Backyard Brahmas!!

[sroy]

Thanks so much for all the input everyone! I don't know what I'd do without BYC!

 

[sroy]

I live in a small town and can only get Purina, Nutrena, and Dumar. I'm going to try to find a feed mill.

I've been searching like crazy and I found a feed mill near by. This is what their starter/grower looks like.

Any thoughts on it?

 

[cabinchicky]

Big Medicine, just would like your thoughts on if I am over doing on feed. My adult coop has one feeder with Hubbard Layena for the girls but outside I give one scoop of Hubbard Game Bird Feed for my guys and extra protein. Also I really think the growth time line posted will work with my other LF breed too. I still have my Lights and I love em but I have developed a serious infatuation for LF Cochin. I will get better Brahma stock someday but not until my Light trio has passed on.

 

[bumpercarr]

The feed I have access to is made by Cargill, and unbelievably works out about $38 per #50 - that's what so many people here just feed corn and free range.

Wow...that is a horrible price. There aren't any other feed stores around or a TSC or Rural King?

 

[big medicine]

I have never been a fan of feeding outdoors, outside of maybe throwing scrap/peelings/old leftovers that get cleaned up in seconds.

Even before this Avian Influenza thing I was always leery of drawing any wild/free flying birds ( or any other feed eating varmints for that matter) to my runs. I know the prevailing theory is migrating waterfowl are the main carrier in this case. A few years back we were to keep an eye out for I think house, and maybe purple finches with issues with conjunctivitis at bird feeders during the winter. So I figure the less interaction with wild birds the better. Still have sparrows/starlings that will occasionally gather molted feathers for nest lining, but short of topping my runs, not a lot I can do about that.

I don't think you are doing any harm giving them a shot of high test feed as it were. Is it worth the trouble/cost ? Hard to say.

As to the Cochin thing, I had large fowl silver laced Cochins for years as well, just absolutely loved the color pattern. But over time the difference in growth rates and final adult size and mass variance between the Cochins and Brahmas swung me hard into the Brahma corner. Plus once I got the silver laced pattern established on a Brahma frame the choice was simple enough.

 

[bamadude]

Our Ace Hardware store has the best prices in my area for feed

 

[big medicine]

Our Ace Hardware store has the best prices in my area for feed

Interesting the regional differences in feed and what stores carry them. I see even Walmart carries poultry/stock feed in parts of the country. Around here (southwest Ohio) small country feed mills have been going under and are few and far between. We still have TSC stores, but they are very proud of their feed, or at least appear to be by the prices they ask. Which was about the only thing around until the Rural Kings stated opening a couple years ago.

 

[sroy]

How does that starter/grower that I posted look to you chicken veterans? This newbie really doesn't know what to look for.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I am not a veteran but I feed a flock raiser that is around the same ratio for protein and fat. You could go lower on the protein and possibly save some money while still getting good results. I stick with higher protein because my flock also has ducks and I also use my extra cockerels as fryers. But I believe you should be good.

Eta: Most layer and developer feeds are around 16% protien

 

[artsyrobin]

that is close to what dumor brand is-
we buy dumor layer feed 50lbs for $14

i have 2 dark brahma chicks, when looking at adding birds after loosing some of my older hens, the light brahmas i have had had no illness' and no issue with heat or cold, so thats why i chose them over cochins, my other big love- but my large fowl cochins couldn't deal with the heat last year and lost the few i had-

so these are my brahmas- Lilly and Emmy



and the new kids- any clue as to boys and girls? Other than boys are slow feathering?