While it’s tempting to feed your backyard flock scraps from the dinner table and garden, the RSPCA recommends a good brand of chicken pellet, which balances energy, protein and vitamin requirements according to the stage of life and season. PETstock’s range of premium chicken food has been designed by vets and poultry breeders. Ideally, mixed grains such as corn, wheat and sunflower seeds should be alternated with pellets, plus fresh leafy vegetables, for the optimum diet to keep your chicken's healthy. The right chicken food also depends on age. Young chicks need high-protein, high-carbohydrate crumbles to build up body mass and feathers. When chickens are laying, they need added vitamins and minerals. Good commercial chicken feeds are fortified with calcium to replace the calcium lost in laying.