Can / Should I feed same food year around

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NCFF

NCFF

In the Brooder
8 Years
Dec 10, 2011
67
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There have been many threads on this subject, but somehow I am still confused. Kind of like the feeling I get when I go to the Shampoo aisle at the store

I have a mixed flock and would like to fed everybody the same basic food year around, plus or minus additional nutritional needs (oyster shell, scratch in winter, oats, or what ever).
Everybody has access to a grass pen during the day
Chickens- 2 yrs old laying
Ducks- 5 months POL
Geese - 5 months old no eggs yet

I currently have everybody on 75% soy free layer pellet/25% Whole oats( only whole or crimped available in my area).
http://www.baraleinc.com/products/poultry/product-info/16layer all natural.pdf

I am pick up fed today(ordered in 2 bags of pellets , so I need to use those) But if I want to switch to something else now is the time to do it. My birds are all in good health, but want to provide a correct food for the longevity of my flock.

Some options to ponder would be helpful ~ thank-you
 
NCFF said:
There have been many threads on this subject, but somehow I am still confused. Kind of like the feeling I get when I go to the Shampoo aisle at the store

I have a mixed flock and would like to fed everybody the same basic food year around, plus or minus additional nutritional needs (oyster shell, scratch in winter, oats, or what ever).
Everybody has access to a grass pen during the day
Chickens- 2 yrs old laying
Ducks- 5 months POL
Geese - 5 months old no eggs yet

I currently have everybody on 75% soy free layer pellet/25% Whole oats( only whole or crimped available in my area).
http://www.baraleinc.com/products/poultry/product-info/16layer all natural.pdf

I am pick up fed today(ordered in 2 bags of pellets , so I need to use those) But if I want to switch to something else now is the time to do it. My birds are all in good health, but want to provide a correct food for the longevity of my flock.

Some options to ponder would be helpful ~ thank-you
Click to expand...
I copied this off of Iains thread about the rescued geese but I thought it was alot of info, all my flock eat together out of the same feeders so they all get the same feed, and I offer oyster shell for my layers.

After we finished the round up, we discussed nutrition and enrichment suggestions to improve overall care. He is a STRONG believer in geese living on grass (I got extra gold stars for my set up lol). He felt that a feed program should be 80% grass or grass hay and 20% grain supplement. He felt the 50/50 blend of Flockraiser and whole oats was better than 100% mazuri!! Yes, he said it! He pointed out the 1st ingredient of Mazuri is ground corn, which is crap. All grains should be in whole form. Oats, barley, wheat are all great. Whole kernel corn is a good optional supplement to put on weight or to provide extra calories in winter. He showed me a powerpoint presentation of feeders to recommend for birds in small yards. He felt they should be randomly scattered and filled randomly once per day. I will have to get the pics from him to post, but they basically came in 3 forms, all of which required the geese to think to get small quantities of food at a time. The one is liked the best was a homemade hanging deer feeder. The 2nd one was a box with a lid (and top of sides were cut out for bird safety) that the bird had to lift to gain access to food (then the lid had a hinge to auto close it). The 3rd was
 
Going Bhonkers said:
That IS good info, Miss Lydia, thanks! I guess its time to visit the bird rescue page for another update!
Click to expand...
thumbsup.gif
 
I forgot to mention I feed Purina Flock raiser and just started adding whole oats to this they all love it, have also been buying wheat. barley and split peas at the grocery store in the bulk bins but I think because it's so expensive i won't do that anymore. [I love to spoil them]
 
For your chickens, feed in addition to laying ration for your laying hens should not exceed 15% of their calorie intake, or you reduce the protein level and cause an imbalance in the calcium to phosphorus ratio. Oats are unlikely to cause any problems at the rate you are feeding them, but will probably reduce the number of eggs you get due to decreased protein levels. I noticed when my birds were on Flock Raiser that their eggs were very thin-shelled despite free access to oyster shell.

I agree that geese are much better off eating mostly grass or grass hay - they do just fine on it, it is inexpensive, and keeps them from becoming obese which can be a problem on chicken feeds.
 
1muttsfan said:
For your chickens, feed in addition to laying ration for your laying hens should not exceed 15% of their calorie intake, or you reduce the protein level and cause an imbalance in the calcium to phosphorus ratio. Oats are unlikely to cause any problems at the rate you are feeding them, but will probably reduce the number of eggs you get due to decreased protein levels. I noticed when my birds were on Flock Raiser that their eggs were very thin-shelled despite free access to oyster shell.

I agree that geese are much better off eating mostly grass or grass hay - they do just fine on it, it is inexpensive, and keeps them from becoming obese which can be a problem on chicken feeds.
Click to expand...
I have always fed my flock FR and never had a problem with thin shells, I'm not saying it can't happen but It's all I have fed for over 8yrs. matter of fact my Muscovies eggs are so thick and hard you just about have to have a hammer to crack them open.
 
As far as the chickens go ~ they are more for bug and snake patrol than anything else. They are cuties(Dorkings and a Cochin),but I am not breeding them. The WH ducks are going to be my main flock for eggs. The Pilgrim Geese are going to be with me for a long time and they are pretty darn cool. They are great sentinels.

I did not realized that the flock raiser comes in pellet form. I like the idea of flock raiser being the main feed and then supplementing with other feed stuff (grains,sprouts,hay,green grass, etc.) as needed for life stages and time of season. I have to special order it, local stores only have crumples. I'll start switching over to that today. I need to read here about feeding hay. I would think the oat hay would get stuck in their croup.
 
NCFF said:
As far as the chickens go ~ they are more for bug and snake patrol than anything else. They are cuties(Dorkings and a Cochin),but I am not breeding them. The WH ducks are going to be my main flock for eggs. The Pilgrim Geese are going to be with me for a long time and they are pretty darn cool. They are great sentinels.

I did not realized that the flock raiser comes in pellet form. I like the idea of flock raiser being the main feed and then supplementing with other feed stuff (grains,sprouts,hay,green grass, etc.) as needed for life stages and time of season. I have to special order it, local stores only have crumples. I'll start switching over to that today. I need to read here about feeding hay. I would think the oat hay would get stuck in their croup.
Click to expand...
I'm a little concerned about feeding hay to and for that reason. since it says they like short grasses, but I am looking into hay. I always fed pellets but in spring when my chickens and ducks are hatching the babies can't eat the pellets so I switched to the cumbles and everyone eats them, because of my feeders I don't think they are wasting much of it by getting it on the ground. Especially the chickens because they can't get into the feeders and scratch it out. You have to special order? and here you can't get anything but Purina.
 
Interersting info. I WISH I could find Flock Raiser in pellets here. Alot is wasted but at least the chickens pick up much that the ducks and geese drop.
 

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