If you’re fortunate enough to have the facilities available to mix your own feeds you can consider looking into the providing the best seed for your poultry through poultry straights for mixing your own at home. Looking from the chicken’s perspective, the best mix would be providing a variety of nutrients to help them grow happy and healthy. Purchasing poultry straights gives you the option to add the best mix for your chickens, particularly if they’re layer hens. If you’re looking for the best products for your chickens, check out advice forums from reputable retailers such as Wynnstay for more information.
Layer Feed
Layer feed has enough nutrients and proteins to meet the dietary requirements of a layer chicken to encourage top quality laying. Ensure that your layer feed is only given to your chickens once they begin to lay eggs, or from 20 weeks old. The amount of protein provided in layer feed is roughly the same as a grower feed however you must avoid feeding your chicks this form of feed as its lacking in the vitamins and nutrients a baby chick needs.
Poultry Straights
- Sesame Seeds: Full of proteins and nutrients the sesame seed is perfect for your chicken and you can even serve these raw or toasted to see which your chickens prefer.
- Sunflower Seeds: This seed is extremely popular with chickens. They’re tasty and nutritious, an excellent choice for excellent daily nutrition.
- Barley: Barley is a fantastic energy source for your chickens; however, poultry cannot digest barley’s carbohydrates as easily as those of other varieties because of the amount of NSP’s in the barley.
Chick Feed
A great place to start with your chicks is a mash. Mash is designed to include all the best nutrients for your little ones as well as being easy to swallow and digest. You may find that a chicken mash is popular with your layers as well, being rich in protein and goodness and believe it or not, mash is cheaper than a pellet.
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Grass Seed Mix
A grass seed mix full of legumes and deep-rooted herbs is perfect for providing nutrients, vitamins, and proteins from the forage. A grass seed mix typically encourages invertebrate to grow amongst the grass which is an additional benefit for your chickens to feed on. The healthier the diet of your chickens the healthier the egg.
Chicken Feeders
For your poultry feeds you need to purchase something that is substantial, easy to use, and easy to clean. Feeders that allow for any seed and mix to be used alongside being covered for any weather are also ideal for your chickens, particularly if the feeder is cone shaped to discourage perching and cross contamination. Ideally, the more protected the food is inside the feeder the less likely you’ll discover any unwanted pests in your chicken coop.
