Informal Survey - What do you feed and why?

[scampisi]

I buy King or Modesto Mill organic 17% pellets for layers depending which one is the freshest. I think my birds prefer the Modesto Mill.
I put avian super pack vitamins/probiotic in water 3 days a week.
Crushed oyster shells. Scratch with a little black oil sunflower seeds and mealy worms--sparingly!
Morning pellets moistened with a little buttermilk. I supplement evening feed with a couple slices of ground salt free whole grain wheat bread mixed with kale/spinach and peas. Once in a while I give them cooked eggs or a little salt free tuna (Trader Joe's) especially during molts. No table scraps.
I only feed what they will eat that day. Fresh pellets and water daily.

 

[XxMingirlxX]

Non medicated layers pellets and girt/oyster shell mixed in, Apple cider added to water every fourth day.

 

[Stuffedcritter]

I raise rabbits and chickens both so try streamline the feed for both local game bird mix soaked with aoc, herbs fresh/dried ( rosemary,mint, nettle, Oregon,pepper flakes, marigold, what ever else is growing in garden.) also get the shaft from alfalfa, 3 x week T of canned dog food winter, and table scraps if the dog allows it. Summer they get chicken tractor this wicked winter they spent in the garage. Try to stay chemical and soy bean free and couple clove of garlic in water. Their favorite past time is scratching threw rabbits droppings. So hoping between herbs,aoc, DE, and green pumpkin seeds all fur and feathers stay healthy.

 

[draye]

Stay tuned. I'll get mine tomorrow hopefully.

 

[enola]

deleted- will repost to correct something I forgot

 

[perchie.girl]

I ferment my feed. Purina All Flock 2/3 by volume, scratch feed 1/3 by volume. Free choice grit & oyster shell. Plus table scraps.

I started fermenting because I felt guilty for not being able to allow the girls any pasture time. In no time I realized my feed costs were rduced by 30% or more. The coop smells better, their shells are thicker, their molting time was shorter, and their feathers are shinier and softer.

That would be my first choice if I could live at home. But I have to depend on feed dispensers.

deb

 

[piglett]

Blue Seal layer pellets in cold weather & fermented feed in the warm months.

 

[XxMingirlxX]

Oh and my hens also get grass clippings, leaves and whatever is leftover from dinner (apart from carrots which the don't like for some reason)

 

[Tomtommom]

I feed Nutrena layer crumble. Either country feeds (because it's good value... $12.50 for 50lbs) or Naturewise (better looking, little more expensive, but that stupid 'ooooh it's vegetarian' claim drives me nuts).

Used to feed Purina Sunfresh but the quality varied a lot bag to bag and I paid $17-18 for 50lbs.

I would like to have a non-gmo organic option, but I have yet to find one that's not $40 for 50b bag. Just not going to happen.

I like having a good all round feed that covers the birds needs for a reasonable price. Nutrena seems to do that for now. I would pay up to $20-$25 for 50lbs of non-GMO organic feed, because I actually have people requesting eggs like that.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Feed:

I feed Scratch & Peck Grower (17% protein) : Organic Peas, Organic Wheat, Organic Barley, Organic Corn, Organic Linseed Meal, Organic Camelina Meal, Fish Meal, Vitamin and Mineral Pre-mix, Limestone (Calcium Carbonate), Organic Vegetable Oil. + Calf Manna (1 cup slightly ground to every 10 lbs of feed). [ETA: And because of this thread I'm going to try adding in some UltraKibble, too]

I like that it’s whole grain, organic, and verified Non-GMO. I like that it’s from a small business. I like that it’s sold locally by small, local shops. And I like how large, glossy, and healthy my chickens are. Since I have a cockerel, and I plan on keeping him (neighbors have all signed off on his being here), I will continue to feed Grower.

They free feed from a treadle feeder. Oyster shell and grit is free choice.

*I was doing fermented feed, but I had trouble getting it to ferment and then when it warmed up, it suddenly got shot through with mold like blue cheese. The chickens seem MUCH happier with free feeding than they were with the fermented feed twice a day. No more squabbles at "feeding time". No resource guarding. No chasing the lowest raking pullet away from the food.

Scratch:

Currently I am using Modesto Milling Organic Scratch (8.2% protein): Organic corn (cracked), organic milo (whole), organic wheat (whole), organic sunflower (whole) mixed with dried meal worms and black soldier fly larva. This may change, as the chickens don’t seem to care for the milo and having it on the ground attracts other birds and rodents. So I’m probably going to switch to something I put together myself.


Other Treats:

Sprouted hard red wheat.
Sprouted BOSS.
Wheat grass.
Assorted kitchen scraps (whatever vegetables my friend brings from her restaurant)
Assorted weeds from the yard.

They get some kind of greens every day. And a handful of the sprouts.

When the weather is terrible and they can't free range. I try to give them scratch inside a rolling treat dispensers and the occasional small, homemade flock block.

Water:

They have an automatic waterer. I try to put AVC into it every few days.