What type of chicken feed should I buy?

[Seashells]

I'm getting a pet serama chicken. Coop and excercise pen have been ordered, but now noticing there are many types of chicken feed out there. Originally, I thought to just get the bagged stuff from local feed store, but now I'm wondering if I should get a special kind? Not interested in producing eggs, or eating the chicken.....just want a sweet healthy pet. Any advice appreciated....It's been about 15 years since I owned chickens.....and at that time I didn't put much thought into what they ate....just gave them whatever feedstore offered in small bags.

 

[MountainWoman]

Depends on the age of your chicken and also what h/she likes to eat as far as texture. There's mash, crumbles and pellets. I start my youngsters on baby chicken mash and then move them onto layer crumbles when they are older. My birds refuse to eat pellets. You might want to go to your local feed store and ask for some samples. Best of luck with your new addition.

 

[Seashells]

It's about 4 months old, thanks

 

[susanne]

Although laying is not the reason you have her, she nonetheless will lay eggs and you want to support her system in this, so I would look at a good nonmedicated layer feed supplemented with grit and a small amount of oyster shells. Chickens are basically omnivores, so they benefit from dinner table scraps and kitchen trimmings (nothing spoiled, but wilted greens and veggies are great). When mine cannot free range, I pick grass, weeds, garden prunings, windfall apples and berries, etc.

To make her REALLY happy, put something heavy in her run and run the hose around it. Then move it so she can get the earthworms that surface.

 

[Seashells]

Great advice susanne, thanks

 

[MindyLee]

I feed mine layer mash seperate from the other feed as they will scratch it all out to eat the goodies! So layer in one bin, and in another, I have scratch grain (mixture of crack corn/red millit/oat), wild bird feed (mixture of black oilers or sunflower/white millit/grey stip sunflower), omega pellets, and chicken kibbles which is a 32.25% protine tiny kibble.

I also give them grass clippings, carrots, hay, dinner left overs, bugs, when over-runned in eggs, I scrambble them up shell and all and feed it back to them, whole deer carcus (after hunting season and all meat is removed... they get all the left over bits of scraps), fresh shovel fulls of dirt, happy hen treats (dried meal worms), flock blocks, bird suits, apples, turkey/chicken dinner carcus, and yes... baby mice!

I raise and breed miniature cochin bantams, with a few silkies, frizles, millie fluers, and sizzles, and currently have 37 adult birds (3 roosters) and 29 baby chicks. All have names and are super friendly, super spoiled, and love all of them as they are my babies!

 

[susanne]

Chickens are such little velociraptors, they'll eat anything...I'm sure if I dropped dead in their run, they'd have me eaten before Keith got home from work!

 

[jacks'thunder]

Chickens are such little velociraptors, they'll eat anything...I'm sure if I dropped dead in their run, they'd have me eaten before Keith got home from work!

mine would too!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Watch out, they love cupcakes, too. Warn the children not to venture close to a chicken while carrying a cupcake.

I have embarassed my husband and friends by requesting a doggy bag at restaurants. No, don't bring me that large styrofoam plate-thing. Bring me a to-go cup. I just scrape it all into the cup and it's easy to carry, even in the motorcycle bags. Favorites? Shrimp tails, mashed potatoes, bones, green beans, hot peppers. Rejected and left to be raked up in the morning: carrots, cabbage, onions, iceberg lettuce.

 

[Miniv]

Ours eat a Flock Raiser Crumble mixed with cracked corn. They also get left over vegetable greens, peelings, etc.and fruit peels. We don't feed them meat or onions..... The onions change the flavor of the eggs. They LOVE to peck at corn cobs after we're done with them.

 

[susanne]

Our old hen, Chiclet (no longer alive, sadly), used to follow our ancient toy poodle as he twirled around doing his "morning chores," as if he were her own personal Pez dispenser. As they say, "Nothin' says lovin' like something from the oven."

 

[Shari]

I feed mine Organic GMO free feed. Figure if I eat the eggs, I want them to eat healthy. They also free range around the house.. eat grass..bugs and so on. Basically what ever they can get their beaks around.

Also feed them Veggie scraps and so on.

LOL Call mine... Mini T-Rex's!

 

[Shari]

Oh.. and if you have a cat or dog door... becareful.... they do learn how to get in! LOL

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I feed mine Organic GMO free feed. Figure if I eat the eggs, I want them to eat healthy. They also free range around the house.. eat grass..bugs and so on. Basically what ever they can get their beaks around.

Also feed them Veggie scraps and so on.

LOL Call mine... Mini T-Rex's!

Where do you get that? Can it be ordered online? I would much prefer mine not to eat gmo food, but nothing like that is available here.

 

[Shari]

Here, it is a local Farm that makes it up for the feed store in Ashland, VA.

Ask around, I bet there is someone that has non GMO feed, but they sell by word of mouth.