What's the difference between layer feed and grower feed?

Layer feed contains extra calcium to support eggshell production and is meant for hens that have started laying, while grower feed is formulated for younger birds still developing and not yet laying. Feeding layer pellets too early can be harder on a young bird than feed matched to their stage.

Can chickens eat mixed corn as their main food?

No, mixed corn is a treat and a useful tool for encouraging birds into their coop, not a complete diet. It lacks the balanced protein and nutrients a proper layer or grower feed provides, so it should only ever be a supplement to a formulated feed.

Why do chickens need grit?

Chickens have no teeth, so they grind their food down using grit held in the gizzard. Without enough grit available, even a good quality feed is digested less effectively, so insoluble grit should be offered separately alongside their regular feed.

Are kitchen scraps safe for chickens?

In small, occasional amounts most scraps are fine, but they should not make up a large part of the diet, and some foods, including avocado and chocolate, are genuinely toxic to chickens. A proper formulated feed should always be the main part of what they eat.

Chicken feed

Chicken feed is not one product — layer feed, grower feed and mixed corn each do a different job, and using the wrong one at the wrong stage is one of the most common mistakes new keepers make. Here is what each is for, and what else a flock needs to stay healthy alongside it.

Layer feed vs grower feed

Layer pellets or mash are formulated for hens that have started laying, with extra calcium included to support eggshell production — feeding it too early, before a bird is laying, can be harder on a young bird's developing kidneys than feed matched to their actual stage.

Grower feed is for younger birds not yet laying, with a nutrient balance suited to their growth rather than egg production. Switching from grower to layer feed is generally timed around when a flock starts to lay, rather than by a fixed age alone.

Where mixed corn and treats fit in

Mixed corn is a popular treat and a useful tool for encouraging birds back into their coop in the evening, but it is not a complete diet on its own — it lacks the balanced protein, vitamins and minerals a proper layer or grower feed provides, so it should stay a supplement rather than the main feed.

Kitchen scraps are best kept occasional and modest for the same reason: a diet leaning too heavily on treats and scraps rather than a proper formulated feed can leave a flock short of what they actually need, and some human foods, including avocado and chocolate, are genuinely toxic to chickens.

Grit and water, easily overlooked

Chickens have no teeth, so they rely on grit held in the gizzard to grind down what they eat — without it, even a good feed is digested less effectively. Insoluble grit should be available separately from any calcium supplement layer feed already provides.

Fresh, clean water needs to be available at all times, and it matters more than owners sometimes realise — a flock that goes without water for even a short period can drop off laying noticeably, and a hot day raises the risk further.

What we stock

Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.

Feathers & Beaky Chicken Treat

A chicken treat for the flock, fed after layers pellets rather than instead

£14.05

Browse all of Birds →

Common questions

What's the difference between layer feed and grower feed?: Layer feed contains extra calcium to support eggshell production and is meant for hens that have started laying, while grower feed is formulated for younger birds still developing and not yet laying. Feeding layer pellets too early can be harder on a young bird than feed matched to their stage.
Can chickens eat mixed corn as their main food?: No, mixed corn is a treat and a useful tool for encouraging birds into their coop, not a complete diet. It lacks the balanced protein and nutrients a proper layer or grower feed provides, so it should only ever be a supplement to a formulated feed.
Why do chickens need grit?: Chickens have no teeth, so they grind their food down using grit held in the gizzard. Without enough grit available, even a good quality feed is digested less effectively, so insoluble grit should be offered separately alongside their regular feed.
Are kitchen scraps safe for chickens?: In small, occasional amounts most scraps are fine, but they should not make up a large part of the diet, and some foods, including avocado and chocolate, are genuinely toxic to chickens. A proper formulated feed should always be the main part of what they eat.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.