What to Feed Chickens: A Backyard Keeper's Guide
A practical guide to what to feed backyard chickens: complete layer feed, starter and grower for young birds, grit, oyster shell, treats, and fresh water, in the right balance.
Feeding chickens is simpler than it first looks. The headline rule is that a complete, age-appropriate poultry feed should make up about 90 percent of the diet, with treats, scratch, kitchen scraps, and forage filling only the small remainder. Get that balance right, keep fresh water in front of the flock at all times, and offer grit and calcium on the side, and your birds will stay healthy and productive.
This guide walks through exactly what to put in front of your chickens at each stage, why the formulated rations matter, and the supplements that keep digestion and eggshells strong. The picks below are common, well-reviewed staples that cover the core of a backyard feeding program.
Backyard Chicken Feeding Staples
Manna Pro Layer Pellets Chicken Feed, 16% Protein
$24.99 on Amazon
Complete feed for hens in lay with probiotics for digestion
Manna Pro Medicated Chick Starter Grower, 18% Protein
$12.99 on Amazon
Crumble feed for chicks with amprolium for coccidiosis prevention
Manna Pro Chicken Grit with Probiotics
$13.99 on Amazon
Crushed granite to grind food in the gizzard for healthy digestion
Pecking Order Oyster Shell Calcium Supplement
$11.99 on Amazon
Free-choice calcium for laying hens and strong eggshells
The 90 Percent Rule: Complete Feed First
A complete poultry feed is formulated to meet all of a chicken's nutritional needs in one bag. That is the foundation, and it should be available all day. Everything else, the scratch, the mealworm treats, the garden weeds, the dinner leftovers, lives inside the remaining 10 percent. When treats creep above that line, the balanced ration gets diluted and birds start missing the protein, vitamins, and minerals they need to thrive and lay.
Feed comes in three textures: crumble, which is good for young birds and easier eating, pellets, which waste less and suit adult flocks, and mash, a fine ground form sometimes fermented. The texture is a matter of preference and waste control. What matters most is matching the feed to the bird's life stage.
Match the Feed to the Life Stage
| Stage | Age | Feed | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chick | 0 to 6 weeks | Starter | 18 to 20% |
| Pullet | 6 to 18 weeks | Grower | 15 to 17% |
| Laying hen | 18+ weeks (in lay) | Layer | 16% |
| Mixed or molting flock | Varies | All-flock + oyster shell | 18 to 20% |
Chicks need the higher protein and often a medicated starter to guard against coccidiosis. As they grow into pullets, grower feed lowers the protein and, importantly, keeps calcium low so developing kidneys and bones are not overloaded. Once a hen reaches point of lay, around 18 weeks, she switches to layer feed with its built-in 16 percent protein and added calcium for shell production. Our companion guides on layer feed and starter and grower feed go deeper on each stage.
Grit: The Chicken's Teeth
Chickens have no teeth. They swallow food whole, and it is ground up in the gizzard, a muscular organ that needs hard grit to do its work. Any bird eating grains, treats, kitchen scraps, or pasture must have access to insoluble grit, usually crushed granite. Birds raised entirely on crumble or pellet inside a run can sometimes manage without it, but the moment they get anything else, grit becomes essential. It is cheap, lasts a long time, and prevents impacted crops and digestive trouble. See our full grit and oyster shell guide for details.
Oyster Shell: Calcium for Strong Shells
A laying hen pulls a remarkable amount of calcium from her body to build a shell almost every day. Layer feed includes calcium, but many keepers also offer crushed oyster shell free choice in a separate dish. Hens that need extra will take it, and those that do not will leave it. This free-choice approach is safer than forcing calcium on the whole flock, because roosters, chicks, and non-laying birds can be harmed by too much. Thin, soft, or rough shells are usually the first sign a hen needs more calcium.
Treats, Scratch, and Scraps in Moderation
Scratch grains, dried mealworms, and garden scraps are wonderful for enrichment and bonding, and they keep birds busy and active. The key word is moderation. Scratch is essentially candy: warming and energy-rich but low in the balanced nutrition a flock needs. Keep all extras combined under 10 percent of the daily diet. Our guides on healthy treats, scratch grains, and table scraps cover what to offer and what to skip.
Backyard Chicken Keepers Planner
Track your chicken's health, meds, vet visits, mobility, nutrition, and quality of life, all in one printable planner.
Water: The Nutrient People Forget
Clean, fresh water is non-negotiable and matters more than any feed decision. Chickens drink far more than they eat, and water needs climb sharply in heat and during heavy laying. Provide a clean waterer the flock can always reach, refresh it daily, and in summer check it more than once. In winter, prevent freezing with a heated base or heated waterer so birds never go thirsty. A flock without water stops laying within a day and can decline fast, so this is the one thing never to let slip. Our waterer guide covers the best options for every climate.
Free-Ranging and Forage
Birds that free-range supplement their diet with bugs, seeds, and greens, which can improve egg flavor and yolk color and cut feed costs a little. Forage is a bonus, not a replacement for complete feed, since a backyard cannot reliably supply balanced nutrition. Keep feed available even for ranging flocks, and make sure ranging birds always have grit to process what they forage. See our free-ranging guide for how to do it safely.
Feeding Quick Links
- Manna Pro Layer Pellets 16% - everyday feed for hens in lay
- Manna Pro Chicken Grit - for healthy digestion
- Browse all chicken feed on Amazon
The Bottom Line
Feed a complete, age-appropriate ration as the bulk of the diet, keep grit available for any bird eating more than plain feed, offer oyster shell free choice to laying hens, and never let the water run out or freeze. Keep treats and scraps under 10 percent and your chickens will reward you with steady laying and good health. When something seems off, a poultry vet or your local extension office is the best resource. Feeding well is mostly about consistency, and the routine quickly becomes second nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main food chickens should eat?
A complete commercial poultry feed should make up about 90 percent of a chicken's diet. The feed is matched to the bird's life stage: starter for chicks, grower for pullets, and layer feed for hens in lay. These formulated rations contain the right balance of protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals, so your flock gets everything it needs from one bag. Treats, scratch, kitchen scraps, and forage fill the small remaining slice, never the bulk of the diet.
Can chickens live on kitchen scraps and scratch alone?
No. Kitchen scraps and scratch grains are low in the balanced protein, calcium, and vitamins a chicken needs, especially a hen producing an egg almost every day. A diet built on scraps and scratch leads to thin shells, poor laying, and weak birds over time. Keep treats and scraps under 10 percent of daily intake and let a complete feed do the heavy lifting. Think of scratch and scraps as snacks, not meals.
Do chickens need grit and oyster shell?
Yes, but they serve different jobs. Grit is hard, insoluble stone that sits in the gizzard and grinds up food, since chickens have no teeth. Any bird eating anything other than crumble or pellet needs grit. Oyster shell is a soluble calcium supplement for laying hens, offered free choice so each hen takes what she needs for strong eggshells. Roosters and non-laying birds should not be forced to eat layer-level calcium, so offering oyster shell on the side is the safe approach.
How much should a chicken eat per day?
A standard laying hen eats roughly a quarter pound, about half a cup, of feed per day, though appetite rises in cold weather and during heavy laying. Larger breeds eat more and bantams eat less. The simplest approach is to keep feed available all day so birds can eat to their needs, then remove uneaten feed at night to discourage rodents. Watch body condition and adjust rather than measuring every gram.
What should chickens never eat?
Avoid anything moldy or rotten, dried or raw beans, green or sprouting potato skins, avocado pits and skin, rhubarb leaves, and very salty, sugary, or greasy human food. Onions in quantity, chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol are also off limits. When in doubt, leave it out. A healthy bird on complete feed does not need risky treats, so it is never worth gambling on a questionable scrap.
Why is fresh water so important for chickens?
Water is the most important nutrient of all. A laying hen's egg is about 75 percent water, and birds drink far more than they eat. Even a few hours without clean water can cut egg production and stress the flock, and in heat it can be dangerous. Provide fresh, cool water every day in a clean waterer, check it twice daily in summer, and prevent freezing in winter. Dirty or empty water hurts a flock faster than almost anything else.
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