Whether you’ve got a backyard flock of ducks, chickens, turkeys, geese or specialty birds, a complete feed program is essential to maintain flock health. Because, just like people, poultry need a good balanced diet.
Beyond that basic need, all poultry sometimes need dietary supplements and even a treat once in a while.
What you can feed to birds, and even what they like, depends a bit on the species in question, but here are some options for your consideration.
Make a custom feed mix
If you have access to feed grains, such as wheat or barley, you can mix them with a 36% poultry supplement to make a complete feed. The beauty of mixing your own feed is that you can truly customize the nutrient balance for your birds.
The mixing ratios vary, depending on the type of birds you have, and what their intended use is. Here’s a handy guide.
If you don’t have access to feed grains, UFA can help with our ProStock® Poultry feed line. Exclusive to UFA, ProStock offers pelletized complete feed for various poultry species.
Go organic
If you want to use a complete feed, but are looking for a more natural approach, you can follow an organic-based feed program.
This is still a complete feed program – meaning these feeds have all the nutritional components, like protein, fat, fibre and vitamins – but organic feeds are certified pesticide-free, non-GMO, completely plant-based with no animal by-products, and can be used to feed poultry destined for organic processing.
Grit is good
Grit is a valuable additive to the diets of most birds, including chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese. Birds need grit in their gizzards to help them break food down for better nutrient absorption.
If you’re mixing your own poultry feed, grit is particularly important because that diet contains whole grains and grit helps your birds break those down properly. In fact, any bird diet containing whole grains will benefit from grit.
Feeding grit is a particularly good thing to do during the winter when birds may not be outdoors as often, or snow prevents them from picking up sand and other coarse particles that serve as natural grit in their diets.
Bird treats
Hen scratch is a real treat for birds and can be given regularly to all domestic poultry, including chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese.
However, hen scratch is not a substitute for complete feed and should never exceed 5% of your flock’s total diet. If you go over 5%, you risk a drop in production because your birds will not be getting the complete diet.
Ask UFA!
There is a lot to consider when it comes to feeding your flock properly. UFA has many feed options to choose from and your local UFA customer service and sales representative can help. If you have questions, come on in and ask, and let’s make sure your birds have the proper diet they need to thrive.
