What not to feed chickens: recommendations from poultry farmers

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Today, many farmers are engaged in breeding pets. The most important thing is to know how to do it right. Any poultry farmer knows that proper feeding plays an important role in breeding chickens. Only under the condition that the chickens receive a balanced he althy diet, the farmer will be able to get quality products. In this article, we will try to figure out what not to feed chickens, how to improve their egg production through nutrition, and whether it is possible to give flour products to birds.

What is the best food for pets?

So what do you need to know about this? Many novice farmers are interested in what can and cannot be fed to domestic chickens. Typically, garden and kitchen waste is used for this purpose. The bird can be given potatoes unsuitable for use. Green, too small or germinated tubers will do. Chickens are also given potato peelings. One bird can eat 50-100 grams of this food per day.

It is still desirable for chickens to give bread in a dry or soaked form. The diet can also include crushed bones, leftover meat, fishoffal. For laying hens, beetroot and carrot tops, the remains of berries and fruits are excellent. These ingredients can be used to make a mash.

Protein nutrition

What is its feature? What can and cannot be fed to chickens? Tips from experienced farmers often include references to protein foods.

It includes:

• buttermilk;
• milk;
• cottage cheese;
• serum;
• curdled milk;
• fish or meat waste;
• small fishes;
• shellfish.

For the preparation of chicken mash, cake and meal from agricultural crops are often taken. Small amphibians, Maybugs and worms can be used as a source of protein in the diet.

Use of compound feed

Worth it or not? Owners of large farms talk about the convenience of using compound feed. It is recommended that you choose special foods designed for your type of poultry. For example, on sale today there are certain feeds that increase egg production. If you are a meat breeder, then the food should not contain components that reduce weight gain.

In terms of nutritional value and composition, ready-made feeds are in no way inferior to natural ones. From 60 to 70% of the composition is oats, bran, millet and barley. 20-30% are corn and legumes. Also included are berries, vegetables, vitamins and minerals, bone meal, milk powder and dried herbs.

What should not be given to pets?

If you want to successfully leadfarm, you definitely need to know what to feed the chickens can not be categorically. These birds are almost omnivorous. Many breeders take advantage of this. They use stale and spoiled food as feed. This can lead to disease and eating disorders in birds. With such feeding, the risk of infection with fungal diseases of the respiratory system is also high.

How to prepare food?

Proper feeding of chickens involves careful grinding of all components. Carrots, beets and other root crops should be given to birds in a grated raw form. Potatoes must first be boiled. This will get rid of excess starch. The use of green potatoes often leads to food poisoning. Also keep vegetables, grains and herbs free of dirt and debris.

Forbidden foods

What can and cannot be fed to chickens? The advice of experienced farmers prescribes not to include muffins and sweets in the diet of chickens. In small quantities, it is permissible to give grain bread to chickens. In addition, food should not contain excess s alt. If you want to flavor your food with fish oil, then choose only the highest quality product. Poor raw materials can cause an unpleasant smell from chicken products.

Eating large amounts of whole milk can cause dysbacteriosis in birds. The list of prohibited foods also includes sausages, smoked meats, mushrooms, sausages, cheese, butter, spices, semi-finished fish products, confectionery and jam.

Greens for laying hens

What is its use? In the warm season, half of the diet of poultry can be fresh greens. This approach will help provide chickens with all the necessary components and trace elements. In addition, such fresh nutrition can significantly improve productivity. The advantage of feeding with herbs is also cost-effectiveness. Green fodder improves the palatability of eggs. The yolk from such feeding will be brighter. Grass is easily digested by birds and is easier to digest than artificial feed.

What kind of greens is better to give to chickens? What should not be fed to laying hens? In the diet of birds, experts recommend the use of alfalfa. It contains a lot of vitamin A, which has a great effect on the eyesight of laying hens. Wheat grains are high in vitamin E. It is responsible for the immunity and productivity of chickens. Eating clover will help fill the need for protein. Sorrel is used to saturate the body of chickens with vitamin C.

What grass should I give to adults?

The feed mixture can contain 15-30% green ingredients. Adults need to be given herbs such as plantain, nettle, alfalfa, wood lice, dandelion, wheatgrass, clover, cereals, euphorbia, sorrel. In the diet of chickens, you can also include legumes and hard vegetables. Cabbage leaves are a good source of vitamins. In the diet for chickens, you can also include beet tops, green onion feathers, dill, parsley. Amaranth is high inhe althy proteins.

How to serve grass?

Birds can both independently peck greens in the place of its growth, and use it together with the feed mixture. Experts recommend hanging bunches of grass near the feeding area. So the chickens won't trample them. As a rule, birds independently choose which greens suit them best. You can safely give them herbal preparations and weeds. The only exceptions are poisonous plants. In winter, when greenery is not enough, you can feed the birds dried coniferous flour and germinated wheat grains.

Grasses unsuitable for feeding

What are they? What to feed laying hens? Prohibited foods include a number of herbs. To eliminate the possibility of poisoning, experienced farmers recommend limiting the place for walking chickens. Poisonous herbs must be dug up along with the roots, otherwise they will sprout again. What plants are considered dangerous for birds? These are elderberry, spotted hemlock, broom, hemlock, potato inflorescences, henbane, belladonna, hellebore, black nightshade, juniper, horse chestnut. If a bird eats any plant from the list presented, it can become seriously ill or even die. Be sure to monitor the walking of chickens. In addition, you need to understand the herbs. To completely exclude the possibility of harmful plants getting into the food, it is better to keep chickens in closed enclosures and give them greens only with food.

Can I give bread?

The main requirement for a balanced diet for chickens is the presencenutritional and beneficial elements such as fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. In this regard, a completely logical question arises: "Is it possible to give bread to chickens?" Opinions on this matter vary greatly. Of great importance here is the type of baking. If you mix bread with bran, cottage cheese, meat, herbs and potatoes, you get a good complete food for birds. Such food will not harm the he alth of chickens and will have a good effect on the level of egg production. As for fresh bread, it is not recommended to give it to birds. Such a product can adversely affect the he alth of the chicken, as well as reduce immunity.

The fact is that in chicken stomachs, fresh bread swells and turns into a dense lump. It can even lead to the death of the bird. Black varieties of bread are especially dangerous. They contain s alt and yeast, and also have a high level of acidity. This composition contributes to the activation of the fermentation mechanism, which reduces egg production.

Many household owners think it's OK to give chickens spoiled bread. However, moldy baked goods can cause serious harm to birds. It can lead to poisoning and metabolic problems. To deprive moldy pastries of a negative impact, they must be kept in the oven.

Can any bread be given to birds? What should not be fed to chickens? In no case is it recommended to give sweet buns and pastries with various fillings. Such food contributes to the thickening of the blood and can lead to digestive disorders. Since white bread is also differenthigh in carbohydrates, it can only be given in the form of crackers. But even in this form with top dressing, you should not be zealous. In the winter season, bread can be an excellent source of energy for birds. However, if chickens are kept in cages or small enclosures, it is better not to use such food. Such food, combined with a lack of movement, can cause vascular blockage.

Conclusion

The productivity and egg production of chickens primarily depend on the diet. What should not be fed to chickens? What to give laying hens to improve egg quality? How to make a diet? The main requirement in this case is nutritional value and the presence of useful components. Chickens are omnivores. They can willingly eat any food, be it feed or leftovers. But to get high productivity rates, you need to choose the right nutrition. Only in this case, the chickens will be he althy and will be able to rush in full force. A balanced feed for chickens should include grains and legumes, fresh herbs, vegetables, berries, fruits, cottage cheese and meat. For a good egg supply, you can use both ready-made mixtures and a home-made mash.