Best Nutrition Supplements for Backyard Chickens

You could be giving your feathered friends the best chicken feed out there, but if nutritional supplements for backyard chickens are missing in the equation, your ladies aren’t getting all the nutrients they need for optimal health. 

Even with nutrient-packed commercial feeds (we can do better than that!), chickens need a nutritional supplement.  This enables them to live a healthy life, produce quality eggs, and thrive in their environment. That’s why, as you think about your budget for chicken feed, nice bedding, and decent feeders, spare a few bucks to go into the supplementation diet.

A good nutritional supplement often provides essential nutrients and vitamins that are either absent in regular chicken feeds or present but in limited quantities than what your chickens actually need to live a healthy life.

Today, we take a look at some of the best value chicken supplements for your backyard chickens and how they can benefit your birds, so let’s dive right in!

Top Nutrition Supplements for Backyard Chickens

To take the guesswork out of what you need to supplement your current chicken feed, here are some options that work really well for us:

1. Calcium Supplements

The first nutritional supplement your chickens need is calcium. All chickens need calcium in their diet, and the amount in commercial feeds is usually insufficient, especially for the layers.

Eggshells are 90% made up of calcium, so hens need enough of this mineral for egg production. Without adequate calcium in their diet, the eggs you get from your flock will have thin and brittle shells. 

What happens if they don’t get enough?  Sometimes you may notice a reduction in the number of eggs you get or, even worse, your chickens may stop laying eggs entirely to reserve the available amount of calcium for other vital bodily functions. 

And, of course, it’s not only egg production that’s affected. Calcium deficiency puts your chickens at higher risk of osteoporosis, egg binding, and fractures.  Yes, chickens can get osteoporosis!

That’s why you need to ensure that you supplement your chickens’ diet with calcium. Oyster shells, crushed eggshells, and chipped limestone are all great sources of calcium. 

Keep either of these in a separate feeder so your chickens can stop by it several times a day to consume a small amount.

2. Grit 

If you don’t have the option to let your pet chicken free range, you will also want to have grit as one of their supplements. Chickens don’t have teeth like we do. Instead, they have gizzards, which is like their little internal grinding machine. 

Grit gives this internal grinder the aggressiveness it needs to break food down effectively, so it’s essential to make it available around the coop. 

And it doesn’t have to cost you — you can opt for small pebbles or coarse sand. If it can be free, you are probably thinking, why would anyone go for store-bought grit! Well, it usually comes formulated with good bacteria to promote your chickens’ gut health. 

And remember, the size of grit is of the essence here. Chicks usually need smaller sizes than mature chickens. If you have a mixed flock, you can consider working with a variety of sizes to meet the individual size needs of each bird.

3. Electrolytes & Vitamins

Chickens need electrolytes and vitamins just as much as we do, so it’s a pretty good idea to add these supplements to their diet.  

The first time I heard about this from my friend Heidi, I couldn’t really get my head around it.  But the more I found out, and with a little experimentation, I actually keep some all the time.

Electrolytes maintain a healthy water balance in chickens, ensuring that the water your flock drinks gets to their cells for optimal health. That makes electrolyte supplements a thoughtful addition, particularly during hot summers when chickens use their electrolytes more quickly.

They are great for specific times like seasonal changes, as well as feather pecking or molting.  This is the one we have.  It’s also suggested you can use it for recovery from predator attacks, but with the work we did on our coop, we haven’t needed it for that.

Vitamins, on the other side, support the immune health, growth, and reproduction of your chickens. Target supplements containing Vitamins A, D, and B-complex. Vitamin A improves vision and immunity, D calcium absorption, and B-complex energy metabolism. 

4. Probiotics & Prebiotics

A healthy gut flora is crucial for digestion and nutrient absorption. Probiotics and prebiotics come in to promote digestive health, ensuring that your chickens absorb nutrients and minerals efficiently.

Probiotics refer to the “good bacteria” known to improve gut health, while prebiotics is the food this bacteria needs to remain healthy and vibrant. Mix these supplements in water and offer it to the flock, or sprinkle it in their feed.

Pro tip: the electrolyte mix we have also has probiotics and prebiotics in it too!  So you could knock over two problems with one product like we do.

But unlike the supplements we’ve covered earlier, probiotics and prebiotics aren’t needed regularly. Offer it to your chickens three times a month or after antibiotic treatments to restore the beneficial bacteria swept away by the medication. 

5. Herbs & Natural Additives

Lastly, you will also want to ensure that your chickens have access to herbs and natural additives. Herbs like lavender, parsley, oregano, mint, and rosemary pack are nutrient-dense, making them healthy options for poultry.

The same goes for natural additives like garlic and turmeric. They have compounds that offer immune-boosting properties and parasite fighting properties, keeping your feathered friends happy and healthy. 

But remember herbs and natural additives should only serve as a treat, not a substitute for their regular diet. So ensure their herb intake doesn’t exceed 10% of their daily diet.

How to Incorporate Supplements into Chicken Feed

Understanding what supplements are good for your chickens is a good start. You also need to know the proper way of incorporating each into their diet. Usually, the method depends on what supplement you are giving.

Some of the common ways we have heard about or use include:

• Adding to Water: Applicable to electrolytes and probiotics.
• Mix with Feed: Vitamins, prebiotics, and probiotics can work well when blended with regular chicken feeds.
• Free-choice Options: You can use this method for grit, calcium supplements, herbs and natural additives.  Free choice means putting some out where your ladies go on their walks so they can find it as they need it.

Common Mistakes To Avoid with Nutrition Supplements for Backyard Chickens

When offering nutritional supplements for backyard chickens, do it right. Here are some of the common mistakes chicken keepers make:

• Over supplemeting: Too much of anything is dangerous, including nutritional supplements for your pet chickens. More than is necessary can have devastating effects on your flock. For instance, too much calcium can cause internal issues like kidney problems, so always stick to the right quantity.  Adults need about 4 to 5 grams a day, pullets about 2.5 to 2.75 grams.
• Using Low-quality Products: Go for best value chicken supplements and not what is cheapest. Usually, with chicken products, you get what you pay for.
• Using Expired Supplements: Ensure that supplements with an expiry date are still valid before offering them to chickens. As for herbs, it’s best if you stick to the fresh ones.
• Over-reliance on Supplements: Supplements are only made to enhance and not replace your chicken’s regular diet.

Do your best to get it right and your chickens will benefit from nutritional supplements, and you should notice a positive change in their health.

Stronger, Healthier Chickens: The Right Supplements Make All the Difference

Nutritional supplements are a super way to enhance your flock’s health, egg production, and overall well being. These supplements usually fill the nutritional gap of regular feeds, ensuring your birds grow healthy and stay that way longer. 

From calcium to herbs, grit, and other options we’ve highlighted today, each option is crucial to your chickens’ health. Just ensure to incorporate nutrition supplements for backyard chickens wisely into your flock’s diet to avoid the repercussions of doing things the wrong way.