Choosing the Chicken feed is the last thing you care about while just starting a chicken farm. Something we take them for granted, but the feed is the one that keeps your chicken healthy. The right Chicken feed gives your chicken regular supply of nutrition, which is most essential.
A lot of research would have gone into the brands, to prepare the best feed formula for chickens. Our team has prepared the list of best chicken feeds that are Organic, natural and Non-GMO.
The best chicken feeds
- Scratch and Peck Feeds – Naturally Free Organic Layer Feed for Chickens
- Brown’s Layer Booster Daily Diet Chicken Feed
- Small Pet Select Chicken Layer Feed, Non-GMO, Corn Free, Soy Free (Our top pick)
- Prairie’s Choice Non-GMO Backyard Chicken Feed – Grower Formula
- Kalmbach Feeds All Natural Layer Crumble
- Coyote Creek Certified Organic Feed – Pullet Developer
- Manna Pro Organic Grower Crumbles
Our top pick for the Best chicken feed
Our top pick for the Best chicken feed is the Small Pet Select Chicken Layer Feed, Non-GMO, Corn Free, Soy Free.
A complete feed for the hens. To ensure the hens are healthy, safe and consume the highest-quality food. This has no soy and no corn. Most of the farmers love the product, the hens produce eggcellent eggs.
The feed is 100% safe for the chickens to eat every day, overall top-rated food. Check it out on Amazon.
How to choose the right Chicken feed?
The chicken feed from different companies formulates a very similar blend, to provide balanced nutrition. The nutrition intake will be different from chicks, to hens, to layers, to roosters. To meet nutritional guidelines, companies use different ratios of similar ingredients.
Understanding what is the right feed for your chickens is the first thing the farmer needs to know. There are around seven types of grain feeds available in the market, let’s dig in to understand what they meant to our chicken.
1. Chick Starter feed
A greater starter feed for baby chicks. The started feed is in the form of crumble. Chicks need to grow slowly but steadily. The percentage of proteins should be around 18 percent to 20 percent, not more than that. The proteins are essential, but more the protein the chicks grow too quickly, which is not a healthy sign.
The crumble form is easy to consume and digest. The need for grit can be eliminated.
2.Chicken grower feed
The chicken grower feed is fed only after 10 weeks of chicks until they start laying eggs. Some manufacturers combine starter and grower, this can be fed for both chicks and hens till hatch. Chick starter is fed only till the age of 10 weeks. The grower feed contains around 18 percent of proteins.
3.16% protein layer feed
The Layer feed with 16% protein is good for both confined and free-range chickens. Usually, the layer feed comes in pellets, mash or crumble. Usually, layer feed will include calcium in it, if it’s not included please add some oyster shell grit.
If the chickens are free-ranged, the availability of insects and other foods are abundant, grit is not much essential. As it will be naturally consumed.
4.18% protein layer feed
The layer feed with higher protein concentration is for older hens. The older chicken will need extra protein for laying eggs.
Also, an 18% layer feed is required when you raise chickens, turkeys, and ducks all together. This will suffice their nutritional needs.
One more advantage is to use the layer feed when the chickens are in their annual molt. During molting, most of the proteins are consumed for their feathers to grow, which may affect egg production.
5.Broiler feed
For the fast-growing purpose, the broiler feed is used. The broiler feed has around 20 to 22 percent of protein. More the protein percentage, the faster the growth. The Broiler feed is mainly used for meat chickens. It also can be used for meat turkey and ducks.
Most of the commercial farms, use broiler feed for their meat chickens. They gain weight in a short interval of time. The chickens will be ready to be butchered in 21 days.
6.Whole grain feed
The whole-grain feed is more nutritious than the ground since oxidation occurs after grinding. This reduces the nutritional content and also the longer it’s not used, the greater the loss.
The whole grains need to be fed to the adult chickens, which helps them to increase the gizzard size. Start with 5% with the first two weeks, in the diet. Slowly increase the volume. If the chickens are confined, the grit is essential for the whole grains to break and digest.
The whole grains are the main source of energy, vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
7.Scratch grains
Scratch grains has the least percentage of proteins around 7 to 8 percent. They are good as treats, but not as a part of the diet. It can be recommended to use them only when you are playing with your chicken.
Each manufacturer will promote his products under different names. Sometimes its quite confusing, but you can always refer to labels and make a decision. The above seven chicken feed list will guide you to make the right choice for your chicken based on age.
How much feed does a chicken need?
Chicken feed is the most expensive part of raising chickens. Knowing a ballpark figure is essential. The 1/4 pound of feed per chicken per day or 1.5 pounds of feed per chicken per week is estimated feed requirement for the chicken. If the chickens are confined, please consider providing grit separately or with the feed. The grit is the tiny rocks stored in gizzard for grinding up food. As the chicken does not have teeth, grit is the one that breaks down food.
Popular chicken feed brands int he market
Always check the label before taking any feed. See above in the list of “How to choose the right Chicken feed?”. Each manufacturer below will have several types of chicken feed, but only one will suffice your chicken.
- Scratch and Peck Feeds
- Prairie’s Choice
- Manna Pro
- Hiland Naturals
- Kalmbach
- Coyote Creek
- F.M. Browns
Reviewing the best chicken feeds
The chicken feeds that are most accepted by the farmers are reviewed here. Most of the brands here are making chicken feed for many decades.
1. Scratch and Peck Feeds – Naturally Free Organic Layer Feed for Chickens
- Scratch and Peck Feed has 16 protein.
- Whole grain – no corn and no soy
- Contains calcium
- All organic and non-GMO feed.
2.Brown’s Layer Booster Daily Diet Chicken Feed
- Brown’s Layer chicken feed has 16% Protein.
- It contains natural plant proteins.
- High calcium formula along with vitamins, and minerals.
- Free of animal proteins and fats.
- Good for laying hens that are 18 weeks or older.
3.Small Pet Select Chicken Layer Feed, Non-GMO, Corn Free, Soy Free (Our top pick)
- Small Pet Select Chicken Layer Feed is an all-natural, non-GMO, corn-free, soy-free feed.
- High protein, Omega 3, seeds, and herbs
- 18 of protein suitable for chickens, ducks, and turkeys.
4.Prairie’s Choice Non-GMO Backyard Chicken Feed – Grower Formula
- Prairie’s Choice Backyard Chicken Feed is 100 non-GMO feed.
- Grower feed with complete nutrition for health and growth.
- It is easier-to-digest feed with balanced nutrition.
5.Kalmbach Feeds All Natural Layer Crumble
- Kalmbach Feeds contains all-natural ingredients.
- The feed has essential amino acids and calcium.
- It helps in producing strong shells and tasty eggs.
6.Coyote Creek Certified Organic Feed – Pullet Developer
- Coyote Creek Feed is 100 organic.
- A non-GMO product that specifically made for pullets.
- This feed is non-medicated and no artificial preservatives.
- Helps pullets to grow good, have optimal health and a healthy immune system.
7.Manna Pro Organic Grower Crumbles
- Manna Pro Organic Grower Crumbles is USDA certified organic and non-GMO feed.
- 17 percent of crude protein helps to gain weight and build muscles.
- A non-medicated feed.
- The feed is recommended for 8 to 16 weeks of age. Chickens that are too old to be a chick and too young to be a layer.
Hello, I am Siddartha Reddy . A fulltime farmer and blogger who love to share all his farming experiences. Also, a strong supporter of sustainable farming practices. Thanks for visiting our site, let’s make this world a better place to live. Say No to Chemicals and plastics.
