Having had chickens for a number of years, my experience with dumor and purina layer feed is that they do not have enough calcium to meet my flock’s need. I feed oyster shell mixed with their feed as they do not consume it free choice. The grit problem really is no problem for me as my hens are free range on very adequate pasture. Although I do keep some grit on hand for the Michigan winter when the ground is frozen solid and snow covered. And my hens DO eat grass. They prefer to pick it off in small bits themselves. And I do feed them third cutting alfalfa hay in the winter, either run through a shredder or fed whole. If fed whole, they waste more, but get more entertainment. I also feed open pollinated organic whole corn and whole field peas. They get practically all the waste from the kitchen. It can be old, but not bad. What do they eat? a list of what they don’t eat would be much shorter, but here is some of what goes out to the chicken yard.
melon rinds
apple peelings and trimmings
squash
pumpkin
leftover chicken and meat scraps , try a steak bone. they’ll clean it up completely
pasta
salad
coleslaw
cheese
cereals
bananas
grapes
tomatoes
soup, etc, ad infinitum
Are my birds healthy? You bet your booties they are. They lay very well. per dozen birds I get between 8 to 12 eggs a day.
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