Keep nutrition simple and consistent

Keep it simple: complete feed, clean water, and a few extras

Backyard chickens do best on a complete commercial feed made for their age. It is balanced for protein, calcium, vitamins, and minerals, so you do not have to figure out a diet yourself. Everything else, like grit, oyster shell, and treats, is a small supporting cast.

Which feed, at which age?

Do not switch young birds to layer feed early. The extra calcium in layer feed is meant for hens making eggshells, not for growing birds. Many keepers switch when they see the first egg or when the flock reaches about 18 weeks, whichever comes later.

Medicated or unmedicated chick starter?

Medicated chick starter usually contains amprolium to help prevent coccidiosis, a common intestinal parasite in young chicks. If your chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis at the hatchery, ask the hatchery which feed to use, since medicated feed can interfere with that vaccine. When in doubt, ask your supplier or a veterinarian.

How much do chickens eat?

A standard-size laying hen eats roughly a quarter pound of feed a day, a little more in cold weather and a little less in summer heat. Over a year that works out to roughly 90 pounds per hen, or about two 50-pound bags. Bantams eat less; large breeds eat more.

These are approximate planning numbers. Actual use depends on breed, weather, waste, foraging, and treats.

• Free-choice feeding is normal. Most keepers keep the feeder available all day, and hens regulate themselves.
• Waste is the hidden cost. Hens flick crumbles out of open trays. A feeder with a lip or a treadle feeder and pellets instead of crumbles can noticeably cut waste.
• Keep feeders off the ground. Hang them or set them on blocks at about the height of the birds' backs.

To estimate yearly feed spending for your flock, plug your local bag price into the cost calculator.

Water: the most important part

Chickens drink a lot for their size, and they drink much more in hot weather. A hen that runs out of water on a hot day can stop laying or get into real trouble quickly. Plan for a waterer large enough that you are never close to empty between refills, and check it every day.

• Scrub waterers at least weekly. Slime and algae build up fast, especially in sun.
• Put waterers in shade in summer and raise them on a block so bedding does not get kicked in.
• Nipple waterers and cup waterers stay cleaner than open bowls. Give birds a day or two to learn them, and keep a backup until you are sure everyone drinks.
• In freezing weather, use a heated waterer or a heated base, plugged into an outdoor-rated, GFCI-protected outlet. Or swap in a thawed waterer at least twice a day.

Grit and oyster shell

Grit is small, insoluble stone (often crushed granite) that sits in the gizzard and helps grind food. Birds eating only commercial feed do not strictly need it, but most backyard hens also get treats, weeds, or scraps, so offering grit in a small dish is cheap insurance. Use chick-size grit for chicks that get anything besides starter.

Oyster shell is a calcium supplement for laying hens. Offer it free-choice in a separate container, not mixed into the feed, so hens that need more can take it. Thin or soft eggshells are a sign to make sure it is available.

Treats and kitchen scraps

Treats are how you make friends with your flock and train them to come when called. Keep them small, a good rule of thumb is no more than about 10% of what they eat, so they do not crowd out the balanced feed.

Scratch grains are a treat, not a feed. A small handful in the late afternoon on a cold day is fine; filling the feeder with scratch is not. Check your local rules too: some cities restrict where scraps can be fed to discourage rodents.

Winter feeding and water

• Expect hens to eat a bit more in cold weather to stay warm.
• Keep water thawed. Frozen water is the most common winter problem in Midwest coops.
• A small handful of scratch late in the day gives hens something to digest overnight, but keep complete feed as the main diet.
• Do not rely on snow as water. Hens cannot get enough from it.

More cold-weather tips are in your first winter with chickens.

Store feed like it attracts pests, because it does

Keep feed in a galvanized metal can or heavy bin with a tight lid, off the ground and dry. Wet feed molds, and moldy feed can make birds sick. Check the milling date on the tag when you buy, and buy an amount you will use within a few months. Clean up spills under the feeder, and bring feeders in at night if rodents are a problem.