Feeding chickens is simple until you start reading forums. The short version: layers pellets, grit, clean water, and a few firm rules about scraps. Here is the detail behind that.
Roughly 1/4 lb (110-120g) of layers pellets per bird per day. Free-feeding from a hopper is the easiest method - hens regulate their own intake surprisingly well, and you avoid the rush that comes with set meal times.
Adjust upward in cold spells: they burn energy staying warm, and a hen that is underfed in winter will stop laying before one that is well fed.
Changing brands suddenly can pause laying for a few days. Mix the old and new feed for about a week if you switch.
| Item | What it does | How to offer it |
|---|---|---|
| Grit (small stones) | Sits in the gizzard and grinds up fibrous food | Separate dish, always available |
| Oyster shell | Extra calcium for strong shells | Separate dish - do not mix into feed |
Keeping them in separate dishes matters: hens take what they need, when they need it. Mixing them into the feed overdoses the birds that do not need it.
Scraps are a supplement, not a diet. Keep them to roughly a handful per bird per day at most.
Once a year most hens drop and regrow feathers, which takes a lot of protein. Laying usually stops for a few weeks.
About 1/4 lb (110-120g) of layers pellets per bird per day, free-fed.
Yes - it grinds fibrous food in the gizzard. Keep it in a separate dish, always available.
In moderation as a supplement. Avoid mouldy food, avocado, raw or green potato, and salty or oily leftovers.
Feeding late in the day helps in cold weather, because digesting generates heat overnight.
For the full beginner walkthrough - coop, breeds and the first 8 weeks: The First-Time Chicken Keeper's Checklist.
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