What feed do you reccommend I get and why?

[Mickey Lou 04]

I tried layena and I will NEVER EVER do that again, I ended up dumping most the feed!

When I tried it my birds became sickly and a few were disoriented. They were fine on their old feed but we gave it a try anyway. They ALL became lethargic, they didn't handle the cold as well as normal. I don't know if it was the feed store fault, or maybe it was just a bad batch. Either way I ended up dumping the rest of the feed after about a week. Of course we had picked up two bags so i dumped a whole bag of feed!!! I wasn't very happy.

Just a fair warning.

But again it could be the way the feed store stored it too. But Nothing else from there has been bad.

 

[crazyaboutchickens]

I use Nutrena All Flock, Starter, and Scratch. I'd much rather get things from a feed mill, but it all gets turned into Fermented Feed in the end, so why complicate it? Choose what's best for you.

 

[schnebbles]

this might be a dumb question but I've wondered - I have only 5 chickens, all 8 months & under, 2 cockerels and 3 pullets. Can they all eat the same food? I bought flock raiser (I think). I don't know if layer is too much calcium for the boys. The pullets aren't laying yet (all bantams) and I doubt they will now til spring when it's longer days again. I just buy from tSC, but might try the kalmbach. It's made a couple hours from me.

I tried Kent and didn't really see it being worth the drive to get it.

 

[ghostwolf211]

My rooster eats the layers mash....

 

[Triplell]

I have 5 Roosters and they all eat the same thing as the hens do.

 

[Betsy57]

I tried layena and I will NEVER EVER do that again, I ended up dumping most the feed!

When I tried it my birds became sickly and a few were disoriented. They were fine on their old feed but we gave it a try anyway. They ALL became lethargic, they didn't handle the cold as well as normal. I don't know if it was the feed store fault, or maybe it was just a bad batch. Either way I ended up dumping the rest of the feed after about a week. Of course we had picked up two bags so i dumped a whole bag of feed!!! I wasn't very happy.

Just a fair warning.

But again it could be the way the feed store stored it too. But Nothing else from there has been bad.

It may have been moldy. I always check the date on the bottom of the bag. I have had very good response with Purina customer service. They offer a money back guarantee. You should have taken the feed back to the store. Email Beverly Fischer at Purina. She will probably send you some coupons for free feed. She has me in the past. [email protected]

 

[earlybird10842]

I tried layena and I will NEVER EVER do that again, I ended up dumping most the feed!

When I tried it my birds became sickly and a few were disoriented. They were fine on their old feed but we gave it a try anyway. They ALL became lethargic, they didn't handle the cold as well as normal. I don't know if it was the feed store fault, or maybe it was just a bad batch. Either way I ended up dumping the rest of the feed after about a week. Of course we had picked up two bags so i dumped a whole bag of feed!!! I wasn't very happy.

Just a fair warning.

But again it could be the way the feed store stored it too. But Nothing else from there has been bad.

What?!

Sounds like the feed store's issue to me, we have used Purina Layena and another brand for over three years with no problems.

 

[TammyTX]

I am using Sprout Layer crumbles - I like except for the fact it doesn't have enough protein. (16%). So I am going to switch to Sprout All Flock that has 18% and feed them oyster shell.

At first I fed them Naturewise layer pellets. I would LOVE to give it a raving review, because it had excellent ingredients and made my birds very healthy except....16% protein.

My chickens are eating every bit of the Naturewise feed. The only other feed my chickens ate ALL of was the Texas Naturals. The Dumor, the Layena and the other "off brands" from feed stores would only be eaten if the chickens were really hungry. I cannot tell you how many hundreds of pounds of feed has been wasted over the years. I didn't realize that if the chickens LIKE the food they eat it, not waste it.

The 16% protein is okay for me because my chickens free range for part of every day and they have a 50x50 chicken yard full of native grasses, seeds and bugs. Not to mention the treats they get.

 

[TeaChick]

I alternate between layer pellets and fermented deer corn.

 

[TeaChick]

Btw, welcome to BYC!