What feed do you reccommend I get and why?

[TeaChick]

The most expensive foods I've ever purchased were the ones my chickens didn't eat.

I like not worrying about their "complete" nutrition but I have been intrigued by the thought of mixing my own. So far I've thought of doing a half mixed/half pellet thing....I've also thought about doing a fermented feed, but it smells like pig slop.

We put oyster shell in a rabbit feeder but my chickens are not that interested in it. I guess they don't have a need for much extra calcium. Someone mentioned feeding egg shells and I do that too in the Spring when we have an egg surplus, only I boil and chop the entire egg and feed it back to them.

We have 34 chickens and have owned chickens for about 15 years There have been very few health issues come up. Very few. Twelve of my chickens are five years old and although I had a scare today with my Marans roo, all are very healthy...the roo was fine.

Welcome the couple of Newbies I saw post!!

I ferment corn in my utility room. It smells fermented, but it doesn't smell bad; I only let it go 2-3 days. I feed it to them when the water looks cloudy; I don't let it get to looking like there's cottage cheese floating in there. That happened once. =o[

I have yet to have an egg surplus. I haven't been averaging an egg a day and I have nine hens who should ALL be laying!!!

I've only been keeping chickens since this spring. Any tips/advice/etc would be welcome!!! Feel free to PM me, if that's better; I don't want to hi-jack this post. =)

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Oh, I like the idea of a BO! I have a brood hen right now, so that's something that will have to wait. I do have gold Comets, but IDK whether any of them might go broody.

If you don't mind my asking, what kind(s) are you getting?

I like it when things pay for themselves. ;-)

I LOVE my BO, she is just a doll!


I am flip flopping on brands but I know I want a turner and forced air. This is the one I am considering the most http://www.ebay.com/itm/FARM-INNOVA...871?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41785304c7
I had a chat with an owner of a small hatchery and he told me that Styrofoam 'bators have the best hatch rate. Ebay has good prices and free shipping!

 

[farmtotable]

I don't know anything about oyster shells; I'm sure someone on here can help you with that.

I rinse, boil, then dry egg shells, then I grind them in my blender, then mix that into their food.

I had a hen who was sick, she laid me a soft shell egg; I mixed a couple of egg shells into her food the next morning and that evening, she laid me a perfect egg, shell and all. =D
If you're not getting shell-less eggs, you probably don't have to worry about calcium; you might want to offer it free-choice.

Regarding oyster shells, I've read several books/articles that say you should never mix the oyster shells in with their feed, it should always be offered in some other separate feeder. A rabbit feeder works really well for us; it is mounted to the side of the roosting bars in their coop, about a foot away from their pellet feeder. I have to refill it a few times a month. Make sure to buy the shells in bulk at a feed or farm supply store (like the 50 lb bag), it is WAY less expensive than the little five pound bag some retail stores sell. Where I live, the little five pound bag actually costs more than the 50 lb bag. I bought it for about $15 four years ago, and am still working my through it.

 

[TeaChick]

I LOVE my BO, she is just a doll!


I am flip flopping on brands but I know I want a turner and forced air. This is the one I am considering the most http://www.ebay.com/itm/FARM-INNOVA...871?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41785304c7
I had a chat with an owner of a small hatchery and he told me that Styrofoam 'bators have the best hatch rate. Ebay has good prices and free shipping!

Oh, I was asking what kind(s) of eggs. =)

 

[TeaChick]

I LOVE my BO, she is just a doll!


I am flip flopping on brands but I know I want a turner and forced air. This is the one I am considering the most http://www.ebay.com/itm/FARM-INNOVA...871?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41785304c7
I had a chat with an owner of a small hatchery and he told me that Styrofoam 'bators have the best hatch rate. Ebay has good prices and free shipping!

She is beautiful!!!
My light comet is actually lighter than she is. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow. (I like showing off the girls! lol)

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Oh, I was asking what kind(s) of eggs. =)

LOL

My profile pic is one of her eggs with her in the back ground! She lays pinky-peach eggs. which I am told is rare for a BO! I want to breed her to my LBrahma first. If she proves to be a good mama (I'm sure she will) I will also breed her to my EE roo!

As far as the eggs I want to order there are some Wheaten Amerucana and Maran fertalized eggs! Just gorgeous! They are the only thing missing from my flock!

 

[TeaChick]

LOL

My profile pic is one of her eggs with her in the back ground! She lays pinky-peach eggs. which I am told is rare for a BO! I want to breed her to my LBrahma first. If she proves to be a good mama (I'm sure she will) I will also breed her to my EE roo!

I like the idea of pink eggs (and green and blue... anything but white; white are so boring and give the impression of being store-bought lol).
One of my roosters is half LBrahma (and half SLW). He's the young one, so he won't be mating with my Jersey Giant, who is my brood hen; pretty much only my Frizzle Bantam Cochin will let him mate with her. IDK what kinds of babies I'm going to get, I do only have "good layer" breeds. So, that'll be good if I can get them laying.
I want more Bantam Cochin Frizzles, but DH would NEVER get one on purpose. We ended up with the one we have accidentally, she was one of the 11 left when DH went in for a dozen RIR pullets. Happy accident! lol

What kind(s) of eggs are you getting from the other BYCer? Just curious, if you don't mind.

 

[yogifink]

I open feed with Southern States crumbles, and they seem happy enough. Any one else?

They also get a scratch mix every morning consisting of corn, hulled sun flower seed, and some kind of grain like wheat or milo (all 3:1).

Free access to our compost, which gets all of our kitchen and garden scraps.

Limited range, 10 gals in about 1000 sq. ft.



...fat and happy!

 

[TeaChick]

IDK. I want to get a bag of layer feed when they're done with the deer corn I've been fermenting for them.

Speaking of fat, a few of mine got fat being grounded. I hope they start laying and don't hide their eggs.

 

[southernbelle54]

depending on the age of your chickens I give mine the dumor chicken scratch with layena crumbles mixed with grit in the blue and gold bag at tractor supply and once a month I give them a dose of packets of electrolytes I get all of at tractor supply and a i get them a bail of straw for their nest and once a week I give them the left over broccoli, green beans, lettuce, cucumbers all finely chopped and just put into there yard where have them and they love it and you will get more eggs then you know what to do with my girls lay on an average 5-7 eggs a day and when I got them they had been mistreated by their former owners my four ducks love this as well but layens crumbles are the best just mix it with your grit and scratch and scoop it out and put into there feeders
I hope this helps it did for us have fun our girls are a joy to watch oh and one more thing get them a mineral block to peck at the enjoy it all total you will spend about 48.00 a month for all this depending on where you live