Roosters have their individual food preferences. If you are wondering what do rosters eat? here is the complete guide to roster feed and diet cart including the list of food they eat.
They are omnivores (eat both animal and plant). The typical organic food includes plants, worms, and bugs. Whereas they also like to consume millet, corn, seeds, oyster shells, etc.
Building a dominant attitude is neither so similar to hens as female chickens, but the diet list is equally the same.
Though, it’s become confusing should they feed separately or not! But, it seems tough to manage separate food for both male and female chicken of your poultry. At the same time, it’s also not necessary at all.
However, to save money and time, chicken owners naturally feed both of them the same food. But, they should know exactly what roosters eat?
For the exact information, try to read the full article with attention. Hope your all answers will get within a few minutes. Let’s started-
What do Roosters Eat: Know The Right Diet Chart for Your Roosters
Morning is starting with the sound of a crack; the male chicken is usually known as roosters. Isn’t it? Perhaps, everyone guesses the get uptime with this known sound source.
Vegetable, fresh food, mineral water, insects, cooked rice, beans, and so many ingredients are above the choices for a safe and healthy rooster’s diet list.
Take a look and pick up the best tips for your loving roosters.
1. Water
Prepare your nutritious pallet, but miss the cup of water!!!
Water is most necessary for roosters because they may be dehydrated within a few hours. So, it’s compulsory to ensure enough freshwater supplements during the day.
Or, the roosters feel dehydrated, and as a result, it will cause kidney damage and so Internal function.
Depending on the climate the rooster will drink 0.4 liters (0.88 lbs.) to 0.6 litter (1.32 lbs.) water.
2. Vegetable plant
Roosters are having fun eating fresh vegetables like carrots, pumpkins, potatoes, turnips, lettuce, herbs, and so many veggies.
Fresh vegetables should be good for a regular diet, as they provide vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber to roosters.
3. Fruits & Treats
Can roosters eat fruits?
No, roosters shouldn’t feed any mold or poisonous fruit! Either, any fresh food is required to give them extra advantages.
However, fruits such as tomatoes, orange, grapes, guava, and so many other fruits can give to the roosters.
Again, make sure that the fruit is free of any toxic and better for digestion naturally.
4. Leaves and grass
Surrounding in a backyard or a garden, roosters find leaves, grass on their playing side and eat conveniently. They’re very conscious about what they should eat?
If there is any risk or toxicity, they naturally avoid it. Or, the hard things are always negotiated by them. So, naturally, feel free to eat them anything they want.
Hence, they also find insects, tiny animals such as worms, spiders, moths, ticks, butterflies, lizards, snakes, etc. These also help them to provide protein and keep them healthy.
5. Rice
“Can roosters eat rice?“
Let’s discover the answer, “do roosters eat rice?” While rice is widely produced and used economically, there is good news for chicken owners.
Rice contains enough nutrition for both chicken and roosters. As a hen, a rooster can also feed the cooked or uncooked rice in their regular diet.
6. Layer Chicken Feed
Typically, when laying hens in your poultry, feeding layer feed must have nutritious food that you should provide.
While a flock of roosters is also there, then it’s generally tough to separate the diet chart for your adult roosters. If there’s not any major issue to feed the layer feed roosters as same hens, so why not do it? Again, is it possible?
Well, Of course! Feeding roosters layer feed can be done with no doubt.
Before having the confirmation, make sure of the facts that you might think first-
- Roosters should be adult
- Are Roosters having enough proteins, vitamins, and nutrition after feed layer feeding?
Layer feeding pallets are designed with extra calcium and proper nutrition ingredients to produce strong eggshells of laying hens. So, there’s also having a misconception about the risk of extra calcium to your roosters.
But, poultry owners have fine results with the feeding layer’s convenient result of feeding both hens and roosters together. They are having their rooster healthy and safe. All the above, it can’t be completely negotiated that the layer feeding pallet contains 15-17% protein, while the ideal amount is 16-18%.
As there is a lack of proteins, so how can it be adjustable?
Just give them extra pellets or crumbs that naturally contain ideal proteins ( 16-18%).
Now, there’s also one confusing question.
“When can a rooster eat layer feed?”
Only growing roosters can feed the layer. Not any young roosters or chick is applicable for eating layer feed. About 16-18 weeks older, roosters are okay to eat the layer feed as the extra calcium doesn’t cause any risk to their health.
Others
Adding seed, nut, grains in the mixture pallets is necessary to provide them enough protein for better internal growth. As we know, the chick feeder is not enough for growing roosters. So, adding the right diet is also important to take care of your loving birds.
Grains are described in the next topic – best food for fighting roosters.
Again, it can be said that all you eat can be fed both hens and roosters as they’re omnivorous. Just make sure, is it safe, is it easy to digest, or is it good at their ages!! Next, turn to their taste and objection, then find the selective ingredients for roosters.
Best Food for Fighting Roosters
Game chickens are fun to rise. There are lots of popular game chicken breeds out there.
Now, if you are looking for what to feed them here is the guide you need.
Raise a rooster for being a battle coach; it’s necessary to select a special nutritious diet apart from the regular one.
Internal development of strong muscles, tissue, bone, and so many structures can be generated by your loving birds’ right diet chart at their growing stages.
So, what is the exact diet you have to follow! Let’s have a look at the best food for fighting roosters.
7. Protein Sources
Whether it comes to a normal diet or special, protein is the general and must ingredients for a healthy roosters diet.
For fighting roosters, protein plays a vital role in improving the internal tissue, blood circulations, muscles, organs, ligaments, bone, nails, skin, and feathers.
There are two types of protein – Vegetable proteins and Animal proteins. Both of the proteins must give to them in their regular diet.
But in general, the animal protein contains B12 and amino acid that is necessary for them to eat. Animal protein helps to generate muscle density and make more strong muscles again in their conditioning process.
As animal proteins also contain the amino acid, it helps to repair the muscle tissue stronger.
8. Grain: Protein Source for Fighting Roosters
There are different types of grain containing high energy with protein, including the basic nutritious diet chart of fighting roosters/gamefowl.
Corn(10-13%)
- Best grain, source of high energy, complex carbohydrate, and some plant protein.
- While corn contains 9.4% protein, 7.3% fiber, and 365kcal energy, cracked corn contains 6.45% protein, 3.2℅ fiber, and 355kcal energy.
- Don’t feed them in a large amount; they can be too fat. As a result, the roosters can look heavier than before.
Wheat (10%)
- Helps to build a breast muscle
- Whole wheat (white) contains 11.3% protein, 12.2% fiber, and 342 k/cal energy.
The whole wheat(Quaker) contains 11.8% protein, 9.9% fiber, and 333 k/cal energy.
- Don’t use it more than a limited percentage as it makes them heavy for water.
Oat groats(10%)
- Softest grain and easy to digest
- Contain 15.2% protein, 10.9% fibre, 309k/cal energy.
- Don’t feed them in soaked conditions because it can make the rooster’s body watery.
Jockey oats(10%)
- High in fiber grain, make the roosters lighter.
- Contain 8% protein,12% fibre and 253k/cal energy.
- More than 10% of jockey oat can be converted to fat.
Mixed grain (10%)
- A mixture of pot plants, lupins, peas, wheat, oat groats, jockey oats, safflower, barley, corn; some may have beans and other seeds.
- Contain fibrous feed, 14-18% crude proteins, and provide vitamins and minerals to roosters healthier.
- Despite being a wide variety of nutrients, there might be a lack of enough energy, power, and endurance than the individual one.
Here the full
Diet Chart for Fighting Roosters
| Diet | Percentage (%) |
| Corn | 10% |
| Wheat | 10% |
| Oat groats | 10% |
| Jockey oats | 10% |
| Mixed grain | 10% |
| Pellets | 30% |
| Egg white | 1:5 ( 1medium size egg: 5heads) |
| Beef | 3 (per head) |
| Milk | 1 tablespoon: 5 heads |
Best Rooster’s Food at Different Growing Stages
Age (One-twenty week):
At this starting period, little birds usually take the starter chick feed. They should be fed 20- 24% proteins that the chick starter feed can provide perfectly.
Age (Six- Twenty weeks):
This is a growth of the roosters. So, the ingredients should be selected for better growth and meat also.
If you constantly think of growing your roosters for meat, then this question is also having -“what to feed roosters for meat?”
Here, the answer is ready for you!!
For raised mature roosters for meat should be fed a diet containing proteins about 14-16%. On the other hand, the breeding roosters should be fed a diet of about 14-18% protein.
Adult roosters:
Adult roosters can be fed with a mixture of chicken scratch. Chicken scratch is a mixture of greens, seeds, and plant matter.
Frequently Asked the Question About Roosters Feed and Diet
Question 1: What can roosters not eat?
Rooster can eat anything without any toxicity or damage. Then, knowing safe food is the key to a ready healthy diet for themselves. Never allow them to eat the following toxic ingredients such as-
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Caffeine
- Avocado
- Green potatoes peel
- Moldy food
- Undercooked or uncooked beans
Question 2: Can Roosters eat bananas?
Yes, absolutely! Roosters can eat bananas without any doubt. It’s a great source of vitamins, minerals, and potassium as well. And also, roosters are fond of eating bananas. But, it should be on a small amount. It should be reminded that a limited amount is always applicable to any diet.
Question 3: What is a Roosters favorite food?
Rooster is omnivorous; they can eat anything convenient. But, like humans, they are also fond of any food that is special for them. It seems like most of the roosters like corn, rice, green vegetables, cheese, noodles, lettuce, fresh fruits, and insects, of course.
Question 4: How long can roosters go without eating?
For adult roosters, the countable day is 3-4 days. Roosters are self-sufficient. If they are left out without food and water, they can easily survive for 3-4 days without eating.
Question 5: How long do roosters live for?
Roosters generally live long, about 5-8years. But, with the excellent care of the owner, it can be expanded for 8-15years.
Question 6:What do Baby Roosters Eat?
Baby rooster as chicks are used to eat starter feed. There is no need to give them growing feed before their age.
About 1-20 weeks, they should be provided with the started feed including 14-20% proteins. After 6-20 weeks, they can feed the growing pellets.
Otherwise, besides the starting feed, you can give them soft, fresh veggies and vegetables that should be easily digested and safe.
Question 7: Do Roosters Eat Bugs?
Well, the roosters are very fond of eating bugs, such as worms, earthworms, spiders, lizards, butterflies, grasshoppers, crickets, centipedes, and so on.
These all are a great source of protein. It helps the rooster to grow healthy and functioning the internal tissue, muscle also.
Question 8: How often should you feed a rooster?
Depending on the rooster’s weight and size, the amount and time should be applicable. Roosters weighing 6 pounds eat 3 pounds each week. Again, the roosters are eaten until they fulfill their nutrition they need.
Conclusion
While you’re a chicken owner, the roosters are the safety guards towards your loving hens. Rooster rises for a purpose. Fine! It might be for neat or battle cock.
However, the right diet chart above all the little tips or guidelines discussed in this article. To know the regular healthy diet is the key to get the expected result you want.
Here, you should confirm two little things before making a healthy and nutritious diet for your roosters.
One is the right quantity, and the safe ingredient is another one.
Thus, it might be considered, feeding your roosters isn’t so tough as you think. So, keep calm and begin the work. Hopefully, it works!!
