Year-end flock cabinet: what to restock
Year-end flock cabinet: what to restock
Complete feed is still the ration. A year-end restock is a check on the top-dresses and water mixes you already use, not a shopping list of new SKUs. University of Georgia Extension is blunt: scratch is not a complete diet, and mixing extra grain into a balanced ration throws protein, vitamins, and minerals out of line (UGA Circular 954).
Birds typically drink about twice what they eat. If drinkers freeze or go empty, they stop eating (UGA C954). Restock water gear first, then the bags that match real jobs: gut, minerals, omega-3s, B-vitamins, protein treats, and stress water.
What to put on the shelf (and what to skip)
| Job | Form | Live SKU | Skip this mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily gut support for adults | Powder in feed | Poultry Probiotics | Using it as a chick-only water mix |
| Heat, shipping, molt, chicks from day one | Powder in water | Hydration+ | Mixing it before birds can actually drink |
| Trace minerals, winter forage gap | Powder in feed | Coop Kelp | Treating kelp as a calcium-only product |
| Omega-3s, feathers, winter eggs | Powder in feed | Flock Flax | Using flax as protein |
| B-vitamins, garlic, ducks need niacin | Powder in feed | Brewer’s Yeast with Garlic | Pouring yeast into water |
| Extra protein, boredom in short days | Dried larvae treat | Black Soldier Fly | Replacing complete feed with insects |
This shop does not sell a standalone calcium SKU. Layer feed and oyster shell still cover shells. Feathers want protein.
UGA lists fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, plus B-vitamins, in the premix that belongs in complete feed. Chickens make their own vitamin C, so you do not need a C bottle (UGA C954). Hydration+ is the water mix here with vitamins A, D, E, and B-complex when stress or chicks are the job.
Do I need a new “winter vitamin” bag?
No. If birds eat a complete feed, the vitamin premix is already in the ration (UGA C954). Restock yeast, kelp, flax, and Hydration+ only for the jobs on those labels.
What if the yeast or kelp bag is almost empty?
Buy the size you will finish. Yeast is a daily feed scoop. Kelp is a mineral top-dress. Neither one replaces layer feed.
Can I skip complete feed if I free-range in winter?
No. Short days cut forage. Extension still wants a balanced ration. Treats and top-dresses sit on top of that ration (UGA C954).