet to chickens, because due to the increased amount of starch, their beaks may stick together. Millet is given at the rate of 2 grams per 1 chick. This applies to one-day-old babies; week-old chicks can already be given millet in the amount of 3 grams per individual.

The source of protein is peas. Therefore, it must also be given to birds. Moreover, peas are a fairly common plant in the household. It also contains lysine, which is an essential amino acid. This substance ensures full growth of muscle mass. Therefore, peas should definitely be included in the diet of meat and broiler chickens.

It is correct to introduce peas into the menu of chicks on the 10th day of their life. It is better to take it crushed or grind it into fine grains yourself. Peas should be offered in small portions due to the fact that they have a rather specific smell that scares away children. Normally, peas should make up 10% of the weight of the grain mixture.

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At what age can you give millet to chickens?

From the first days, the chicks peck millet with pleasure. Millet cereal is necessary for chicks: it contains a lot of protein necessary for growth and development, carbohydrates, mineral components and vitamins B, PP and K.

How to feed chickens millet

Wheat groats. It is also good for chickens. This is a light food with a lot of nutrients. The chickens peck at it with pleasure.

The norm of dry cereals in a chick's diet is from 20 to 40%. Grown-up birds are given an unlimited amount of grain mixture. You can also add bran there.

Wheat sprouts, which contain a lot of lecithin, are very useful for birds. But they are used only for older chickens.

Cereals are given to chicks raw.
Millet porridge should not be given, as it causes the beaks to stick together.
Millet for chickens can be mixed with corn or semolina.
Sometimes farmers steam millet cereals and serve them chilled.
Cereals can be used mixed with herbs or cottage cheese.
Day-old chicks are given two grams of millet per day, week-old chicks - three.

Rice and buckwheat

Rice is a food that contains nutrients in large quantities. You cannot use it in large quantities, as rice can cause paralysis in chickens. The chicks are given rice in the form of porridge. It is added in small quantities to the mash.

Buckwheat contains a large number of elements beneficial for birds. There is especially a lot of vegetable protein in it. But buckwheat should also not be given to chicks in large quantities, as it can cause intoxication. Buckwheat is not given to chicks raw - it swells greatly and can cause digestive upset. The ground cereal is boiled and added in small quantities to the mash.

Whole grain

Twenty day old chicks begin to be fed whole grains.

It is introduced into the diet gradually.
The norm is increased daily.
The birds are given wheat, oats, corn, and millet.
Young animals are given 24 g of grain per day.
For thirty-day-old birds, the norm is increased to 32 grams, for two-month-old birds - to 45.
Many poultry farmers add yeast to the grain.

Compound feed

Ready-made feed contains all the necessary elements for the growth of chickens. The content of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and fiber in them is balanced. Compound feeds are enriched with vitamins and microelements. They contain added substances that strengthen the chicks’ immunity and prevent the development of diseases. There are separate types of feed for each age.

For compound feed to be useful to chickens, it must be fresh and of high quality. Old and moldy feed is contraindicated.

Greenery

This is the main source of vitamins for chicks. Greens should be on the menu to strengthen their immunity and prevent the development of infections.

Onion and garlic

Green onions prevent gastrointestinal disorders and the appearance of helminths. For birds, it is better to use green onions - green onions have a pungent odor that can scare them away.

From the age of five days, green onions are added to the chicks' food.
Finely chopped onions are placed in the mash.
If you don’t have green onions, you can use onions, which you first grate.
First, the chicks are given two grams of onion per day in their food, then increased to three.

Garlic improves immunity, destroys germs and parasites in the body. It contains sulfur and vitamins.

Grated garlic is given to two-day-old chickens.
It is added to food or given mixed with bran.
You can use dried garlic.

Sorrel

Sorrel is necessary for chickens - it contains a lot of protein, carbohydrates, microelements, vitamins A, C, E.

It is put into food from two days of age.
Finely chopped sorrel is placed in the mash.
It is used mixed with cottage cheese, chopped eggs or cereal.

Nettle and dandelions

This greenery has a general strengthening effect. It increases the chicks' resistance to various infections. Nettles are high in protein and vitamins, especially vitamin C. Dandelions contain niacin and carotene.

To prevent nettle from damaging the mucous membrane of the chicks, it is used chopped into porridge.
Chickens are also given midge, dill, parsley and beet tops. Greens are placed in mash, mixed with cottage cheese, chopped eggs or cereals.
You can put boiled mushrooms in the mash, which contain PP vitamins. Mushrooms must be non-poisonous.

Sand

Sand and food with sand should not be consumed by chicks. It clogs the baby's goiter and can cause obstruction. But fine-grained gravel with a fraction of 2–5 mm, on the contrary, promotes better digestion.

Chickens can be fed bread, but it must be served correctly. You cannot steam it, as this will make it sticky and can clog the beak or cause diarrhea. Chickens can only eat white bread - black has too much acidity. Even for adult chickens it is not recommended more than once a month. It is best to use stale (but not spoiled) bread or crackers, after soaking them in water, milk or yogurt. Before putting it in the feeder, it should be squeezed out. Bread can also be added to wet mash.
It is best to give bread to chicks that are already 7 days old.
The bread is soaked in water in a ratio of 1:2.
It is a good source of carbohydrates and proteins. It contains a variety of minerals (silicon, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, selenium, copper and others). In addition, almost the entire group of B vitamins is present, as well as vitamins PP, E, H.

Chickens can be given green onions. You can also use regular onions, but both options must be chopped and mixed with other food before use, since the pungent taste of this vegetable may not be to the liking of the chicks.
Chicks can eat onions from the 5th day of life.
The consumption rate of onions (green or onions) is 5–6 grams per day.
It contains many vitamins (C, K, A, group B and others) and minerals. This product is good for the health of young animals: it increases immunity, is a preventive measure for gastrointestinal disorders and has antiparasitic properties.

What should you not give to Broilers?

It is strictly forbidden to feed chickens with raw meat, whole grains, and if there is a lot of potassium permanganate in the water, with very wet food.

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Sorrel

An excellent addition to the diet is sorrel. It is finely chopped and added to feed. You can give sorrel to older chicks in a bunch, placing it in a bowl of water to prevent it from withering, but after 40 minutes you still need to remove it. Trampled, dirty leaves should also be removed. You should not give the chicks old, wilted greens - this can cause diarrhea.
Sorrel can be given to chickens from the second day of life.
Greens should be used in feed until the 5th day of life, no more than 1 gram per head; at 6–10 days, 3 grams of sorrel are given. The dose is gradually increased, and on the 20th day the young animals consume 7 grams of greens, and at one month of age the daily intake is increased to 10 grams. At 40 days, chicks can already eat 15 grams of grass feed, and at 50 days, 17 grams.
Sorrel contains vitamins B, A, C, PP, as well as minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper and others. This early crop is good for diversifying the spring diet of chickens.

What food can be for birds?

Feeding chickens at home is not particularly difficult even for novice poultry farmers. The thing is that small birds are not picky, so food for them can be found in any pet store or you can make it yourself

It is important that the diet is prepared taking into account the age and purpose of raising the chicken. Often, the menu of each bird includes starter feed for day-old chicks and growth feed for individuals whose age has already reached 2 months

Feeding laying hens from day 17 is entirely the use of developmental feed. In addition to PC, young animals need fermented milk and grain products.

So, what to feed one-month-old chicks?

Feeding grain is an important component of the nutrition of any breed of chicken. Grains are included in the diet up to 60%

It is important to clean the grains from films and crush them as finely as possible. Wet mash can be made with curdled milk or skim milk to increase the nutritional value of the chickens' diet. Feed for laying chickens should be combined with the consumption of dairy products (whey, skim milk, cottage cheese, curdled milk), which can provide the body with calcium and the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals

The bird can only eat fresh and not sour foods in order to maintain normal intestines. Water can be replaced with whey in small quantities. Feeding small birds with greens is necessary every season, therefore, even in the absence of fresh greens, it must be replaced with sprouted cereals, grass flour, nettles, and dried hay. It would also be a good idea to prepare a hanging feeder with herbs for the chickens. Feeding one-month-old chicks is an important point, you need to keep an eye on it. The chickens' diet should be enriched with vitamins in the first days. You will need complexes of vitamins E, A, D to prevent rickets, lameness, and weakening of blood vessels. The main thing is to prevent an overdose, because a particular vitamin in greater quantities than necessary can lead to poisoning. For example, D2 is less active (28-30 times) than D3. The diet for chickens must be constructed with high quality.

A newborn chick must be fed frequently due to its physiological characteristics. The first time after birth, newborns are fed 8-9 times a day, and they can start eating food only after 12 hours after birth. Of course, in the first hours of a baby’s life, the question arises whether it is necessary to feed the chicken with this or that product. Feed for small chicks should include:

crushed cereals: millet, corn, oats;
hard-boiled egg;
cottage cheese;
onion and dill.

In addition to the fact that you need to feed day-old chicks often, you will have to devote time to this at night for several days. After 7 days, the birds can begin to be fed with shells, fine river sand, flour, eggshells and charcoal. The amount of feed for young chickens is calculated individually; there is a special table for this.

Composition of feed for laying hens

Due to the ease of preparation and availability of products, many poultry house owners mix the feed themselves. Grain mixtures are solid foods, while soft or wet ones include mash based on steamed cereals, vegetables and herbs, bran and flour additives.

Knowing what foods a bird needs to consume to increase egg production and maintain the body in good condition, it is important to understand how to feed laying hens at home and maintain optimal proportions. Ready-made and homemade mixtures for chickens include all of the listed categories of feed, but they must also include sources of animal protein. These include:

dairy products;
meat and bone and fish meal, as well as meat and fish waste;
earthworms.

Before preparing mash for laying hens, the poultry farmer must decide on its composition and quantity. Individual products should be prepared before serving:

potato tubers and raw peels are boiled, chilled and kneaded;
vegetables and root vegetables are chopped using a grater;
meat and fish are heat treated and cooled;
The beans are boiled, and the remaining legumes are pre-soaked.

Before feeding pullets to laying hens, the grain is crushed or flattened. In winter, it is useful to germinate cereals, which significantly increases their nutritional and vitamin value. The same effect is achieved by adding 5-10 grams of yeast per kilogram of mixture.

Features of feeding chickens

Once born, the chicks only need a few hours of satiety, because the eggs contain nutrients, and then they need to be given a feeder. The nutrition of laying hens has its own characteristics in the form of feed composition, its rate and frequency of feeding. The diet should be balanced, and warm fresh water should always be present. It will be beneficial to add minerals such as gravel, shell rock or chalk to the diet.

Just hatched

For laying hens that have just hatched, it is very important to get food immediately. As soon as they dry out at home and gradually get back on their feet, they will try to peck food

They will begin to develop a reflex and an idea of food, and they will be able to saturate themselves. The sooner feeding begins, the faster the adaptation process will take place.

Many beginners leave the chicks without food for some time, giving them time to adapt and become familiar. This is a mistake, because developmental delays may occur. Future laying hens can be given food for adults, only finely ground. They will also enjoy feeding them corn grits, which can be made at home.

Daily allowance

As soon as the chicks have warmed up under the light bulb, they will begin to feed. They need to be fed 8-12 times a day, including at night. A special small starter feed is suitable for this. You need to put it in a small plate so that it doesn’t get raked. Need warm water. For day-old laying hens there should be approximately 2.5 cm of feed in a linear feeder and 3 cm in a trough feeder.

Weekly

When, after the first days of life, the chicks are already accustomed to eating cereals, more variety can be added to their diet. You can add wheat, oatmeal, buckwheat, millet and semolina. From the third day of life, finely chopped greens are introduced into the diet (except for green onions, which are given starting from the fifth day of life). It is advisable to give milk along with water, especially yogurt; you can add crushed chalk, mixing it into regular cereals.

The daily amount of food for a week-old chick should be 10-12 g. During this period, you need to reduce the frequency of feeding to 4-5 times a day, but increase the portions. It is better that the chickens' bowl does not remain empty.

At 2 weeks of age

We continue to feed with a mixture of cereals: barley, corn, oatmeal, wheat in a 1:1 ratio. Don’t forget about additives and specialized mineral feed. You can add cottage cheese to chickens (the norm for 10 heads is 50 g). It helps great in bone formation, but it is better to give it in the morning. Nettle greens, clover, plantain and even onions remain useful for the prevention of diseases.

The growing body of laying hens better perceives changes in diet. The chicken can choose what it likes best, so you can adjust the ratio of components in the grain mixture. You can start giving your pets cereal from the table, since their esophagus is already resistant to a rich diet. But this does not mean that you can give everything. During these weeks there should be high-quality, fortified food. At this time, the chick should eat 17-19 g of food per day.

Menstruation

When four weeks have passed and the babies are one month old, laying hens can already diversify their leisure time with street walks. When penned at home, they will receive sunlight, which will stimulate the production of vitamin D, which helps absorb calcium

For laying hens this is very important, because it will affect the quality of the eggs. In nature, the chicks will have access to grass, bugs and other standard chicken diet

Protein sources

Protein is essential for the growth of babies. Their diet should include foods high in animal protein.

Dairy

Of these, the most important is cottage cheese, which is necessary for chickens to develop properly. It benefits the body as it contains calcium and vitamin D, without which the chicks will not grow up healthy. Cottage cheese also contains a lot of lactic acid bacteria, which improve intestinal function.

It is fed to chickens from two days of age, two grams per chick.
In the future, the norm is increased to four grams.

Kefir and yogurt are also beneficial for chicks.

Chickens are given milk, but it must be skimmed or dry.
Whole milk is harmful to them: it contains a lot of lactose, which birds cannot digest. Milk is given to five-day-old chicks:
five grams are dissolved in a liter of water and added to the mash.

Yeast

This is a valuable product that must be included in the diet of chickens. Yeast is a storehouse of B vitamins. It improves the health of chicks and accelerates their growth.

Yeast is added to the feed from 8 days of age.
They can be replaced with soaked bread or crackers, which also contain yeast.

Boiled eggs

Crushed egg yolks are the first food a newborn chick receives. Chickens need eggs as sources of protein, amino acids, enzymes and vitamins D, B, C.

At four days old, the chicks are given crumbled protein.
At the age of 10 days, the chicks are given ground shells as a source of calcium.
It is pre-cleaned from the film and calcined in a frying pan.

Fish

It is necessary to improve feather growth in birds.

Fish is served boiled or fried.
It is cleaned of bones and mixed with food.
One bird is given from two to eight grams of fish three times a week.
To compensate for the lack of vitamin D, chicks receive fish oil.

Insects and worms are good additions to the diet. They contain a lot of protein necessary for the growth of babies. Birds independently find beetles and worms while walking. To enrich the diet with protein, you can dig up worms and give them to the chickens. Some farmers specifically breed them in special devices - worm traps.

Shells and gravel

Shells are a source of calcium, which helps strengthen chickens' bones. Crushed shells are poured into separate feeders for the chicks from the age of five days. The chicks peck at them with pleasure.

To improve digestion, fine gravel is added to the chickens' feed. It cleanses the gastrointestinal tract of babies and helps them digest rough food.

What to feed chickens

Newborns

Beginning farmers are interested not only in what, but also how much to feed chickens. At the beginning of their lives, chickens cannot eat on their own. This is where the yolk sac can help.

Before hatching, the chick eats the yolk remaining in the egg. That is why there is no urgent need for immediate feeding after birth. The chicks need some time to dry out and rest.

It is best to feed the young every couple of hours at 7 days. By reaching the age of one week, the feeding frequency is reduced to 1 time every 7 hours. The feeder is regularly washed with boiled water.

Some farmers believe that the healthiest option at this time is boiled yolk, which is crushed. However, studies show that crushed yolk is too fatty for the developing body of the chick.

Therefore, the most common option: corn grits. Millet and barley groats are added on the 5th day.

In addition to them, the diet contains boiled potatoes, carrots and green onions. Kefir and crushed cottage cheese are also used. These foods are rich in calcium, also needed by growing chicks.

Weekly

When the chicks are a week old, feed and cereals are added to their diet.

At this age, chicks are fed at least 7 times a day. A solution of potassium permanganate is added to chickens to prevent infections.

Two weeks

These chicks are given bread soaked in water and boiled fish. All products must be fresh. However, the amount of food should be exactly enough for one feeding so that the chickens do not trample it.

Compound feed is gradually replaced with bran. The number of feedings per day remains the same as before.

Period

As soon as the chicken reaches the age of one month, it is released outside, and greens become the main part of the diet.

What should you feed one-month-old chickens? During this period, young animals are given coarse grain. Vegetables, dairy products and cereals remain in the diet. You can also start feeding the chicks with boiled meat.

It is necessary to arrange a feeder with gravel and sand. Under no circumstances should one-month-old chicks be given earthworms, as they can become infected with parasites, which can be fatal.

Three months

During this period, the chickens are transferred to the diet of an adult chicken. But they need to be fed more often and more densely than adults. The basis of the diet: grain.

Video: Compound feed for laying hens or how to make even a rooster lay eggs

Chickens can eat anything. But we must not forget about the health of chickens; their food should be varied and balanced. Then they will lay eggs regularly, and the meat will be tasty and juicy.

The egg production of chickens depends on a number of factors, with feeding being perhaps the main one. What to feed laying hens to help them lay eggs better? How to choose a diet and calculate the amount of feed per bird? Without finding the answer to these and many other questions, novice poultry farmers often do not receive the products they are due from chickens.

Features of feeding by age

You cannot feed chickens the same regardless of age. This will lead to digestive disorders, diseases and even death of the chicks.

Newborns

Right after the chicken has hatched, you should not force it to eat. You need to wait a few hours and let it dry.

The chick eats the rest of the yolk before emerging from the egg, so it does not need food for 6-10 hours.

The best option to feed chickens from the first days is a boiled egg. It is cut as small as possible so that it is easy for the baby to swallow the pieces. Many breeders roll egg crumbs in semolina to prevent food from sticking to the paws and fluff.

In the first days, be sure to drink boiled and clean water at room temperature.

Daily allowance

On the second day, it is already allowed to give a mixture of chopped chicken eggs and homemade cottage cheese with minimal fat content. Combine components in equal quantities.

This mixture must be fresh each time, so you should not make it in reserve.

Weekly

Week-old chicks are already fed a variety of foods. The main dish is a mixture of boiled eggs, fresh cottage cheese, wheat or oatmeal. In this case, the main part should be cereals - approximately 65%. It is allowed to add greens and grated carrots to this food. Additionally, they provide sprouted grain.

In addition to warm water, pour low-fat milk or yogurt. Twice a week, add a little potassium permanganate to the water to prevent diseases, and after half an hour, replace it with clean liquid.

It is allowed to introduce fertilizers with minerals, for example, crushed egg shells.

Many provide specialized food for birds of this age, which contains the necessary substances and fully satisfies the body’s needs.

Two weeks

Two-week-old chickens are fed a mixture of grains, greens, boiled potatoes and carrots. Eggs are being removed from the menu

It is important that the food crumbles, but is not excessively dry. You can already add a little sunflower cake to food, approximately 3% of the total feed

It is also recommended to add chalk or bone meal to the food to provide the body with calcium, the dosage is 2 g per bird.

A little salt, rice or wheat bran, and grass flour are added to the diet for two-week-old chickens. When they are 3 weeks old, they can be taught to peck whole grains.

Period

Month-old chicks are already quite strong, they are sent for a walk, where they independently find their own food, for example, grass, plant seeds, bugs, worms. If the birds are kept in a closed enclosure where grass does not grow, it should be given daily along with other food. 13% of the diet should be greens.

Whole grain can now be given. Its type can be any - wheat, barley, corn, oatmeal, and so on. It is allowed to feed whole legumes, choosing smaller fruits so that the chickens can swallow.

Be sure to give the chicks boiled and fresh root vegetables, vegetables, tops from them, as well as bran, cake, plant and animal waste from the kitchen. You can also purchase feed for chickens.

You shouldn’t forget about mineral supplements either; add bone meal, chalk, shells, and salt to your food.

The features of feeding and caring for chickens should be studied in advance so that this process does not turn into a problem. If birds receive insufficient amounts of nutritional components, this will negatively affect their health, and may even lead to death. A well-chosen diet will help ensure that babies grow faster and become large chickens and roosters with strong immunity.

Tips and tricks from experienced poultry farmers

To raise strong young animals, you should follow the advice of experts:

For rational distribution of feed, it should be selected based on age.
It is imperative to choose convenient feeders that match the livestock.
Bulk feed and whole grain should be used in a ratio of 1/3 to 1/2, respectively.
The dimensions of the feeders must correspond to the number of birds, the height of the side is not lower than the back of the bird.
The feeder should be 1/3 filled with millet for chickens so that loose and wet mixtures are not trampled too much.
If one of the chicks begins to eat poorly and loses appetite, it should be removed and gradually fed with warm milk from a pipette.
To prevent the development of diseases, chicks should be given a weak solution of potassium permanganate at least 2-3 times a week.
To disinfect feeders and drinkers, it is recommended to use a hot soapy solution or a 5% formaldehyde solution.

During walking and feeding, individuals receive a lot of useful nutrients, vitamins and minerals from grass and supplements.

Having studied when, how much and what kind of food a chicken should receive, it is not difficult to create the right diet based on wheat grains, which will ensure health during the growth of the bird. By following feeding rules, a farmer will be able to raise chickens for meat or eggs, building a thriving business on this.

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Bread

Chickens can be fed bread, but it must be served correctly. You cannot steam it, as this will make it sticky and can clog the beak or cause diarrhea. Chickens can only eat white bread - black has too much acidity. Even for adult chickens it is not recommended more than once a month. It is best to use stale (but not spoiled) bread or crackers, after soaking them in water, milk or yogurt. Before putting it in the feeder, it should be squeezed out. Bread can also be added to wet mash.
It is best to give bread to chicks that are already 7 days old.
The bread is soaked in water in a ratio of 1:2.
It is a good source of carbohydrates and proteins. It contains a variety of minerals (silicon, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, selenium, copper and others). In addition, almost the entire group of B vitamins is present, as well as vitamins PP, E, H.

Owners of broiler chickens will be interested to learn about the nutritional characteristics of young birds and the benefits of nettles for their diet.

Vegetables

Vegetables are an essential component of a chicken's diet.

Cabbage

It is given to chickens from five days of age. Cabbage contains sulfur, potassium and other substances necessary for the growth of chicks. But it contains too much fiber, which can irritate the delicate stomachs of chickens, so it is grated on a fine grater and put into the mash. Cabbage can be mixed with cereals. For ten birds, give a teaspoon of grated cabbage.

Potatoes, pumpkin, carrots

These vegetables are given to chicks from ten days of age:

carrots are a real storehouse of carotene, prosaccharides, microelements and fiber;
pumpkin is rich in vitamins and microelements;
Potatoes are a source of carbohydrates, starch, vitamins A and C, which helps chicks gain weight.

Twenty-day-old birds need five grams of vegetables per day, thirty-day-old birds need ten, three-month-old birds need one hundred. Boiled vegetables are placed in the mash.

Peas

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Peas contain a lot of vegetable protein. It contains an important trace element - the amino acid lysine, which stimulates muscle development.

Peas are started to be given to week-old chicks.
It is added to the food little by little, since peas have a specific smell that babies may not like.
In dry food its content should not exceed 10–12%.