Whether you’re raising backyard chickens, ducks, or a small flock of turkeys, understanding proper poultry nutrition is key to maintaining healthy, productive birds. To dig deeper into this topic, Erica Lantz of Feeders Grain & Farm Supply sat down with Rachel Teller, Animal Nutrition Consultant for Fertrell, to discuss feeding strategies, seasonal nutrition, and the science behind Fertrell’s Poultry NutriBalancer.
From Pre-Vet to Poultry Nutrition: Rachel’s Path to Fertrell
Rachel’s lifelong love for animals led her to study animal nutrition and microbiology in graduate school. With nearly two decades of hands-on experience managing livestock and working with producers, she found her home at Fertrell, where she’s been helping farmers and backyard flock owners balance nutrition for the past three years.
“I’ve always loved working with people who have their boots on the ground,” Rachel said. “Helping them achieve their animal health goals through nutrition is incredibly rewarding.”
What Is Fertrell’s Poultry NutriBalancer?
At Fertrell, the focus is on creating vitamin and mineral premixes that transform basic grains into complete, balanced feeds. Their Poultry NutriBalancer provides the right balance of vitamins, minerals, methionine, probiotics, and direct-fed microbials to promote digestive health and overall performance. It’s suitable for organic production and serves as the foundation for most of Feeders Grain’s custom-mixed poultry feeds.
Ducks, Chickens, and Beyond: Meeting Different Nutritional Needs
While chickens and ducks share many nutritional similarities, Rachel explained that ducks require higher niacin levels for healthy growth and development. To meet this need, Fertrell recommends adding RC Gold 4X — a vitamin-rich supplement containing extra niacin and kelp — to standard chicken feed at a rate of 3 pounds per ton.
“Adding RC Gold boosts niacin without negatively affecting chickens,” Rachel noted. “That way, you can feed both species the same ration—simplifying chores, especially for families.”
The same base feed, enhanced with RC Gold, can also support turkey layers and maintenance flocks, though younger or growing birds often require higher protein levels.
Fine-Tuning Feed Forms: Ground vs. Pelleted
Feeders Grain produces a ground chicken feed using Fertrell’s balancer — and both Erica and Rachel agree it’s a great option for mixed flocks.
While pelleted feeds can reduce fines and make feeding cleaner, Rachel cautions that the pelleting process uses heat, which can slightly reduce vitamin potency.
“Ground feed works especially well for smaller birds like bantams,” Erica shared. “The texture makes it easier for all sizes to eat — plus, you can adjust feeders to minimize waste.”
Broiler Nutrition: Fast Growth, High Demands
When it comes to meat birds, nutrition is all about rapid growth and efficiency. Broilers require higher protein levels early in life — typically 21–22% for the first few weeks, followed by 18–19% through finishing.
Producers who prefer simplicity can use a single 19–19.5% feed throughout the 6–8 week growth cycle with excellent results.
“We’ve had customers finish broilers in as little as 45 days,” Rachel said. “Even though mineral mixes might cost more upfront, the efficiency and time savings more than make up for it.”
Rachel also emphasized the importance of constant access to feed and water: “Water drives feed consumption,” she explained. “If birds aren’t drinking, they won’t eat — and that slows growth fast.”
Natural Alternatives to Medicated Feed
One hot topic among poultry keepers is whether to use medicated starter feed. Fertrell promotes a natural approach to preventing coccidiosis — one that supports gut health instead of relying on harsh chemicals like amprolium.
Rachel’s recommendation? Raw milk or plain yogurt.
Starting on day 3, and repeating on days 7, 14, 21, and 28, offer chicks a shallow dish of milk or yogurt for about an hour. The beneficial bacteria help maintain gut balance and naturally suppress coccidia.
“You’ll never eliminate all coccidia,” Rachel said. “But by building healthy gut flora, you keep it in check — without blocking essential vitamins.”
This same approach can even be used for adult birds showing signs of digestive upset.
Managing Molt and Light Cycles for Layers
As hens age, they go through a molting phase — a natural process of shedding feathers and rejuvenating their bodies. During this time, egg production drops as the bird’s energy shifts toward recovery.
To encourage a healthy molt, Rachel recommends a low-energy, high-fiber diet (around 10–11% protein) until the bird loses 18–20% of its body weight. Afterward, returning to a 17–18% layer ration helps bring them back into production.
Daylight also plays a huge role in egg laying. Chickens are highly photosensitive, meaning shorter days lead to fewer eggs.
“Hens need about 16 hours of daylight to stay in lay,” Rachel said. “You can gradually increase light by 30 minutes per week, ideally in the morning, to simulate longer days.”
She also noted that overly bright or abrupt lighting changes can cause pecking or stress, so moderation is key.
Scratch Grains, Protein Levels, and Seasonal Adjustments
Many backyard keepers like to supplement their feed with scratch grains, but Rachel cautioned that moderation is important.
“Scratch grains are mostly energy — corn, oats, wheat,” she explained. “If it makes up more than 10% of the diet, you’re diluting the nutrition.”
Instead, use scratch as a treat or cold-weather supplement to help birds generate warmth overnight.
When it comes to high-protein diets, Rachel clarified that protein mainly affects egg size. During extreme summer heat (average daily temps above 85°F), increasing protein helps offset reduced feed intake. Otherwise, sticking with a balanced 17% layer feed is ideal.
Keeping It Simple: Fertrell’s Philosophy
With so much information (and misinformation) online about poultry feeding, Fertrell focuses on simplifying nutrition through trusted formulations.
“Our NutriBalancer makes it easy,” Rachel said. “You don’t have to be a nutritionist to make balanced feed — we’ve done the math for you.”
Fertrell’s consulting services are included with their products, meaning anyone using Fertrell feed mixes — whether directly or through Feeders Grain & Farm Supply — can reach out for personalized support.
“Our top priority is the animals,” Rachel emphasized. “The second is making sure our recommendations are doable for real-world farmers.”
Takeaway
Good poultry nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. With Fertrell’s Poultry NutriBalancer and Feeders Grain’s custom feed mixes, you can ensure your flock gets everything they need — from chicks to layers to broilers — naturally and efficiently.
Learn More
Visit Feeders Grain & Farm Supply to explore our line of Fertrell poultry products or ask how to customize feed for your chickens, ducks, or turkeys. Together, we’ll help you keep your flock healthy, happy, and productive — the natural way.
