FEEDS

AND
FEEDING
Prepared by:
Marjie A. Eran

Submitted to:
Maam Martina Rebustes
Feed - animal feed is food given to

animals, especially farm animals.

Feeding- the act of giving food to a

person or an animal.
Making sense of all the different varieties of
chicken feed can be very confusing for
first time and even semi-experienced
chicken keepers. “Mash”, “grower feed”,
“medicated or unmedicated”, there is so
much jargon on the chicken menu it can
genuinely be quite overwhelming.
Starter Chicken Feed
Starter feed is a protein dense variety of
chicken feed designed to meet the dietary
requirements of baby chicks. Generally
speaking baby chicks can live comfortably on a
diet of starter feed and water for the first 6
weeks of their life before progressing onto
grower feed.
The high protein content, usually between 20-
24%, helps young chicks grow into
playful pullets, however it’s imperative that you
phase out the starter feed once they are 6 weeks
old, otherwise the excess protein can cause liver
damage.
Grower Chicken Feed
Grower feed in many ways is like chicken feed
for teenage chooks. The dietary requirements for
a chicken between 6 to 20 weeks old is very
different from a baby chick. Essentially grower
feed contains a protein content that is between
16-18% but has less calcium than regular layer
feed.
In an egg shell, grower feed supports the
continuing growth of your teenage
chookies without bombarding them with
unnecessary vitamins and minerals that
are more suited for fully grown laying
hens. Once your girls start laying eggs
that’s a good sign that they are ready for
layer feed.
Layer Chicken Feed
For most of your flock’s life their diet will predominantly

consist of scrumptious layer feed. Layer feed has an ingenious

balance of protein, calcium and other vitamins and minerals
that encourages top tier egg laying abilities in your flock.
Protein wise layer feed contains similar levels of protein to
grower feed, around 16-18%,
however has extra calcium to ensure that
their eggshells are crisp, clean and
crunchy. Feeding layer feed to baby chicks
or young pullets however will not meet
their unique dietary requirements. Layer
feed should only be fed to chickens
around 20 weeks of age or once they
have started to lay eggs.
Mash
To put it simply mash is a loose and unprocessed
version of chicken feed. Similar to the texture of
potting soil, mash is the finest variety of chicken
feed commonly available. Mash is normally used
for baby chickens, as it is easy to digest,
however it is not uncommon for fully mature
chooks to be fed mash.
Some Chicken Ladies or Lads combine mash
with hot water to create a porridge like
texture that your flock will love to chow down
on. Be mindful however of the fact that this
method can cause the feed to expire more
quickly. The main issue with mash varieties
of chicken feed is that its texture often
results in an increase of incidental waste, so
bare that in mind.
Crumble
In simple terms crumble is a coarse variety of mash
but not as compact of pellets. Reminiscent of the
texture of oatmeal, crumble is a semi-loose variety of
chicken feed that is slightly easier to manage than
mash. Some chicken lovers use crumble to bridge the
gap between mash and pellets for their flock.
Others claim that their girls just simply
prefer the crumbly texture. Whatever
your reasons for using crumble instead of
mash or pellets at the end of the day it
shouldn’t make any significant difference
to your flock’s health.
Pellets
Pellets are perhaps the most common
variety of chicken feed available. Just like it
sounds pellets are essentially little compact
cylinders of chicken feed goodness. One of
the benefits of using pellets is that they
hold their shape nicle, which means they
won’t go to waste if your ladies accidentally
knock their feeder over.
Easy to manage, store and serve, pellets
often become the first choice for most
backyard chicken keepers.
Chicken Scratch

Chicken scratch is not the same as chicken feed. Try and

imagine chicken scratch as a kind of treat for your flock.
Most chicken scratch varieties consist mostly of cracked
corn and other grains that chooks love to eat but are
unfortunately not very good their waistlines.
Chicken scratch is a great source of energy
for your flock and can also help warm
their bellies on chilly winter nights.
However, always remember that chicken
scratch is not the cornerstone of a health
diet - it is a delicious treat that every
chook should enjoy every now and then.
Medicated Vs Unmedicated
Medicated chicken feed is common amongst
starter and grower varieties as it is an easy
way to help prevent coccidiosis and other
fowl diseases in your flock. Simply put,
medicated feed contains amprolium which is
a chemical that helps protect your girls from
dangerous and deadly diseases that they can
catch when young.
This being said, do not use medicated feed
if your chooks have been vaccinated, as
the effects of the amprolium are not
compatible with the vaccination.
How to feed chickens
Starter Feeds
Newly hatched chicks ages 0-10 weeks
should be fed a chick starter diet with a
protein level between 10%-20%. These
rations are formulated to provide proper
nutrition for growing baby chickens.
Higher protein starter rations (22%-24%)
are reserved for meat birds such as
turkey, quail, and pheasant. This higher
protein level maximizes growth for
broilers and roasters but is not necessary
or desirable for egg laying chickens.
Grower Feeds
At 10 weeks of age, a grower feed should
replace the starter feed. Grower feeds are
typically 15%-16% protein and are
designed to sustain growth to maturity.
The higher protein content (20%), in
starter/grower feeds, is recommended for
growing game birds.
Layer Feeds
Layer feeds are designed to provide optimum
nutrition for birds laying eggs for
consumption. Layer feeds contain 16%
protein and has increased levels of Calcium,
for proper shell development. Layer feeds
should be fed starting around 18 weeks of
age, or when the first egg is laid, whichever
comes first.
Water

It is necessary to provide an adequate supply of

fresh, clean water for your birds at all times.

Chickens will drink approximately three times as

much water by weight as they eat in feed. A

good rule of thumb is to provide one quart of

water for every four chickens.

Water intake levels will also increase

significantly during periods of warm

weather. Baby chicks should only be

offered water, (no feed) during the first

hour.
The first water offered to Baby Chicks
should include ¼ cup sugar and 1
teaspoon of Terramycin per gallon. This
will help boost immunity and reduce the
stress of shipping. For the second day, 1
teaspoon of Terramycin only should be
added (no sugar,) and then fresh clean
water after that.
References:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/
cms/life-out-here/the-coop/chick-
care/how-to-feed-chickens

https://www.backyardchickencoops.
com.au/blogs/learning-centre/all-
the-different-types-of-chicken-feed-
explained
Thank You
and
God
Bless…..