Why You Should Supplement Your Backyard Flock

It seems like any time you hop online to search anything, there are a plethora of opinions--and most of them contradict one another! It can be especially frustrating as a new chicken keeper to find good information to ensure that you're raising your flock as happy and healthy as possible.

Well, I'm here to throw another controversial idea into the pot of Internet stew:

You need to give your backyard chickens supplements.

Now I understand why you may not want to. Finances, you already get the best feed, chickens are tough critters, etc. And honestly? Those are all valid! 

However, if you take your responsibility as a chicken keeper as seriously as I do, then you understand that the tiny "raptors" running around eating bugs and digging holes in your garden are more than adorable egg-laying machines.

They're living creatures that offers their whole life to benefitting yours through eggs, meat, entertainment, compost, insect and rodent control, and so much more!

Isn't it fair to do what you--as the human with all the control--can to ensure they have everything they need to do their job well, and have good quality of life in the meantime?

Yes, yes that sounds corny, but I just can't help myself. I'm an animal lover and I won't deny it. But I'm sure grateful that all of the hard work and money I've put into our backyard flocks bear fruits in the form of fresh, healthy eggs. Because 1. I'm a big breakfast fan, and 2. it's been a ton of work!!! Time to start payin' rent, chicas! 😉 

So if I'm a pro-supplement, certifiably crazy chicken mama, what do I give my girls and roos? 

Let me start off with a quick disclaimer: I am not sponsored by nor officially endorse any product I'll be discussing. These are just what we personally use and am happy with, so you do what's best for you!

We started our first flock of biddies out with Purina Medicated Starter Feed, transitioned over to Purina Grower, then Purina Layena, and now feed them a blend of Nutrena Layer feeds. I swap out the formula based on season, molting, and what's on sale, but I've kept their feed primarily within the Nutrena line and have been pleased with the results.

Our second group finished off the last of the Purina Starter and I decided that I liked the idea of the Nutrena Starter/Grower with essential oils and probiotics better. Not only am I huge fan of probiotics for everyone, the idea of not having to balance a starter-to-grower transition again sounded wonderful. 😅 I'm also a big fan of how the Nutrena feed looks and smells (yes, I'm an odd duck), so Nutrena has been our go-to brand.

The original family flocks from more than a decade ago always had Purina Layena and continued laying steadily until they were 6 years old and my parents sold them. 

Am I saying these are the only feed brands you should use? Of course not! There are many wonderful brands out there trying to keep chickens and other animals healthy, so do your research and decide what works best for you.

Wondering when and what to feed? Read this post here for more details on what and at what age to feed your flock for the best health.

The next thing I offer my spoiled rotten chickens is scratch. Chickens love to dig at the ground, or "scratch", to find bugs, create dust bathe, and generally just be a chicken. Where they don't get out in the yard (we're redoing the backyard landscaping and there isn't much grass at the moment), their runs are basically dirt with sand to keep the dust down. It's great and healthy, but not exactly optimal for worms and bugs. So we give them scratch and monitor range time out in the yard.

Something I learned was that my older flock is surprisingly picky. 🤣 They don't like dried corn (but look out if it's fresh on the cob!) or dried peas. They love wheat, seeds, and nuts, and some of them will eat the pellets in the Nutrena Hi-Pro Scratch blend, but others aren't fans. 

My advice? Get smaller bags to discover what your flock likes, then make it a regular treat! Because happy hens lay better eggs, right?

There are dozens of posts that discuss the yays and nays of what's okay to feed chickens, so I won't go over that today.

Here's a list of what our flocks have tried and their thoughts:

- watermelon ❤️❤️❤️

- raw cabbage ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

- apples 🤩

- raw zucchini 🤔

- cantaloupe 🤤

- honeydew 😍

- fresh sweet corn ❤️🦖

- pineapple 🙃

- carrots 🤨

Honestly, what's important to us is to get them cooling, clean and fresh goodies to stay hydrated in the heat we have going on here in Utah. As gardens continue to produce fruits and vegetables they'll get to try even more goodies! 

As our girls reached 14 weeks, we started to give them occasional calcium fortified treats to help build up their stores for when they began to lay eggs. We don't want to have any preventable problems or sick chickens, so starting them off right was a priority! That's why I researched and developed the Crazy Coop Creations Flock Blocks for large and small flocks. 

Laying hens use calcium to create the shell of eggs and that calcium will start to leach from their bones and feathers. Over time, a deficiency in calcium can lead to soft or no shells, feather loss, illness, and worse. And it can be difficult to give them too much as their bodies will use or pass anything extra, so it can't hurt, right? A healthy chicken will know what they need and when, so offering a jar/bucket/feeder of calcium such as oyster shell or aragonite is a great way to let your girls supplement themselves as needed.

Chickens are farm animals that scratch in the dirt and run around in their own poo all day, even when you do your darndest to scoop! And that leads to the inevitable fact that your chickens will get worms. 

They're normal and okay in small numbers, but once the worm eggs start to build up, an infected chicken's health can go downhill fast. 

I'm all about preventative care, so we blend our proprietary blend of immune boosting and deworming herbs in Nuggie's Maintenance Mix into their food so they can eat small doses daily with little work on our part--something that's priceless with a busy lifestyle! One bag goes into 30 or 40 pounds of feed and the gravity continues to mix all the herbs and spices all the way through.

Learn more about the benefits of adding Nuggie's Maintenance Mix to your flock's feeding routine to see if it's right for you!

As previously mentioned, I'm a big supporter of pre- and probiotics for pretty much anything with a stomach. Your (and your chickens') digestive system is the "second brain" of your body, so it's crucial to make sure that the flora has the support they need to keep your immunity up and ability to fight off infection strong.

That's why every morning (yes. Every. Single. Morning... 😅) I mix up a small waterer with Purdue Thrive Probiotic Powder. I used their Arrive product when they were chicks and holy cow did it make a difference! If you ever want to test a supplement, try it on days old chicks. They grow and change so quickly that anything that helps or harms is almost instantly notable. And boy has this made a difference. 

So yeah, it's kinda inconvenient that my morning chicken chores include scrubbing out multiple 1-gallon waters, but the health of my chickens is totally worth it! 

Why not put it in their 3 or 5 gallon waters instead of keeping small ones around?

In short, I don't feel like wrestling those beasts every day. 🤣 Don't get me wrong. The outdoor waterers are scrubbed weekly and the interior ones are checked daily to make sure the water is clean and fresh, but... I ain't got time for that. Not to mention the amount of product that would be required! So, each run has a 1-gallon waterer with their probiotic supplement and that's that. For my sanity!

That's fine! I'm not here to tell you that my way is the only way, but to share my personal thoughts and experience. 

Honestly, if the above sounds like too much work or simply isn't in your budget right now, that's okay. Just do what you can and trust that Mother Nature will help your backyard chickens along as best as she can. I'd just say try to get a good feed and offer fresh foods or leftovers whenever you can so that your birds have a variety in their diet. That alone will help them to be happy and healthy. 😊

Do you supplement your backyard flock? What do you give them? Share your experience!

As always friends, stay meepy!

-The Triple-C Crew