What are you feeding?

I started getting conventional feed at my local feed store, but I started to wonder what I was getting. "You get what you pay for," is what my head was saying. I was getting Ace-Hi which was about $0.50 per pound. (I have 5 hens so I get the 25lb. Bag.). I was adding supplements which increased my per pound cost to over $1.50 or more per pound.

I moved to the organic Purina option. This is a low cost option, but it is simply feed, so I still added the supplements.

I then switched to Kalmbach with Omega which I do not supplement.

I'm in northwest Orange County, so the offerings at my feed store are slim. I ordered the Kalmbach on Amazon.

My chickens typically get hibiscus flowers, parsley, some kind of mint, and marigolds daily; the variety of mint depends on how far I want to look, and I offer other herbs and kitchen scraps throughout the week. I have a sand run, and the hens have oyster shell available at all times. My hens do not free range yet, and only one has started to lay.

What are you all feeding? Does your feed store have multiple offerings?

Also, does anyone give their chickens actual seaweed? Mine really like rehydrated wakame.

Skalabs said:

I started getting conventional feed at my local feed store, but I started to wonder what I was getting. "You get what you pay for," is what my head was saying. I was getting Ace-Hi which was about $0.50 per pound. (I have 5 hens so I get the 25lb. Bag.). I was adding supplements which increased my per pound cost to over $1.50 or more per pound.

I moved to the organic Purina option. This is a low cost option, but it is simply feed, so I still added the supplements.

I then switched to Kalmbach with Omega which I do not supplement.

I'm in northwest Orange County, so the offerings at my feed store are slim. I ordered the Kalmbach on Amazon.

My chickens typically get hibiscus flowers, parsley, some kind of mint, and marigolds daily; the variety of mint depends on how far I want to look, and I offer other herbs and kitchen scraps throughout the week. I have a sand run, and the hens have oyster shell available at all times. My hens do not free range yet, and only one has started to lay.

What are you all feeding? Does your feed store have multiple offerings?

Also, does anyone give their chickens actual seaweed? Mine really like rehydrated wakame.

Click to expand...

I'm fortunate to live fairly close to a feed mill that offers non-GMO feed, so my mixed flock gets fermented feed comprised of a base of non-GMO chick starter. In colder weather, I'll add (non-GMO) scratch and distillers grains. The flock also gets raw kombucha vinegar (I make it) in their water; fermented fruit from the flavored kombucha and water kefir I also make; black oil sunflower seeds; rolled oats; and hay that the rabbits have spilled. The flock free ranges, so they also eat a lot of forage like greens, leaves, and bugs. Grit and oyster shell are free choice, but I've had to move the oyster shell into the chicken coop because the drakes were scarfing it down instead of eating the granite grit.

There are a couple of large chain feed stores in this area...they offer both conventional (multiple brands) and usually a single organic feed choice. Before I discovered the local feed mill had non-GMO offerings, I bought my feed from New Country Organics (based in VA) - I think the food is high quality, but the shipping made it pretty expensive. Scratch and Peck also offers organic feed and they're based in WA.

I don't feed my chickens seaweed, but imagine the trace minerals would be good for them, just like they are for humans. I love seaweed, and my dogs do, too - they think a sheet of unsalted dried nori is a great snack (some of the dried versions contain a lot of sodium). What prompted you to feed your chickens seaweed?

FoodFreedomNow said:

 What prompted you to feed your chickens seaweed?

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I had some extra wakame seaweed from a meal, so I gave it to the chickens the next day. I was surprised to see them eagerly eating it; now I often add it to their "kitchen scrap" feed.