🍽️ How to Choose the Right Chicken Food

🍽️ How to Choose the Right Chicken Food in Australia (And Keep Your Chooks Chomping Happily)

Welcome to the Chicken Buffet!

Feeding chickens might sound simple (just throw down some grain, right?), but the right food makes a huge difference. Pick poorly, and you’ll end up with weak shells, feather pecking, poor health, or fewer eggs. Choose wisely — your chickens will thank you (and your egg basket will look glorious).

Let’s dive into how to pick the great over the meh.

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1. Know What Your Chickens Need (and When)

Chooks’ nutritional needs change with age, purpose, and stage of life. You’ll want to match feed to those needs. Here’s the usual progression (common in Australian backyard systems):

Important note: Don’t give layer feed (with high calcium) to chicks or pullets not yet laying — too much calcium can harm kidneys. 

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2. Feed Forms: Mash, Crumble, Pellet, Scratch — What’s Best?

Your feed’s shape matters for digestion, waste, and how easy it is for your chooks to eat. Here are common forms in Aussie feeds:

• Mash: finely crushed grains and ingredients, unformed. Great for younger birds or mixing with water (especially in cooler weather). But — messy and more waste.

• Crumble: pellets broken into smaller bits. Good in-between stage. Easier for younger birds and reduces waste somewhat.

• Pellet: compressed feed in “cylinder” shapes. Less waste (less selective feeding), easier storage, simpler feeding. Many commercial feeds are in pellet form.

• Scratch / Grain Mix: a mix of whole grains (corn, wheat, barley). Great as a treat or supplemental feed when chickens can forage, but not a full diet — doesn’t cover vitamins, trace minerals, etc. 

In short: use complete feeds (mash, crumble or pellet) for core nutrition, and reserve scratch/grains/treats for extras.

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3. Local Climate & Conditions: Why It Changes Everything

Because we live in Australia, your feed choices should also flex based on weather:

• Summer / heat: feed tends to sit or spoil faster, so pellets or crumbles (less moisture) are safer. Also ensure shade over feeders and check for mould.

• Humid / wet areas: store feed in dry, sealed bins. Mould and mycotoxins are more likely if feed gets damp.

• Cold weather: mash + warm water in mornings can help soften feed, aid digestion, and give birds a gentle start.

• Free range / foraging areas: in areas where birds get a lot of green stuff, insects or pasture, you might offset some feed — but still supply a balanced feed. Pasture alone rarely meets all nutritional needs. 

Also, always rotate feed stock (first in, first out) to prevent stale food, spoilage or nutrient loss.

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4. Check Labels Like a Pro

When standing in the chicken feed aisle in Australia, here’s what to look for:

1. “Complete Feed” or “All-flock / All-life stage” vs “Supplement / Scratch”

2. Crude Protein % — match to stage (e.g. 16–18 % for layer, 20 %+ for starter)

3. Calcium / Phosphorus — layer feed should carry higher calcium (~3–4 %)

4. Additives / Medications — Is it medicated (coccidiostat)? Is it antibiotic free / organic?

5. Freshness & Packaging — sealed, properly stored bags, no signs of moisture or pests

6. Ingredient Transparency — top ingredients should make sense (grains, protein meals, vitamins/minerals)

7. Regulatory / Testing — in Australia, good feeds are tested for contaminants, mycotoxins etc. Choose brands that mention NATA-approved or lab tested. 

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5. Supplement Smartly (Grit, Calcium, Worming, Treats)

Even the best feed sometimes needs extras — but carefully:

• Grit / Insoluble Grit: Chickens need grit (small stones / shell grit) to grind food in their gizzard if they eat whole grains or pasture. Make it always available.

• Extra Calcium (layers): Oyster shell or limestone grit can be offered free-choice in addition to layer feed, especially when egg production is high.

• Treats: Kitchen scraps, greens, bugs, fruit — great for variety and enrichment. But restrict them to ~5–10 % max of the diet so they don’t unbalance nutrition. 

• Fermented Feed: Some Aussie keepers ferment pellets / mash (soak, let sit) to boost enzyme activity and make feed more digestible. It also can reduce waste.

• Worming / Medication: Use medicated feed or treatments as needed — but always follow vet or expert advice. Don’t use medicated feed in laying hens without checking safety for eggs.

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6. Practical Tips to Feed Like a Legend

• Use good feeders (elevated, covered, that reduce spillage)

• Feed little & often during hot weather so feed doesn’t spoil

• Keep fresh, clean water always available (they drink a lot more than you think)

• Monitor body condition / egg quality / feathering — changes often signal feed problems

• Don’t mix very different feeds (e.g. layer + starter) without care — that can confound nutrition

• Start switching feed types gradually over several days to avoid gut shock

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🎉 Final “Pick the Best Feed” Checklist

• Match feed to stage (starter / grower / layer / maintenance)

• Prefer complete feed forms (mash, crumble, pellets)

• Store feed dry & sealed

• Watch label specs — protein, calcium, additives

• Supplement grit & calcium appropriately

• Add treats only in moderation

• Monitor your birds — they’ll tell you if something’s off