Grass and insects constitute about 20% of the total chicken diet. You can also feed your kitchen scraps or waste materials to your chickens but not a lot of it. If you are feeding your chickens your kitchen leftovers, do not be hasty. Instead, give them the amount that they can eat in about 10-15 minutes.
The main feed on which your chickens depend is grain-based products. These are the major constituents of the chicken’s diet that can be brought from the local markets. The age and different type of chicken plays a vital role in knowing the type of feed on which they should be kept on. For example,
Adult hens
Adult hens should be fed on laying feeds to provide calcium for the strengthening of their eggshells.
Baby chicks
Baby chicks should be kept on starters and light feed until they turn 20 weeks old or start laying eggs.
Chicks fed for meat
Chickens that are fed for meat should be kept on grower on finisher feed.
The feeds that are bought from the markets come as mash or larger pellets. The more you take care of the chicken feed, the more you will become aware of it. You can also grow the chicken’s feed yourself with different options like soldier-fly larvae on your kitchen waste or planting perennials.
