Many Skills, Master of None

Why it’s not good to change the diet of a chicken.

Many poultry companies today claim that their chickens were fed an “all vegetarian diet” while simultaneously stating they are also “free-range.” If you haven’t realized the irony of such claims, I’m here to explain why limiting or changing chickens’ diets, regardless of where they are destined, isn’t beneficial to them or consumers.

Chickens?

My name is Jacquelyn. I’ve been raising chickens for seven years, and I have experienced almost every chicken scenario talked about in poultry books, magazines, podcasts, and from fellow chicken enthusiasts. Like many of us who’ve wanted to know where our food comes from and how not to fall into the dreaded black hole known as “chicken math,” I began my quest to raise a few chickens for eggs and, occasionally, meat.

I’m an avid researcher when starting a new hobby and found several books and magazines that have helped me over the years, which I will reference in this article. What I didn’t know was just how hilarious chickens can be. I started with six: four Road Island Reds and two Plymouth Rock chicks. I live in a small town in Kentucky, so if I ended up with a rooster, there wouldn’t be any noise-related concerns. Contrary to popular belief, roosters crow when they find food for their women, when they want to alert the flock, when they wake up, when the sun starts to set, when they’re bored, when they want to create a fight with another rooster, when their women are ignoring them, and just because they can.

How Much Can Chickens Eat

I quickly realized how much work and money went into raising chickens, but that didn’t stop the “chicken math,” I now have 50 chickens of varying breeds and ages. After the first year, I learned that chickens need supplements (oyster shell and grit), proper ratio of proteins, carbs, fats, minerals, and vitamins, kitchen/garden scraps, and other chicken-friendly treats to help keep them healthy, happy, and productive.

Chickens need oyster shells to replenish calcium lost during egg production and grit to break up food since they do not chew. The Complete Guide to Poultry Breeds explains that protein “is essential for growth and egg production. Proteins are made up of more than 23 amino acids, and chickens require certain levels of each amino acid. Protein is usually provided in the diet from animal sources (meat, meal, fishmeal, or milk waste) because this form is more effective than proteins from grains” (Melissa Nelson, The Complete Guide to Poultry Breeds (Ocala, Florida: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc., 2011), Page 86).

Nelson does state that soybeans (and grains) can provide “valuable proteins.” However, they still must be monitored since carbohydrates “make up the largest part of the poultry diet [and] are the starchy or sugary materials found in grains” (Melissa Nelson, The Complete Guide to Poultry Breeds (Ocala, FL: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc., 2011), Pages 86 – 87). Just like humans, too many carbs make them fat, which leads to low fertility, low egg production, and death.

I learned that different breeds, stages in life, and what each breed is best for, also come with feed specifications. There are starter, broiler, grower, layer, and breeding rations. I was amazed that “newly hatched chicks can survive for two to three days without drinking or eating, as their bodies are still absorbing yolk reserves” (Gail Damerow, The Chicken Encyclopedia An Illustrated Reference (North Adams, MA: Story Publishing, 2012), Page 121). A chick already knows they must scratch for insects even when their mother does not raise them.

When a company claims that their chickens are free-range and fed a vegetarian diet, I want to know if they can go outside or if they’re kept inside with room to roam. If they are out, how do they keep them from eating any insects or rodents? Even if they’re kept inside, there’s no way to prevent insects or rodents from being found by a chicken.

An article in Chickens Magazine states, “Reliance on corn and soy for animal feed has some drawbacks. Over the past two decades, corn and soy have varied widely in price…Such fluctuating feed prices make it much more difficult to control costs, especially for chickens and hogs, where around two-thirds or more of the cost of production is found in the feed. Also, soy is not only the most expensive part of modern feed; some raise allergy and other concerns about using it for animals…Corn and soy are generally genetically modified – around or more than 90% of each crop grown in the U.S. currently is” (Moody, J. (2020, January). Pro Tips for Protein, Chickens Magazine, 36). This isn’t an issue if you are raising chickens as pets, have a small flock that only sustains you and your family, or if you do not have any food allergies.

When humans lack proper nutrition, we tend to lack energy, have trouble concentrating, have digestive issues, and generally do not feel good. The same goes for chickens. When chickens don’t receive what they need nutritionally, “a chicken’s egg and meat quality plummets; the good omega-3 fatty acids decline, and the omega-6 fatty acids skyrocket. It’s no wonder the chicken egg has developed a reputation for being an unhealthy source of cholesterol and ‘bad’ fats and is often written off as a harmful food. In reality, the modern chicken has just been producing the best egg it can on the feed it is given” (Urquhart, K. M. (2019, Volume 1). Diet Options for Your Flock, Healthy Hens, 41).

After seven years of raising chickens, I’ve learned that my hens are happiest and most productive when they have good feed, fruit and vegetables, occasional chicken-friendly treats, plenty of stimulation, and room to explore. My chickens are not free-range, but my dad and I have built two coops and a run 30ft x 15ft. I’ve lost chickens to botulism, old age, predators, prolapse, heat, their affinity for escaping, and my stupidity. The most valuable lesson I’ve learned, besides how complex and expensive it is to raise livestock, is that chickens are weird, curious, and hilarious.