Feeding Game Rooster Grain Scratch as complete feed for mixed medium flock.

[ChickenWinner22]

I have a medium flock of chickens and couple of ducks can I feed them JUST game rooster scratch? I'm not familiar with hen laying feed I need something more streamline to buy in bulk. Will this type of scratch be ok for mixed flock ?

 

[ChickenWinner22]

This is the bag of game rooster feed it's from west feed inc.

 

[nuthatched]

That's a really nice scratch but not a complete feed, try some all flock/flock raiser.

 

[ChickenWinner22]

That's a really nice scratch but not a complete feed, try some all flock/flock
raiser

That's a really nice scratch but not a complete feed, try some all flock/flock raiser.

Ok Ill look into all flock feed

 

[Al Gerhart]

Many decades ago I raised game birds and they could get by on scratch just fine as you really didn't want them to "grow" as in put on weight. When they were being prepared to fight you would put them up in a keep, small dark hutches and feed them high protein and exercise them. Feeding backyard chickens a game feed is not a good idea.

If you are raising broilers you need a balanced ration that is efficient for that purpose and get the birds to weight before they get too old and become tougher and have health problems. If you are just raising hens for eggs you want to feed a balanced ration for that to optimize egg production.

Feeding hens too much scratch just makes them fat and creates health problems and fewer eggs. Go with the commercial pellets or mash then supplement with table scraps or free range if you are lucky enough to be in a location you can get away with that.

 

[629864]

I have 16 year-old laying hens (Rhode island reds), 3 six-month-old guineas (unknown sex but at least one female), and "new" chicks that are 12 weeks old (4 brown leghorn pullets, 3 brown leghorn roos, 9 unknown-sex easter eggers). The hens and guineas are fully free range, but hens roost and lay in a henhouse. Introductions between established flock and new chicks between fencing for several weeks has gone great and I'm a few weeks from opening the chicks up to free ranging with all the others. Everyone has free food and hens have a bowl with oystershell/eggshell mix available at all times, plus I throw out treats (a mix of laying hen feed and scratch) to herd the hens into their pen in the evenings. My question is how to provide food (in supplementation to what they get from free ranging) with such a diverse mix. What about when we add turkeys, ducks, and geese this spring? What do you all do with several breeds and both males/females in your free-range flock?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

OK, here goes. 16% protein is minimal - most of us recommend 18-20% for overall flock health. Fiber is a bit high, but not critically so.

Concerns are these:
One) Lysine and Methionine are both low, particularly for any growing bird - desperately low with hatchlings. Any bird raised on that will never grow to potential, they may look "normal" but will be stunted compared to where they should have been

Two) While I see "Niacin Suppliment", that's advertised as rooster feed, not duck and geese feed. You need to contact West, and ask what Niacin level is in the feed - chances are, its deficient for ducks. Or, you can suppliment with Brewer's Yeast (or Nutritional Yeast from the Supermarket). CHECK LABELS. Some are "enriched", others are not. Dusks have niacin needs very similar to our own, roughly 2x what a chicken needs. How much to add to your feed will depend on the concentration - come back here, we'll help you with the math.

Three) That's a "whole grain" mix. Creatures of all sorts are really bad abotu picking out favorites, leaving the rest to critters lower int he pecking order - sort of liek the neighborhood bully taking the best candy from everyone's trick or treat bags. That increases the chances of dietary imbalance. At minimum, you want to feed that as a sprouted or fermented mass to try and curb those tendencies.

While I like that you are feeding local and likely fresh (probably saving some cash as well) you want to review West's other options, or make long term plans for supplimentation. Particularly with mixed flocks, its very hard to find a good, low maintenance for you, option that is not an "All Flock/Flock Raiser" type feed plus free choice oyster shell on the side. 18-20% protein, fat of 3-5% optimally, fiber of 2.5-5% optimally, Calcium 1%+/-, Lysine 0.6%+, Methionine 0.3%+

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