So what's on the menu?

If you have young stock that you are growing on, adults for breeding or birds being prepared for the table, whether you have the end result that you desire will very much depend on the quality of the feed provided.

Inadequate or insufficient feed leads to a lack of development. Young chicks and growing birds should have feed continually available, for even a few hours without consumption can have a detrimental effect on the eventual size of the birds.

Keeping poultry fit by feeding them a correct ration is much easier these days than it used to be as commercially bagged feeds come in ranges for chickens, waterfowl, turkeys, pheasants and ornamentals, including guinea fowl and quail. Whatever the species the feed should contain all the nutrients needed to grow muscle, bone, internal organs, fat and feathers. These will be in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins. The protein levels will be higher in the crumb form for day-olds onwards and decrease in the grower, layer/breeder or finisher rations as the birds develop. Breeder and layer rations also contain extra calcium to prepare the birds for egg production. Good nutrition is essential in the parent birds for them to produce eggs that will turn into strong, healthy youngstock.

A guide to feed

Crumbs:
Chicks crumbs, Duck and Goose crumbs and Turkey starter crumbs. Crumbs are suitable for day-olds until four to six weeks old depending on the species.

Rearer pellets:
A ration which is slightly lower in protein than the crumbs and in a pellet form.

Grower pellets:
For youngstock, gradually weaned from crumbs to grower pellets, or from the rearer pellets. These are fed from about six weeks until 16-17 weeks of age in chickens and turkeys but some waterfowl are transferred to the adult feed a little earlier.

Layers pellets:
Birds are gradually introduced to layer pellets, ornamental breeding pellets or turkey breeder pellets from 12 -17 weeks, depending on the species.

Finisher pellets:
Turkeys move from grower to finisher pellets in order to prepare them as meat birds.

Meal:
This is an alternative to layers pellets and can be given dry or have just sufficient water added to make a mash. It is more wasteful and less hygienic than pellets as fouling of drinkers and ground around the feeders is usual.

Pellets for breakfast and grain for tea
Pellets are fed in the morning as they are easily digestible and it is important that the birds have a good nutritional diet at the start of the day. When the young are around twelve weeks old they can be introduced to grain. Grain is not fed before this age because the digestive system will not have developed sufficiently to be able to deal with it. Grain is normally in the form of wheat but naked oats can be given, especially to meat birds. Just give a small amount at first and do so in the afternoon. It should always be the second feed of the day because it is less nutritious than the formulated pellet feed. Also, grain stays in the crop longer so will help to keep the birds content overnight. Cut maize can be given in small amounts; however, it should only be fed during the winter as it is a warming feed.

Organically reared poultry needs feed that is organic itself. This can be purchased as specific organic feed or can be conventional feeds that are suitable for organic systems.

Buy your feed from a reputable manufacturer. It may be a little more expensive but feed that is markedly cheaper than others usually contains inferior raw materials. Always read the label and check you have the feed you require before leaving the agricultural merchants. Often, a manufacturer's range of bagged feed can look similar in pattern and colour and the label may be the only distinguishing mark between different feeds for different species. Once you have the feed it should be stored in a cool, dry place away from any rodents or wild birds. Ideally, the feed should be emptied out of the bags and put in a rodent free container because paper bags are subject to being nibbled and susceptible to damp. A plastic or galvanised dustbin will hold two bags of feed. There are specific galvanised feed hoppers available but these are more costly.

Keep an adequate larder
Always order the feed you require in advance so that it is available when you need it. However, don't be tempted to order too much at a time because the last thing you want is for feed to be sitting in your container/s beginning to go mouldy. Freshly made up pellet feed has a shelf life of about three months, so aim to order an amount that will be easily used up before it goes stale and pass its sell-by date.

For poultry to be able to digest feed they will need a supply of grit. The hard work of grinding up the feed to produce the goodness the bird needs is done in the gizzard. Feed is taken up by the beak, swallowed and stored in the crop. From there it passes to the proventriculus (stomach) and then to the gizzard. The gizzard is a very strong muscle and with the added assistance of grit it grinds the feed until it is fine enough to pass through into the small intestine. Although free-ranging birds will find small stones suitable for their needs, all poultry will benefit from having extra grit provided. By starting to give grit at an early age you will be helping the digestive system to develop.

Chick grit is especially fine - almost sand-like - and a little can be added to chick crumbs when the birds are a few days old. At the grower and adult stage mixed poultry grit is given. This may contain small pieces of oyster shell but never give oyster shell alone as this is far too smooth and can lead to crop impaction and even death over time. Place a small heap of mixed poultry grit in a container either somewhere in the outside pen, near the feed trough or even mixed in the feed on a monthly basis. It is possible to purchase a 'super mixed corn' formulation, which contains wheat, oats, cut maize, halved peas and mixed poultry grit. If you keep only a few birds this is quite a good ration, especially during winter afternoons.

All species of poultry will welcome being out on grass and greenery will play a vital role in contributing to a good all-round diet. Short grass is more beneficial and safer than long grass, which could impact the crop. Lawn or hedge trimmings should never be given to poultry. Wilting grass and leaves quickly go mouldy and these can ferment in the crop and cause toxicity problems.

Some treats will be welcome
Poultry will also enjoy going for insects, especially in the early autumn when they are plentiful. If you need to keep birds housed hang up some greenery - either cabbages, Brussels sprout tops, kale or lettuce - whatever is in season and plentiful.

Treats can include sunflower seeds - not too many as they are fattening but the oil content certainly helps with feather condition. Apples, plums, grapes, fresh or tinned corn and raisins will be welcomed. Do not feed household scraps unless it is raw vegetable or fruit material or stale brown bread.

Avoid any stale or mouldy pelleted feed and make sure there are no stale pieces of feed stuck in the corners of feeders, which should be kept clean and disinfected on a weekly basis. Try to prevent access to any stale water and most certainly any blue-green algae. If birds drink from stagnant water, such as that in permanent puddles, they do run the risk of being affected by botulism. The bacteria clostridium botulinum flourishes in warm weather and this can also produce toxicity problems in birds.

If birds are totally free-ranging you should be aware of poisonous plants. Usually, poultry have an inbuilt sense when it comes to what not to eat but young birds are more likely to 'experiment' and perhaps peck at things they shouldn't. Plants that are poisonous include: aconitum, yew, ragwort, foxglove, hellebore, hemlock, poison ivy, black bryony, clematis, dropwort, black and deadly nightshade, laburnum seeds, potato sprouts and potatoes that have been unearthed and turned green, castor bean, St. John's wort, rapeseed, rhododendron, corn cockle, henbane and various fungi.

Finally, try to feed and water your poultry away from wild birds. This will help reduce the risk of spread of disease.