All The Different Types Of Chicken Feed Explained

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 

 

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.

To complicate matters, there are varieties of feed known as starter/grower feed, which is essentially a type of feed that chickens can eat from 1-20 weeks of age. But always read the label and consult the nearest poultry guru if you have any doubts.

For more information about what to feed baby chicks, simply click here.

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.

To get the lowdown on when you should expect the first eggs from your pullets, make sure you have a sticky beak at this eggcellent article here.

Layer Chicken Feed

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