Keeping Chickens In Your Back Garden - Find Out What You Should Be Feeding Your Chickens - Part 3
Once you have decided to make the commitment you need to make sure you have everything ready for the arrival of your chickens, to establish proper care of your chickens.
In this article I shall be advising on How To Feed Your Chickens - Part 3, about Drinkers & Feeders, the various shapes and sizes available, subject to how many chickens you shall be keeping, and most importantly, what you should feed your chickens with, so they may be healthy and happy chickens.
First, Drinkers & Feeders, come in various shapes and sizes, you will need to determine the type, subject to how many chickens you shall be keeping...
what you need to provide for the health and happiness of your chickens...
Layers Pellets and Mash - these are complete feeds, and too much food alongside would upset the balance.
Food must not contain dust, if you tip the food into a container and dust flies everywhere, the feed is unsuitable and of poor quality, and must be returned.
Check the Label on the Bag - to see that the ingredients are suitable for your layers, the list should include -
Fruit & Vegetables - with fruit, its hit and miss, until you find out what they like.
With vegetables, green and yellow varieties are rich in Vitamin A, which darkens the egg yolk, making it a lovely deep yellow, vegetables can be lightly cooked to soften, which helps, and potatoes must always be thoroughly cooked before given to the chicken, nicely mashed.
Grit - these are small stones, which enable the chicken to get the maximum nutritional capacity out of their food, if the chickens are free range then they will peck around and find grit, if they are not, then this must be provided to them in a container.
Oyster Shells - these are small pieces of oyster shell, which are a source of calcium, enabling the chicken to produce strong egg shells, a vital element, without this, the shells do not form properly, also the general health of the chicken suffers and skeletal problems may occur, these must be provided in a container.
Treats - forms of grain/corn, worms, bread and butter, they so love this, and enables you to interact with them, which is great fun, and a plus, as bread contains calcium and protein.
Vitamins A & D - Vitamin A helps the chicken to retain a good, healthy skin and will lead to a healthy gut, healthy respiratory tract and healthy reproductive organs.
Vitamin A, also helps to keep the chicken free from disease...
Yellow Maize is high in Vitamin A, as is grass meal.
Vitamin D must be present to help with the uptake of calcium and phosphorus, bones are strong and well formed, when the birds have plenty of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is provided for free range hens by the sunlight, if the chicken is not free range, than, Vitamin D must be provided, fish meal and cod liver oil will give this much required vitamin.
Third, Water - like humans, chickens need a constant water supply for hydration.
Make sure your water is potable.
In this article I shall be advising on How To Feed Your Chickens - Part 3, about Drinkers & Feeders, the various shapes and sizes available, subject to how many chickens you shall be keeping, and most importantly, what you should feed your chickens with, so they may be healthy and happy chickens.
First, Drinkers & Feeders, come in various shapes and sizes, you will need to determine the type, subject to how many chickens you shall be keeping...
- Fresh Water needs to be provided daily.
- Fresh Food needs to be provided daily.
- If you are using suspending drinkers or feeders, then it must be placed at chicken neck height, so the chickens can drink/eat comfortably.
what you need to provide for the health and happiness of your chickens...
Layers Pellets and Mash - these are complete feeds, and too much food alongside would upset the balance.
Food must not contain dust, if you tip the food into a container and dust flies everywhere, the feed is unsuitable and of poor quality, and must be returned.
Check the Label on the Bag - to see that the ingredients are suitable for your layers, the list should include -
- Oil
- Protein (16-17%)
- Fibre
- Vitamins A,D,E
Fruit & Vegetables - with fruit, its hit and miss, until you find out what they like.
With vegetables, green and yellow varieties are rich in Vitamin A, which darkens the egg yolk, making it a lovely deep yellow, vegetables can be lightly cooked to soften, which helps, and potatoes must always be thoroughly cooked before given to the chicken, nicely mashed.
Grit - these are small stones, which enable the chicken to get the maximum nutritional capacity out of their food, if the chickens are free range then they will peck around and find grit, if they are not, then this must be provided to them in a container.
Oyster Shells - these are small pieces of oyster shell, which are a source of calcium, enabling the chicken to produce strong egg shells, a vital element, without this, the shells do not form properly, also the general health of the chicken suffers and skeletal problems may occur, these must be provided in a container.
Treats - forms of grain/corn, worms, bread and butter, they so love this, and enables you to interact with them, which is great fun, and a plus, as bread contains calcium and protein.
Vitamins A & D - Vitamin A helps the chicken to retain a good, healthy skin and will lead to a healthy gut, healthy respiratory tract and healthy reproductive organs.
Vitamin A, also helps to keep the chicken free from disease...
Yellow Maize is high in Vitamin A, as is grass meal.
Vitamin D must be present to help with the uptake of calcium and phosphorus, bones are strong and well formed, when the birds have plenty of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is provided for free range hens by the sunlight, if the chicken is not free range, than, Vitamin D must be provided, fish meal and cod liver oil will give this much required vitamin.
Third, Water - like humans, chickens need a constant water supply for hydration.
Make sure your water is potable.
Source...