Probably not the best but it has worked well for me. A four pound bag spread over a couple of weeks usually does the trick. A couple of my hens had bare skin all spring. Before the blazing summer heat hit them I had to do something two or three days after the extra protein they started getting...
When my birds start molting I buy the cheapest (Old Roy) puppy chow I can find (it's a plant based brand) and the egg production and feather growth rate improves. The only problem I've found is my rooster starts growling at me, lol. Seriously though with 10 birds just a couple of cups of this...
He and the flock are at my home now with plenty of room and no other roosters around. without a tail for balance he is comical to watch trying to mate.
Not new to raising chickens but it's been a while since I've owned any. My wife loves to set in the backyard and talk to and hand feed her biddys. I love to visit on and read the forums. Glad to meet you all.
I couldn't get a closeup but maybe this will help. I'm pretty sure that the two roosters pecked each other pretty badly being in such close quarters.
Sorry for the multiple shots.
I just bought a flock of Barred Rocks that consist of six 5 month old hens and one rooster the same age. They were kept in a small pen with a flock of Black Australorps with their rooster of about the same age. Both roosters had all of their tail feathers missing but my Barred Rock rooster has...