Poultry Feeds Explained

One of the most confusing things for a first-time flock owner is what to feed their birds! It seems like it would be so easy, just go to the store and buy "chicken feed," but when you get to the feed store, there are dozens of different types! What are all these different types of feed used for? Each of these feeds have a different purpose, and several of them may suit your flock.

Layer Feed

Layer feed is specifically designed for the laying hen, making sure she gets enough protein, calcium, and other minerals to keep her eggshells strong and her body and bones healthy. Layer feed is available in crumbles and pellets. There is a common misconception among holistic and organic bloggers that layer feed has hormones in it to make the hens lay more, but this is untrue. In fact, layer feed will not make hens lay more at all; it only keeps them healthy and keeps eggshells strong! 

Layer feed is best for hens who are more than 16-20 weeks old or laying, whichever comes first. Layer feed will not make them lay, so there's no rush! Do not feed it to young chicks, as their developing kidneys cannot handle the extra vitamins and minerals. Some believe that layer feed may cause kidney disease in roosters, which is a valid concern. However, many people have fed their roosters layer feed with no problems, myself included. Because of this, I believe that a rooster can handle the extra minerals as well as we can handle a multivitamin that gives us a little too much. 

Medicated Chick Starter

Medicated chick starter is for young chickens. This feed has a small amount of the drug amprolium which helps the chicks as they are exposed to coccidia without getting too sick. Coccidia is the single-celled parasite behind coccidiosis, a word which gives chicken keepers quite the headache. When using medicated feed, the chicks are exposed to the coccidia in the dirt, may contract a very mild infection which the amprolium in the feed helps them fight off before it gets too bad. They can still get a severe infection, however, if their waterers, feeders, and environment are not kept reasonably clean. Amprolium has no withdrawal time and there is no evidence that it is harmful to humans, although it cannot be used in an organic setting. 

Medicated chick starter is recommended for a minimum of 8 weeks of age, but you can feed it up to the point that you switch to layer (or other adult feed). It is mainly for chicken chicks. Game bird chicks (like guineas, turkeys, pheasant, quail) will need a higher protein feed than chickens, but you can still find a medicated version of these feeds. It is commonly said that medicated feed is poisonous to ducklings. This is both true and untrue. Previously, medicated feed was made with a different type of drug which waterfowl could easily overdose on. Now, that amprolium is mainly used, medicated feed will not hurt them, but it is not necessary. Waterfowl are extremely resistant to coccidiosis, so they don't need and help preventing it. However, if you are raising them with chicks that eat medicated starter, it will not hurt the ducklings. Just remember to at a niacin supplement for ducks!
*UPDATE* Medicated feed is now controlled by the Veterinary Feed Directive and requires a prescription by a veterinarian in order to obtain. 

Unmedicated Chick Starter

It is as it seems - a basic chick starter with no drugs to control coccidiosis. It is nutritionally complete for the growing chicken! Chicks can develop immunity without the help of drugs, but it is more difficult on the chicken keeper! When feeding unmedicated feed, you must slowly expose them to coccidia by introducing them to dirt when they are around 2 weeks old, and gradually increase their exposure. The organic/med-free keeper must also take extra care to keep waterers, feeders, and bedding very clean, as a dirty environment exposes them to more of the coccidia's oocysts, which causes infection. 

Chicks and ducklings can eat starter up until it's time to switch them to layer feed! If using for ducks, remember to at extra Niacin (B3). Using brewer's yeast (NOT bread yeast!) is a good way to supplement for Niacin.

Game Bird Starter

This feed is for baby "wild" fowl, like turkeys, pheasant, and quail, and is available in medicated and unmedicated versions. Game bird starter is very high in protein. Game birds require more protein than chickens or ducks, so it is important that they have a higher-protein diet. They are generally fed this feed until about 8 weeks of age. 

Game Bird Feed

This is mainly for adult game birds. It provides turkeys, quail, pheasant, and other wild fowl with adequate protein and nutrition in their adult years. It is also often used for chickens and ducks during molting, to help regrow feathers quicker and easier. It can be given to ducks and generally is higher the the niacin they need, but may be too high in protein and cause angel wing in younger ducks. 

Grower/Finisher Feed

Although Purina started marketing this for layers, it was originally only for broilers, like the Cornish Cross. It is designed to lower protein to prepare these broiler chickens for butchering, and is usually given to them at 6 weeks old. 

Purina Flock Raiser

Purina's Flock Raiser is meant for the mixed flock of different ages and species. At 20% protein, is is nutritionally similar to most unmedicated chick starters. A mixed flock is difficult to feed, and a general flock raiser is a good solution, although some of them may need a supplement! For ducklings, you may need to add a bit of Niacin. Leave out free choice oyster shell for the layers (don't worry! The others won't eat it unless they need it). This feed is pretty well-rounded and a good choice for those who raise a mixed flock. 

Nutrena Feather Fixer

Feather Feather Fixer is designed for the molting bird to grow in strong, shiny feathers. It can also be used for birds which are exhibiting signs of protein deficiency, such as feather-eating. According to Nutrena, Feather Fixer has extra protein, vitamins, and greens for ideal feather regrowth. Many people have found that their birds grow more healthy-looking feathers and get through molts quicker when using this feed. 

Waterfowl Feed

Waterfowl feed is ideal for ducks, geese, and swans. With most other feed, they must have niacin added or suffer a painful deficiency or risk getting angel wing, a deformity of the wing caused by a too high-calorie, high-protein feed. When using waterfowl feed for adults or young, you don't have to worry about adding supplements because it is complete for them. If you are raising waterfowl separately from other species, and this type of feed is available to you, it is highly recommended to use feed specifically for waterfowl!

We hope that we helped clear up some confusion! What feed do you use for your birds? Leave a Comment! Remember to check out our Facebook Page and our Instagram for regular updates and cute pictures!

Sources:

"NatureWise Feather Fixer Poultry Feed for Molting." NatureWise Feather Fixer Poultry Feed for Molting. Cargill, Incorportated, 2016. Web. 17 July 2016. <http://www.nutrenaworld.com/products/poultry/naturewise-poultry/feather-fixer/>.

Gerhold, Richard W., Jr. "Overview of Coccidiosis in Poultry." : Coccidiosis: Merck Veterinary Manual. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp, 2009. Web. 17 July 2016. <http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/poultry/coccidiosis/overview_of_coccidiosis_in_poultry.html>.

"Metzer Farms Duck and Goose Blog: Can Medicated Feed Be Used for Waterfowl?" Metzer Farms Duck and Goose Blog: Can Medicated Feed Be Used for Waterfowl? Metzer Farms, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 17 July 2016. <http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/11/can-medicated-feed-be-used-for.html>.

Feed Store Chick Buying Guide Part 2: Choosing healthy babies

Some people requested that I do a part two of my Feed Store Chick Buying Guide to help people notice signs of illness and defects when picking out their chicks at a feed store. I agree that it is very important for prospective chicken owners to know what a healthy, or unhealthy, chick looks like!

*Warning. There are images in this article of chicks with deformities and injuries. Reader discretion is advised. 

What a healthy chick looks like

A healthy chick reacts to stimuli, such as sudden sounds or movements. He may be sleeping under the lamp, but will wake up and move when a hand comes near him. His legs and toes are straight, strong, and flexible. When he is awake, he is alert and bright-eyed. A healthy chick is playful and hops around the bin, before he tires himself out for another nap. He doesn't peep excessively, but chatters with his hatchmates as he eats. Feed stores that do not allow customers to handle the chicks are likely to have healthier, disease-free chicks, and the chicks are less likely to be injured. 

Red Sexlink Chick from Tractor Supply Co., Blossom

Choco, Golden Sebright Chick from Tractor Supply Co. See her stance, upright with strong, straight legs. Eyes are clear and alert. Wings are held high,

These chicks at Rural King Supply appear very healthy!

We came home with six of them!

What an unhealthy chick looks like

There are many different ailments that affect fragile young chicks, and they appear with different symptoms. Some chicks are sick or injured, while some are simply too weak to survive. Don't pick out a chick that is slow to react, will not move from the heat lamp, or is having trouble standing. I have noticed when a chick is injured or ill, it lets out long, loud peeps constantly. If a chick is going "peepeep. peep. peepeepeep peep. p-p-ppeep" that's good, but if it's going "peeeeep! peeeeeep! peeeeeep! peeeeep! peeeeep! peeeeeeeep!", I've found that to be a sign that something is wrong. An ill or weak chick may be sitting on it's hocks, periodically trying to stand but is wobbly and may fall over. Ill, injured, or dying chicks may also be getting trampled by their hatchmates because they are too weak to move or push them off. Sometimes it pulls at our heartstrings because it seems the others are "just being mean" but this is a sign that the chick is extremely weak and will not live. An unhealthy chick may have pasty butt. Pasty butt is caused when poo gets stuck to the feathers of a chick. It may simply be due to the food that is given to the chicks, and it may suggest illness or stress that is causing diarrhea. Either way, pasty butt must be taken care of and gently wash off, or it can kill the chick!

An injured, sick bantam chick from Tractor Supply Co. He had a peck wound on his beak. Notice how his stance is leaned forward, how he is having trouble supporting himself, his wings are droopy and how his eyes are slightly bugged out. He peeped very loudly, nonstop, likely because he was in pain.

Injuries

Sometimes chicks may obtain a pecking injury or a broken bone from shipping. Because most feed stores won't let us handle the chicks before they put them in the box for us, it is important to inspect them before you leave the store. Check the legs, under the wings, and around the eyes. If you have an injured chick, tell the staff and they will swap it out for another. Most feed stores will not allow you to return or exchange a chick after you leave the store. 

Illness 

Don't buy a chick that is excessively sneezing or wheezing. Better yet, don't buy from a store selling sneezing or wheezing chicks! One or two sneezes isn't a huge deal, because chick feed and bedding can be quite dusty and that can cause sneezing. However, if they are doing it constantly, or it is paired with excessively sick and weak-looking chicks, go to a different store (after changing clothes and washing up). The chicks may have come into contact with communicable diseases, such as Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), Coryza, or Infectious Bronchitis. 

Defects

Hatcheries usually sort out chicks with defects before sending them to feed stores, but sometimes they slip through. Common defects that are not usually fatal, but will need some special care include curled toes, splayed leg, extra toes (or extra-extra toes!) and crossbeak or even extra limbs! Splayed leg occurs when a chick hatches and is forced to walk on a slippery surface, or simply can't manage to get a grip. Chicks with this defect may have to be placed in a sling, and will need hobbles to correct their legs. Chicks with curled toes will need corrective boots made of bandaids to straighten their toes. A chick with crossbeak may need assistance eating or drinking for the rest of it's life. 

 Potentially fatal defects include wry neck, unabsorbed yolk or intestine, and skeletal or brain deformities. It is best not to buy a chick with one of these deformities, especially if you've never raised chicks before. 

Boots, on the right, wearing correcting boots for curled toes. She is a normal chicken with straight toes now! Both of these Silkies had 6 toes on each foot! From Tractor Supply Co. 

This chick has an external intestine. It hatched with an unabsorbed yolk, which busted. We attempted to clamp it off to stop the bleeding, but we ended up having to cull the chick due to the intestine. I hatched this chick myself. I have never seen this particular defect in feed store chicks!

What does the staff know about the origin of the birds?

Usually, feed stores get chicks from large hatcheries, and you can obtain that information from the pamphlets that they provide. However, some small, non-chain feed stores may get chicks from local farmers. You should be able to find someone in the store that knows where they got them from. If not, don't buy the chicks. Without knowing where the chicks came from, you may be bringing disease in to the birds you already own and there is no way to contact the original breeder that his flock may be infected. 

I hope this makes selecting chicks a little easier and saves you some heartache! I've had my fair share of accidental unhealthy chick buys with sad endings, so this is mainly from my own experience, though some is thanks to the kind users on backyardchickens.com. If you don't have an account on BYC yet, what are you waiting for? Go sign up! Remember to like our Facebook Page  for blog updates and our Instagram for regular pictures of our farm family! Happy chick days!

Feed Store Chick Buying Guide

While feed stores make it very easy for the average person to obtain chicks to raise their own flocks, they have many different breeds of many different uses. To make matters more confusing, feed store staff often do not specialize in poultry and can't offer much help as to the breed and their uses. Every spring, chicken forums and facebook groups are flooded with posts trying to figure out what breed or gender their chicks are, because they just got whatever their feed store had. With my guide, learn to get the breeds you want, leave the ones you don't, or find out which ones you already have!

For Part 2: Choosing Healthy Chicks, Click here!

If the bin says "Red Sexlink (or Red Star, Golden Comet, Golden Buff, Cinnamon Queen, Isa Brown)"

The red sexlink is not a true breed, but a hybrid of a red male (such as a Rhode Island Red) and a silver-gene female (often a white leghorn with a silver gene). This causes them to be sexable at hatching, via their down color. The exact genetic background of these birds can vary depending on the hatchery. Because they are a hybrid, there isn't a standard that hatcheries have to follow, so there are many varieties and many names to describe them. However, hatcheries breed this bird to be the best-of-the-best in laying. They are practically laying machines. If you're looking for super huge eggs and a whole lot of them, this is for you! I have several! They are often in pullet assortments. Males grow to be white with creamy-colored hackle feathers and reddish feathers on their wings, while females are red with white down. 

Red, one of my red sexlink hens

If the bin says "Black Sexlink (or Black Star)"

Like the red sexlink, this bird is a hybrid bred to be sexed by it's down color. They are a hybrid of a red male and a barred female, usually a barred Plymouth Rock. It also has several different names that are often used to label them. Males of this hybrid grow to be barred, while females are black with red leakage around the neck and breast. They lay very well, and are known for a calm temperament. 

If the bin says "Pullets"

Pullets are not a breed of chicken. Pullets are young female chickens, so the pullet bin is full of laying or dual-purpose breeds that are female. The most common breeds in pullet assortments are red sexlinks, black sexlinks, White Leghorns, and Rhode Island Reds or Production Reds. However, you may also get Buff Orpingtons, California Whites, Plymouth Rocks, or Black Australorps. Sometimes there may be easter eggers. All of these have been sexed to the best of the hatchery's ability, but there may be a male or two in the bunch. 

If the bin says "Production Red"

The production red is sort of like the commoner's Rhode Island Red. They are lighter in color than the RIR, generally lighter in body weight, and taller. Basically, hatcheries bred their RIR stock purely for laying, some breeding in genes from other breeds such as the white leghorn, that they no longer could sell them as Rhode Island Reds. Most hatchery-bred Rhode Island Reds could be considered production reds. They can vary in color from light red to dark red, and are excellent layers. If you're looking for layers, these birds would be perfect. If you're looking for show, these birds will be disqualified.

If the bin says "Cornish Cross (or Cornish Rock)"

These chickens are specifically meat birds. That is their purpose. It is inadvisable to buy these birds, often coined "frankenchickens," because they can rarely live past processing age. If they do, they don't live as long, they don't lay well, and they can have damage to their legs due to their excessive weight. We've all heard stories about people saving these and raising them as pets, but there are far more (less interesting) stories about them flopping over with heart attacks or legs breaking under their massive weight. Sometimes these birds get mixed up in bins of white Plymouth Rocks or Leghorns, but they are usually twice the size of the normal chicks. If you're looking for a pet or layer, do NOT buy these chicks. 

If the bin says "Red Ranger (or Freedom Ranger, Dixie Rainbow)"

These birds were developed in France to replace the Cornish cross, so they are a meat bird. However, unlike the cornish cross, they are not so heavy and do not grow so fast that it causes heart attacks and broken legs. They are better at free-ranging and are actually able to breed on their own. They may make a decent pet bird, but do not lay well. They are often confused with red sexlinks, due to similar appearance and coined names, but they are very, very different! 

If the bin says "Americana (or Ameraucana, Easter Egger, Araucana)"

These are not Ameraucanas, I can almost guarantee it. Ameraucanas and Araucanas are very rare and expensive birds, and hatcheries often label Easter Eggers as such to trick people into buying them. Ameraucanas and Araucanas have a very specific and strict breed standard and only a handful of accepted colors and cost upwards of $20 a chick! There is not such bird as an "Americana". If you're getting them from a feed store for $2.99, they are Easter Eggers. Easter Eggers are a hybrid chicken between a blue-laying bird and a brown-laying bird, in order to produce a variety of colored eggs. They can lay blue, green, pinkish, or brown eggs, sometimes even white, depending on the breeding practices. There is nothing wrong with Easter Eggers, as they are very hardy, friendly, and provide those beautiful blue eggs at a price that everyone can afford! The blue gene does not breed true with these birds, however, so the second generation will lay brown eggs as well as blue. 

If the bin says "Assorted Bantams"

Bantams are not a breed of chicken, but a size of chickens. Some breeds are a "true bantam," meaning there is no standard sized version of them. Some are smaller versions of standard breeds. Some true bantams that may be in these bins are Sebrights (golden and silver), Japanese Booted Bantam, and Silkie (which are a true bantam in the US, but not Europe). Smaller versions of standard breeds that may be in these assortments include Bantam Cochin, Olde English Game bantam, and Bantam Wyandotte. It is the hatchery's choice what to put in these assortments, so it could really be any bantam breed that they hatch! These assortments are generally straight run, or unsexed, as bantams are even more difficult to sex than standard chicks! 

If the bin mentions a specific true breed (Plymouth Rock, Orpington, Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte, Australorp, Marans, Brahma, etc.)

This will generally be the breed that is stated. On occasion, there is a mix up, but it's usually not drastic and isn't as common. Just research the breeds you want, and if you see them at the feed store, grab them up before they're gone! 

It may be confusing to buy from feed stores, but hopefully, I helped make it a little easier! Remember to follow us on Facebook! We also post regular updates on Instagram of our own feathery family!