National Bird Feeding Month
February is known as the month of love—but did you know it’s also National Bird Feeding Month?
In 1994, Congressman John Porter of Illinois read the following resolution into the Congressional Record:
"I would like to recognize February, one of the most difficult months in the United States for wild birds, as National Bird-Feeding Month. During this month, individuals are encouraged to provide food, water, and shelter to help wild birds survive. This assistance benefits the environment by supplementing the wild bird’s natural diet of weed seeds and insects. Currently, one-third of the U.S. adult population feeds wild birds in their backyards."
In honor of this month—and in light of recent concerns about commercial chicken feeds possibly containing ingredients that inhibit laying—I'm sharing what I’ve learned over more than a decade of researching poultry nutrition and crafting our own feed blends. Whether you hatch your own chicks or purchase them locally, getting them off to the right start is essential.
Chick Season Has Begun
For those who hatch, you know the thrill of that first peep from the incubator. One by one, they arrive—tiny, loud, and full of life. For those who purchase chicks, the excitement is no less real. No one picks up a box of chirping fluff without peeking inside.
At our farm, we start chicks on Cool Chick, our 21% protein starter feed enriched with brewer’s yeast for gut health and immunity support. We often mix it with water to create an oatmeal-like consistency—or ferment it for optimal digestion and nutrient absorption. (More on that in our next blog post.)
Why We Avoid Crumbles
Most chick starters are sold as crumbles. We choose not to use them, for several important reasons:
- Crumbles are often made from low-quality, overprocessed ingredients.
- They discourage natural foraging behavior.
- They fail to stimulate a chick’s natural instincts.
Chickens are highly visual and curious by nature. They thrive when allowed to peck, scratch, and search. Whole and ground grains—not crumbles—encourage these natural behaviors, helping chicks develop stronger instincts, more active immune systems, and a better drive to forage once they’re out in the yard. A curious chick becomes a healthier, more effective member of your backyard ecosystem—capable of eating hundreds of grubs, ticks, and pests each day.
Fermented Feed for Chicks
One of the best ways to enhance a quality, whole grain chick starter is through fermentation. Fermenting:
- Makes feed more bioavailable
- Reduces phytic acid (which blocks nutrient absorption)
- Cuts feed waste by more than half
- Supports long-term gut health and stronger immunity
Chicks should be on starter feed from hatch to about 12 weeks. Some flock owners switch to a grower ration afterward, but a high-quality starter is often sufficient through this growth period.
Supporting Chick Health with Natural Additives
Preventing illness is always better than treating it—and in the case of coccidiosis, prevention is vital. This disease spreads quickly and can devastate a flock. The medications used to treat it are harsh and can weaken the bird’s long-term immune health.
The same goes for external parasites, which spread fast and stress the entire flock. One effective approach is to support your birds from the inside out—with herbal water additives and natural elixirs made from garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, and healing roots.
Introducing these ingredients during the chick stage is key. Many keepers report that once chickens reach adulthood, they reject herbs and garlic unless they were raised with them early on. Start them young, start them right, and you’ll raise birds with stronger immune systems, better gut health, and greater resistance to illness.
(For our farm's chick elixir recipe, please check our past blog posts or visit the website.)
Looking Ahead
Chick season is underway, and we’re here to support you with fresh, whole, non-GMO feed and resources to help your flock thrive. Our next blog post will cover Fermenting Feed 101, so stay tuned.
Happy chicken keeping,
Lisa Marie Samples