The Avila Farm Guide to Feeding Chickens

 

Choosing the Right Feed for Your Chickens

Feeding chickens can feel confusing at first. There are bags labeled starter, grower, layer, pellets, crumbles, mash, and scratch grains. It is easy to wonder whether your flock really needs all these different options.

Thankfully, chicken feeding is much simpler once you understand one basic rule:

The best feed depends on the chicken’s age and stage of life.

Chick Starter

Chick starter is made for newly hatched chicks.

Baby chicks grow quickly, so they need a feed with enough protein to support the development of their muscles, bones, organs, and feathers. Chick starter usually comes in a fine crumble or mash that is easy for small chicks to eat.

Most chicks remain on starter feed during their first several weeks of life. Always check the directions on your feed bag, since recommendations may vary slightly between brands.

Some chick starter feeds are medicated to help protect chicks from coccidiosis. Others are non-medicated. When purchasing chicks, it is helpful to ask whether they have already been vaccinated so you can choose the most appropriate feed.

Grower Feed

As chicks become older, they can transition to grower feed.

Grower feed supports healthy and steady development without containing the high calcium levels found in layer feed. It is commonly used after the starter stage and before young hens begin laying eggs.

Young chickens should not be switched to layer feed too early. The extra calcium in layer feed is meant for egg-producing hens and is not appropriate for growing chicks.

Layer Feed

Layer feed is made for mature hens that are producing eggs.

Laying hens need additional calcium to form strong eggshells. Layer feed also provides the protein, vitamins, minerals, and energy needed to support regular egg production.

Young hens are usually transitioned to layer feed when they are close to laying their first eggs.

Roosters and non-laying birds do not need the same amount of calcium as laying hens. For mixed flocks, some chicken keepers use an all-flock feed and offer oyster shell separately to the hens that need it.

Mash, Crumbles, or Pellets?

These words describe the texture of the feed rather than its nutritional purpose.

Mash is finely ground. It is easy to eat but can be dusty and messy.

Crumbles are small pieces of broken pellets. They are commonly used for chicks and smaller birds.

Pellets are larger, compact pieces of feed. They can help reduce waste because chickens are less able to pick through the feed and choose only their favorite ingredients.

The best option is whichever texture your chickens eat comfortably and waste the least.

What About Scratch Grains?

Chickens usually love scratch grains, but scratch should be treated like a snack.

Scratch grains do not provide all the nutrients chickens need. Feeding too much scratch can cause birds to fill up on treats instead of eating their balanced feed.

The same applies to mealworms, corn, fruit, vegetables, and kitchen scraps. These foods can be offered in moderation, but they should not replace a complete chicken feed.

Oyster Shell and Grit

Oyster shell and grit serve two different purposes.

Oyster shell provides calcium. It is mainly offered to laying hens to help support strong eggshells.

Grit helps chickens digest food. Chickens use grit inside the gizzard to grind foods such as grass, insects, grains, and vegetables.

Chickens that free-range or regularly eat treats may benefit from having access to insoluble grit.

Do Not Forget the Water

Fresh water is just as important as good feed.

Chickens should always have access to clean water. During hot weather, they may drink much more than usual, so waterers should be checked several times throughout the day.

Dirty or empty waterers can quickly affect a chicken’s appetite, health, and egg production.

Keep Feed Fresh and Dry

Chicken feed should be stored in a sealed container away from moisture, insects, and rodents.

Do not use feed that smells musty, looks moldy, or has become wet. Old or damaged feed may lose nutritional quality and could make chickens sick.

Buying only what your flock can use within a reasonable amount of time helps keep the feed fresh.

Feeding Our Chickens at Avila Farm

At Avila Farm, we enjoy giving our chickens treats and watching them explore, scratch, and forage. However, their regular chicken feed remains the foundation of their diet.

Treats may be exciting, but balanced feed provides the nutrients they need every day.

Choosing the correct feed, supplying fresh water, limiting treats, and paying attention to changes in appetite are simple habits that can make a big difference in the health of a flock.

Healthy chickens begin with consistent care, and good nutrition is one of the best places to start.

How to Collect and Store Fresh Eggs Safely

Learn how to collect, clean, and store farm-fresh eggs safely while protecting their quality and keeping your family healthy.

Collecting fresh eggs is one of the most rewarding parts of raising chickens. There is something special about opening a nesting box and finding a warm egg waiting inside—especially when you know the hens that produced it.

However, farm-fresh does not automatically mean risk-free. Eggs can become contaminated by dirty nesting material, droppings, cracked shells, unwashed hands, or improper storage.

A few simple habits can help keep your eggs fresh, clean, and safe to enjoy.

Collect Eggs Frequently

Eggs should be collected at least twice a day. During very hot or cold weather, checking the nesting boxes more frequently is even better.

Frequent collection helps prevent eggs from:

• Becoming dirty or buried in nesting material
• Being stepped on or cracked
• Freezing during cold weather
• Remaining in a hot nesting box
• Being pecked or eaten by curious hens

University of Minnesota Extension recommends collecting eggs two to three times daily and discarding eggs with broken or cracked shells.

At Avila Farm, checking the nesting boxes is part of our daily routine. It also gives us another opportunity to observe the hens and notice changes in their behavior, appetite, or egg production.

Keep the Nesting Boxes Clean

Clean eggs begin with clean nesting boxes.

Nesting material should remain dry and should be replaced whenever it becomes wet, heavily soiled, or flattened. Adding fresh pine shavings or another suitable nesting material can help cushion the eggs and reduce breakage.

Hens sometimes sleep inside nesting boxes, which can make the area dirty very quickly. Providing comfortable roosting bars away from the boxes may help discourage this habit.

Check Every Egg

Before storing an egg, examine the shell carefully.

Discard eggs that are:

• Cracked or leaking
• Broken
• Heavily contaminated
• Unusually damaged
• Giving off an unpleasant odor

Even a small crack can allow bacteria to pass through the shell. Cracked eggs should not be stored for later use.

Should Farm-Fresh Eggs Be Washed?

Freshly laid eggs have a thin natural coating commonly called the bloom or cuticle. This coating helps cover the pores in the shell.

The best approach is to prevent eggs from becoming dirty in the first place. A lightly soiled shell may be cleaned using a dry method, such as a clean egg brush or a small piece of fine sandpaper reserved specifically for eggs.

Wet cleaning is more complicated because incorrect water temperatures and cleaning methods can encourage bacteria to move through the shell. It is okay to utilize a wet paper towel and gently brush the dirt off the egg, then use a dry paper towel to remove any moisture.

After handling chickens, nesting material, or eggs, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. 

Refrigerate Eggs Promptly

For the safest and simplest home-storage method, place collected eggs in the refrigerator.

The USDA recommends keeping eggs refrigerated at 40°F or below. Store them inside a carton on an interior shelf rather than in the refrigerator door, where temperatures change more frequently. Properly refrigerated raw shell eggs generally maintain their best quality for approximately three to five weeks.

Once eggs have been refrigerated, keep them refrigerated. A cold egg left at room temperature may develop condensation on its shell, creating conditions that can make bacterial movement easier.

At Avila Farm, we do not use refrigeration for our consumable eggs, we secure them in a basket (either natural wood or reed material).

Store Eggs Pointed Side Down

Place eggs in the carton with the pointed end facing downward and the wider end facing upward.

The air cell is normally located near the wider end of the egg. Keeping that end up can help the yolk remain centered and preserve the egg’s quality during storage.

Date the carton so you know when the eggs were collected. Use the oldest eggs first.

Do Not Store Eggs in the Refrigerator Door

The egg holder built into some refrigerator doors may be convenient, but it is not the best storage location.

Every time the door opens, the eggs are exposed to warmer air and temperature changes. A carton on an interior shelf provides a cooler and more stable environment.

The carton also protects the shells, reduces moisture loss, and prevents the eggs from absorbing odors from strongly scented foods.

Practice Safe Handling in the Kitchen

Even clean, uncracked eggs can sometimes carry bacteria.

Wash your hands, utensils, counters, and bowls after they come into contact with raw eggs. Crack each egg into a small separate bowl before adding it to a recipe. This makes it easier to notice an egg that looks or smells unusual without ruining the remaining ingredients.

Egg dishes should be cooked thoroughly. USDA guidance recommends cooking egg-containing dishes to an internal temperature of 160°F. Raw and cooked eggs should not remain at room temperature for longer than two hours.

Fresh Eggs Begin With Daily Care

Safely collecting eggs does not require an elaborate system. It comes down to consistency:

Keep the nesting boxes clean, collect eggs frequently, discard damaged eggs, refrigerate them promptly, and practice good hygiene.

At Avila Farm, every egg represents the daily work that goes into caring for our chickens. Handling those eggs responsibly is one more way we respect the animals that provide them, and the people who bring them into their homes.

Understanding Wry Neck

 

When a Chicken Develops a Crooked Neck: Understanding Wry Neck

Wry neck can make a chicken tilt, twist, or hold her head backward. Learn what this symptom may mean, what supportive steps can help, and when veterinary care is necessary.

Recently, one of our chickens at Avila Farm developed a noticeably crooked neck.

Seeing a chicken struggle to hold her head normally can be alarming. Her neck may twist to one side, her head may tilt downward, or she may pull it backward toward her body. She may also have difficulty walking, balancing, eating, or drinking.

This condition is commonly called wry neck, while the medical term for the abnormal neck position is torticollis.

The most important lesson I have learned is that wry neck is not one specific disease. It is a visible neurological or muscular sign that can occur for several different reasons.

What Does Wry Neck Look Like?

A chicken experiencing wry neck may:

• Hold her head permanently tilted to one side

• Twist her neck or tuck her head beneath her body

• Pull her head backward and look toward the sky

• Walk backward or in circles

• Fall, roll, or lose her balance

• Struggle to reach food and water

• Appear weak, disoriented, or unusually quiet

The presentation can be mild and intermittent or severe enough that the chicken cannot remain upright.

Because the same visible symptom may be associated with several conditions, appearance alone is not enough to determine the cause.

Is Wry Neck Caused by a Vitamin Deficiency?

Vitamin deficiencies are among the possible causes discussed in poultry medicine.

A severe vitamin E deficiency can affect the brain and produce loss of coordination and other neurological abnormalities. Vitamin E and selenium also work together in several protective functions within the body, and deficiencies may contribute to certain muscular and neurological disorders. does not mean every chicken with a twisted neck needs the same vitamin treatment.

A chicken eating a fresh, properly formulated complete ration may be less likely to develop a simple dietary deficiency than a bird eating an unbalanced homemade diet, excessive treats, old feed, or contaminated feed. Even when nutrition is involved, poor absorption, feed deterioration, mold, or another illness may be contributing.

Other Conditions Can Produce Similar Signs

Wry neck may also occur alongside serious infectious, neurological, or toxic conditions.

Marek’s disease can affect peripheral nerves and produce paralysis or other neurological abnormalities. Twisted neck has also been documented among its possible clinical signs. There is no treatment once clinical Marek’s disease develops, which is one reason vaccination and accurate diagnosis matter. Marek's disease may cause nervous-system signs, respiratory distress, diarrhea, lethargy, and sudden death. Laboratory testing is required because its clinical signs are not unique to that disease. Illnesses may include bacterial infections affecting the nervous system, exposure to toxins, mold-contaminated feed, or another underlying disorder. t is risky to diagnose wry neck from a photograph or automatically assume that vitamins will cure it.

The First Priorities

When a chicken cannot properly control her head or balance, the immediate priorities are safety, access to food and water, observation, and professional guidance.

Separate the affected chicken

Place her in a clean, quiet, protected enclosure away from birds that might peck, trample, or prevent her from reaching resources. Isolation also makes it easier to monitor how much she eats, drinks, and passes in her droppings.

A separated chicken should still remain in a comfortable environment where she is protected from heat, cold, predators, and unnecessary stress. Keeping a designated area available for sick or injured birds is a useful part of flock preparation. and water easy to reach

A neurological chicken may be hungry and thirsty but physically unable to reach a normal feeder or waterer.

Use shallow, stable containers positioned at the height and angle she can manage. Check them frequently, because a bird that cannot reach food or water can decline quickly regardless of the original cause. ater into a struggling bird’s mouth or force supplements without appropriate instruction. A veterinarian can demonstrate safer methods of assisted feeding or hydration when they are necessary.

Examine the feed

Check the feed bag, expiration or manufacturing information, odor, texture, and storage container.

Discard feed that is damp, moldy, unusually clumped, infested, or smells musty. When mycotoxin exposure is suspected, veterinary references recommend removing the potentially contaminated feed or bedding and replacing it with clean material. rest of the flock

One isolated chicken with an abnormal neck position presents a different situation from several birds becoming ill at once.

Monitor the flock for:

• Respiratory noise, sneezing, coughing, or discharge

• Swelling around the eyes or head

• Purple or bluish discoloration of the comb or wattles

• Diarrhea

• Sudden reduction in egg production

• Loss of appetite or water consumption

• Weakness, tremors, paralysis, or additional neurological signs

• Unexplained deaths

Several sick birds, sudden deaths, or a combination of respiratory and neurological signs should be reported promptly. Caution About Supplements

Many online discussions recommend vitamin E and selenium whenever a chicken develops wry neck. Nutritional supplementation may be appropriate in some confirmed or strongly suspected deficiency cases, but concentrated selenium should not be dosed casually.

Too much selenium can itself be toxic, and errors in supplement formulation or dosage are recognized causes of selenium poisoning. ing poultry vitamins, human supplements, livestock products, and fortified feeds, it is safer to speak with a poultry veterinarian or diagnostic professional. Different products may contain overlapping ingredients, making accidental oversupplementation easier than many flock owners realize.

When to Contact a Veterinarian

Veterinary help is especially important when the chicken:

• Cannot stand or remain upright

• Cannot eat or drink independently

• Has difficulty swallowing or breathing

• Experiences seizures, tremors, or rapidly worsening signs

• Has lost significant weight

• Has an abnormal eye, pupil, leg position, or paralysis

• May have experienced toxin exposure

• Is not improving with basic supportive care

• Is one of several birds showing symptoms

A veterinarian may recommend an examination, testing, feed analysis, bloodwork, imaging, or diagnostic testing after death. A laboratory diagnosis can also protect the remaining flock when an infectious disease is suspected.

For North Carolina flock owners, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services advises calling before bringing sick or freshly dead poultry to an N.C. Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for necropsy or testing. Sick or dying birds may also be reported through USDA at 1-866-536-7593. Experience Is Teaching Me

Caring for chickens is not only about collecting eggs or enjoying their personalities when everything is going well. It also means paying attention when something changes and accepting that we may not immediately have an answer.

Wry neck can look dramatic, but the appearance alone does not tell the entire story. It can be tempting to search online, choose the most common explanation, and begin trying every suggested remedy. Sometimes the more responsible choice is to slow down, observe carefully, protect the chicken from further injury, review her nutrition and environment, and ask for professional help.

For now, our focus is on keeping our chicken safe and comfortable while trying to understand what her body is telling us.

Sharing experiences like this is part of the reason we created the Avila Farm blog. Farming includes joyful moments, difficult decisions, constant learning, and the responsibility of caring for living animals even when the answer is not simple.

Educational note: This article shares general poultry-care information and should not replace an examination, diagnosis, or treatment plan from a veterinarian.