Small flock owners should be mindful of what they feed their birds
As the value of eggs continues to rise, providing quality nutrition for egg producing flocks has become even more important for backyard flock owners.
The trend of keeping chickens in urban settings is increasingly popular in the United States.
Backyard flocks, also called small scale or hobby flocks, are becoming more popular in urban areas.
This method of production is not considered commercial poultry, but backyard production can contribute meat and eggs to local food networks like farmers’ markets, according to a USDA fact sheet on urban chicken ownership.
With this increase, knowing what you want your yield to be from your flock is key to the nutritional value for your birds.
People starting their own coops must know their end goal, whether that is for broilers, breeding purposes or egg production.
University of Arkansas Extension Veterinarian Dr. Dustan Clark has created a learning module on the introduction of backyard poultry flocks that provides helpful information for producers.
The nutritional quality of the feed that is used for hobby flocks can vary based on the purpose of the flock.
Poultry feed is designed to contain all the required minerals and nutrients to help the health of the birds.
“Poultry feeds are referred to as “complete” feeds meaning they contain all the protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for proper growth,” Clark said.
If the end goal is to have quality laying hens, then higher levels of minerals should be in the feed for only the layers.
Layer feed should only be fed to laying hens. Feeding this type of feed to chicks will reduce growth and put stress on your chicks.
For layers, offering a constant supply of feed is the best way to attain maximum yield for production.
When hens are restricted from consuming the amount of feed they want, they usually stop laying eggs.
“On average, laying hens will consume about 1/4 to 1/3 pound of feed per day. Yet, this can change depending on other outside factors,” Clark said.
Understanding the feed requirements your flock can aid in production.
While feed is important, farmers shouldn’t underestimate the importance of water to their flocks.
“Chickens will not drink water if it gets too hot or too cold, replace old water with fresh water at least once daily,” Clark said.
Keeping clean water available for flocks sounds simple, but keeping the temperature of the water in mind can help as water is the most important nutrient for all animals.
Local county cooperative extension officers are a good first point of contact whenever questions arise with hobby flocks.
