best brand of chicken feed?

[cubalaya]

southern states xcell layer pellets and southern states medicated starter grower is all we ever use.

 

[balticbabe]

Chicken feed is a regional issue. I don't think any brand is the same throughout the country. Purina's website says to "Contact your local manufacturing plant for a current feed tag". The bag of Layena I'm using now has soy as the sixth ingredient.

I remembered this discussion a couple years back on ingredients of different brands. The lists posted were different from what I got locally. Since I'm not sure what is best and my girls don't seem to care so I buy different feed each time just to mix it up. Left to their own devices I bet they would eat nothing but berries.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Quote:
I have never seen a feed tag from Purina with ingredients listed. Does it actually say "soy" or plant protein products? What are the first 5 ingredients?? Just curious.

 

[cindylo]

"Mine would just eat berries..." Mine would eat mostlywindfall fruits, vegies and table scraps! I try really hard to get locally produced feed from a small grain mill here. I also provide free will containers of grit and oyster shell. My gals are lovely and good layers - the ones that are old enough to lay. And the younger girls are thriving nicely. Hopefully it's at least partially because Mama Knows Best!

 

[Noymira]

We have a choice between Poulin and Green Mountain Organics, both local.

I buy the Poulin Grower/Finisher crumble for my mixed flock and my chickens love it.

I'd love to try the Green Mountain Organics, but at twice the price I just can't swing it with 20 chickens.

 

[rfwombat]

Anyone in or near CA should check out Modesto Milling feed. The ingredients list is the best I've seen (below) and they have soy free options as well. I run a lot of birds (chickens, ducks and turkeys) on a city lot. I've never had a problem with sickness and all of my birds have beautiful soft feathers and I never have any problems with pecking or cannibalism. I really think it's all the extra ingredients like the DE and the kelp meal that keep my birds healthy.


Ingredients: Organic corn, organic soybean meal, limestone, organic sun-dried alfalfa, organic flaxseed, organic wheat millrun, monocalcium phosphate, organic kelp meal, diatomaceous earth, Redmond conditioner (clay), Redmond salt, DL methionine, poultry vitamin & mineral premix, organic garlic, organic horseradish, organic anise oil, organic juniper berry

 

[Jrb599]

I went to NC State's website as they have 1 of 10 poultry science departments in the country. I'm looking around there for information, but I recommend other people do that. Most of their websites provide invaluable information: http://poultry.ces.ncsu.edu/feeds-and-nutrition/

 

[Chris09]

Anyone in or near CA should check out Modesto Milling feed. The ingredients list is the best I've seen (below) and they have soy free options as well. I run a lot of birds (chickens, ducks and turkeys) on a city lot. I've never had a problem with sickness and all of my birds have beautiful soft feathers and I never have any problems with pecking or cannibalism. I really think it's all the extra ingredients like the DE and the kelp meal that keep my birds healthy.


Ingredients: Organic corn, organic soybean meal, limestone, organic sun-dried alfalfa, organic flaxseed, organic wheat millrun, monocalcium phosphate, organic kelp meal, diatomaceous earth, Redmond conditioner (clay), Redmond salt, DL methionine, poultry vitamin & mineral premix, organic garlic, organic horseradish, organic anise oil, organic juniper berry

The Mfg of this feed must think chickens/ poultry are Herbivores (vegetarians) because I see no animal proteins or fats in this mix, a good poultry feed will have at least one type of animal protein in it along with animal fat.


Chris

 

[duckie mama]

my ladies get layena pellets but the also are free range. so heaven help the mice and bugs. all animal protein is natural and organic as i have not sprayed my yard for bugs in over 15 years, as i am alergic to the chemicals. my dh says the only reason we got the chickens was for bug control. they also get whatever meat scraps are leftover from supper, usually chicken or fish and they love it. I raise corn tomatoes squash and grapes in the summer so they get a varied diet year round. If you think they go crazy for grapes triy home dried raisens. it is the bomb to watch them chase each other around playing raisen ball.
yes they are spoiled, but i get lots of eggs and my grankids love to get the blue nd pink ones in their cartons every week.

 

[iowachick40]

I was using Nutrena last year, have switched to Purina Layena and Purina chick starter. I love Purina and my birds are very healthy with very glossy feathers with lot's of shine. I have been very happy with Purina and my my birds love it. They recover faster after their molting as well.The eggs shells are strong. They eat every bit of the scratch grains,but the Nutrena scratch grain are still on the ground 2 days later. In my area Nutrena is everywhere and I have to drive over an hour to get the Purina, well worth it for us. I have never seen such nice results from Nutrena. I am so glad I switched. I am not happy that it does cost a couple bucks more per bag , but it pays off for me having healthy birds.