what seasonings/extras to add to feed to make it more nutritious?

[kanami]

hello my feathered friends! currently i am trying to figure out if there is any way to make my current chicken feed more nutritious, i feel like i’m not doing enough for my girlypops…

here is a pic of the current feed i am giving them! i usually buy from tractor supply from the next town over but there is a pet feed store in town so i can also check out my options. if there is any feed that you guys consider to be better even just as a base then i’m listening. my father would rather prefer our feed we give them be non-soy and organic and even gluten free! blah blah blah but that gets so specific that there’s not a lot of options! at this point i just want something that’s good for them and just gives them a well rounded diet as they are here to supply us with eggs. they are not meat birds.

they also free range our entire backyard so they get to eat all the bugs, weeds, leaves, so they aren’t stuck only eating the feed if that helps! i am starting to save their eggshells to dry and grind up and redistribute back into their feed for starters. i saw this video on instagram about this girl adding a bunch of extras into her feed, red pepper flakes, nyjer seeds, italian seasonings, etc and saying the “benefits” for each of the add-ins and now i'm wondering if i could be doing more as well.

one last thing! is there any way to make the yolks darker? i loooove an orangey yolk

thank you and bless all of you!

 

[nuthatched]

That is an excellent feed, it has nice protein and is a well balanced diet in itself. You can get darker yolks by giving them a bit of of leafy greens like Romaine or Kale, rich in vitamin A which produces beta caroten, which makes yolk dark. They can also be dyed with marigolds, yams, carrots etc but darker yolks aren't any more nutritous than normal yellow.

i saw this video on instagram about this girl adding a bunch of extras into her feed, red pepper flakes, nyjer seeds, italian seasonings, etc and saying the “benefits” for each of the add-ins and now i'm wondering if i could be doing more as well.

Anybody who tells you that you need to add this or that to formulated chicken ration to make it better, is misinformed at best.
And instagram and Facebook are full of people who repeat things they've heard or seen without making sure their information is remotely correct or safe.
Poultry feed is one one the most heavily researched agricultural areas on the planet, what you buy at the feed store is formulated to provide all the necessary nutrition and then some, most effectively. Adding anything to their feed takes away from their nutrition, like filling up on garlic bread before healthy meal gets there. A good formulated feed like that and some occasional veggies, fruits and scraps (have you ever seen hens body slam each other over a pork chop?!) are all they need. :]

 

[rosemarythyme]

Save the seasonings for roasting the chicken. Is this Instagram person is a certified poultry nutritionist? Why follow a video that exists for likes, when feed companies hire actual nutritionists to create properly balanced feed.

Also orange yolks don't really have anything to do with nutrition most of the time. The free ranging helps, but if you want to artificially darken them, dried marigold is often added to feed for that purpose. Dark leafy greens can also help.

 

[Perris]

@kanami there are many dissers around here. You may find this review article useful, published in Livestock Science in 2016:
Review: The effect of grass and herbs in organic egg production on egg fatty acid composition, egg yolk colour and sensory properties
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2016.11.001

 

[CloneFly]

Cayenne pepper makes the yolks darker AND helps boost their immune system. Since birds don't have "spicy" receptors, they don't mind at all! An extra bonus is, cayenne can also help increase egg productivity! (Mind you, nothing super dramatic, but I've done a couple tests on my girls and by golly, there's a difference!)

We also add dried parsley, basil and oregano to their daily crumble, all of which are good for them and help with immunity. Marigolds are a great way to boost the lovely orangey hue of the yolks, but quite frankly, I've got the black garden thumb of death and any plant I attempt to grow will promptly die on me. So I tend to stick to pregrown stuff, like the dried herbs and the weeds from my lawn
It takes time, but after 2wks or so of the cayenne you should see a bit of a difference. TSC also has a 5lb bag of Omega Egg Booster that supposedly helps darken yolks and give additional nutrients to your ladies. Hope this helps!

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Another benefit of Cayenne pepper is that it can help keep squirrels, chipmunks, and other critters out of your feeder, since they CAN taste the spicy.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

hello my feathered friends! currently i am trying to figure out if there is any way to make my current chicken feed more nutritious, i feel like i’m not doing enough for my girlypops…

here is a pic of the current feed i am giving them! i usually buy from tractor supply from the next town over but there is a pet feed store in town so i can also check out my options. if there is any feed that you guys consider to be better even just as a base then i’m listening. my father would rather prefer our feed we give them be non-soy and organic and even gluten free! blah blah blah but that gets so specific that there’s not a lot of options! at this point i just want something that’s good for them and just gives them a well rounded diet as they are here to supply us with eggs. they are not meat birds.

they also free range our entire backyard so they get to eat all the bugs, weeds, leaves, so they aren’t stuck only eating the feed if that helps! i am starting to save their eggshells to dry and grind up and redistribute back into their feed for starters. i saw this video on instagram about this girl adding a bunch of extras into her feed, red pepper flakes, nyjer seeds, italian seasonings, etc and saying the “benefits” for each of the add-ins and now i'm wondering if i could be doing more as well.

one last thing! is there any way to make the yolks darker? i loooove an orangey yolk

thank you and bless all of you!
View attachment 3373191

When I first got chickens i felt the same way about thinking they wern't getting enough. I said, jeesh, I am trusting these bags of feed to provide my hens with everything they need??!! But, its true, really. A chicken feed, if correct, will have every single thing a chicken needs to be healthy. I cant wrap my head around it and IMO, think a truly healthy chicken is one that gets some free range time in. Foraging bugs, eating grass, greens around the yard; added with the chicken being stimulated naturally imo equals a healthy chicken. I think fresh veggies and fruits are good because they have may offer extra vitamins and minerals to help support immune system and all that. I have to seriously check my treat(any NON-feed food) giving habits often because who doesnt love all those fluffy butts running to you to see what you have?! i learned tho, if my chickens are following me around too much its usually an indication that I have been over treating (easy to do in winter). Adding a bit of water to the feed can make it a mash and its a nice change of pace. Maybe add a scrambled egg to the feed and add water for a nice winter protein breakfast delight. add a couple blueberries; chickens LOVE blueberries, lol. Oh, i read that Oregano is a nice thing for chickens to nibble as it may have properties that help with worms(?) i think. some people add it to their water-ers.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Another benefit of Cayenne pepper is that it can help keep squirrels, chipmunks, and other critters out of your feeder, since they CAN taste the spicy.

Now thats a good one! If it doesnt hurt the chickens but helps with their safety, I'm all for it. i dry peppermint and add to the hen house. helps with smell and bugs.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I feed wet mash of my older feed mixed with handful of fish food/ leftovers/veggies/ cooked oatmeal/etc as a daily treat. It's amazing how much they love it wet( kinda like cutting off crusts for a kid) That way they're still getting good food, and I look like the hero! . But mine don't free range at all. Just fyi mine like b. o. sunflower seeds more than grains.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Now thats a good one! If it doesnt hurt the chickens but helps with their safety, I'm all for it. i dry peppermint and add to the hen house. helps with smell and bugs.

I grow mint around my chicken run and cut sprigs to throw in the coop.

Also, when I have it, I throw some charcoal (lump, not briquettes) in with the shavings to soak up excess nutrients and help with odors.