At a Crossroads on Feed!

[Mimi13]

One way to train birds to waste less is, cut off access to the feeder for a couple hours. They'll clean up the mess in no time.

I am going to start doing this today. They do pick up feed from the ground, however, not all of it. Thus the ants!

 

[WVduckchick]

I think my TSC sells the Flock Raiser in pellet form, but I have mostly bantams, so I stick with the crumbles.

Sometimes raising a hanging feeder to the point where they have to almost stretch to reach it, and can't scrape it out with their beak will help. I also don't over-fill them. I provide enough for the day. My husband says "why don't you fill it all the way up?"..... because more ends up on the ground when they have excess! lol

I have also tried a couple of the small pig gravity feeders with decent success of reducing waste. It has a lip on the front edge making it harder for them to flip the feed out.

As far as roosters and layer feed.... I've read all the stuff about it not being good for them, and the harms it causes, and I feel there is probably some truth to it. But I breed and sell hatching eggs, so I don't keep roosters long enough for it to be a problem. I have a couple roosters that are 2-3 years old and have seen no issues with them. I know roosters get the raw end of the deal many times, but I feed what's best for the majority of the flock at the time. I prefer Flock Raiser when its not double the price of layer or grower/finisher.

 

[Mimi13]

I think my TSC sells the Flock Raiser in pellet form, but I have mostly bantams, so I stick with the crumbles.

Sometimes raising a hanging feeder to the point where they have to almost stretch to reach it, and can't scrape it out with their beak will help. I also don't over-fill them. I provide enough for the day. My husband says "why don't you fill it all the way up?"..... because more ends up on the ground when they have excess! lol

I have also tried a couple of the small pig gravity feeders with decent success of reducing waste. It has a lip on the front edge making it harder for them to flip the feed out.

As far as roosters and layer feed.... I've read all the stuff about it not being good for them, and the harms it causes, and I feel there is probably some truth to it. But I breed and sell hatching eggs, so I don't keep roosters long enough for it to be a problem. I have a couple roosters that are 2-3 years old and have seen no issues with them. I know roosters get the raw end of the deal many times, but I feed what's best for the majority of the flock at the time. I prefer Flock Raiser when its not double the price of layer or grower/finisher.

I do raise my hanging feeders and I feel for the birds when they eat, with their little necks stretched up to eat. I think a small part of the feed scattering is due to when the littles have to run off and away from the originals. This is worse only in the mornings when they are all trying to eat.

So, before I resort to feeding all my chickens a layer feed, it is okay for me to feed the grower/finisher, even with the higher than normal protein %? I just don’t want to hurt all the birds.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Purina QUIT making the pellet form of FR and don't even have it on their website anymore... as far as I know. TBH, I think the reason is they were having too much mold issues.

Adding water to make a mash can help avoid waste, for some people. I also don;t have MUCH waste issue... making sure feeders are raised to same level as the back.

Pass on Dumor feeds for me, too many reports of birds doing less than their best. But some people have acted satisfied.

I choose FR not only for my stags but also because I have chicks, broody's, and molting hens ALL the time. TBH... that whole calcium is bad for the roos thing... is A LOT of fear mongering. It's true that kidney failure or gout *can* happen. That doesn't mean it will. It is more likely for those who are genetically predisposed and very often overfed low quality treats. Many people have never fed anything but layer and have roosters living 8 years +!

No, I probably wouldn't feed a high protein greater than 20 ish % long term to layers... but it depends on their breed and the rest of their environment, free ranging changes things... AND 22% protein was shown to give the best hatch rates. But I would stay within 18-22% except during molt I *might* boost to 25-28% using game bird/turkey feed.

Regarding the ants... when I volunteered at a wildlife rehab... the locations where ants invaded... the feed dish sat inside another dish of water... like a mote. I also feel like I have seen they would not cross a Vaseline line??? I might make a bead of Vaseline around the base of the feeder... issue I see is dirt coating it quickly and no longer working IF it did in the first place. Odd, I never had ants go after chicken feed except watermelon and such. But I did watch them consume a dead rat this week! Ants are veracious... I would consider spraying near the ant source some permethrin or other fairly chicken safe product. Don't know if it is supposed to work against ants but it works for so many others I have a hard time thinking not.

I too can NOT get any fresher feed than you... and currently go through two 50# bags/week but only shop once per month. Make sure it is stored well on your end... THAT counts.

Good luck!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

So, before I resort to feeding all my chickens a layer feed, it is okay for me to feed the grower/finisher, even with the higher than normal protein %? I just don’t want to hurt all the birds.

Grower/finisher/layer/starter... confusing terms... a little more protein WON'T hurt your birds, any of them.... 35% protein might be an issue... stay under 25% and you will be fine... IMO, and according to research I have done.

If you really are concerned... mix two feeds to get where you want to be.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Use an all flock type feed when you have mixed ages and non laying birds. This can be anything from non medicated starter to grower or even a meat bird or game bird feed. Provide oyster shell free choice.

For less waste pellet form in my experience is the way to go. Around 10 weeks of age, depending on size of birds, you can switch over to a pellet feed. I use Turkey/gamebird finisher as an all flock in pellet form.

The incredible waste from feeding crumbles can be curbed some by bringing in the feeder a few hours before they roost. Let's them clean up all they dumped on the ground. When first switching back to crumble do to new chicks my birds will empty half the feeder first few days. Knowing this I don't fill it and take it away before noon until that behavior stops.

 

[Mimi13]

Purina QUIT making the pellet form of FR and don't even have it on their website anymore... as far as I know. TBH, I think the reason is they were having too much mold issues.

Adding water to make a mash can help avoid waste, for some people. I also don;t have MUCH waste issue... making sure feeders are raised to same level as the back.

Pass on Dumor feeds for me, too many reports of birds doing less than their best. But some people have acted satisfied.

I choose FR not only for my stags but also because I have chicks, broody's, and molting hens ALL the time. TBH... that whole calcium is bad for the roos thing... is A LOT of fear mongering. It's true that kidney failure or gout *can* happen. That doesn't mean it will. It is more likely for those who are genetically predisposed and very often overfed low quality treats. Many people have never fed anything but layer and have roosters living 8 years +!

No, I probably wouldn't feed a high protein greater than 20 ish % long term to layers... but it depends on their breed and the rest of their environment, free ranging changes things... AND 22% protein was shown to give the best hatch rates. But I would stay within 18-22% except during molt I *might* boost to 25-28% using game bird/turkey feed.

Regarding the ants... when I volunteered at a wildlife rehab... the locations where ants invaded... the feed dish sat inside another dish of water... like a mote. I also feel like I have seen they would not cross a Vaseline line??? I might make a bead of Vaseline around the base of the feeder... issue I see is dirt coating it quickly and no longer working IF it did in the first place. Odd, I never had ants go after chicken feed except watermelon and such. But I did watch them consume a dead rat this week! Ants are veracious... I would consider spraying near the ant source some permethrin or other fairly chicken safe product. Don't know if it is supposed to work against ants but it works for so many others I have a hard time thinking not.

I too can NOT get any fresher feed than you... and currently go through two 50# bags/week but only shop once per month. Make sure it is stored well on your end... THAT counts.

Good luck!

Well, I guess that is why I cannot find the pellets on their website anymore. Bummer!

I don’t know why, but we are inundated with dang ants, to the point I have to hang our outside dogs’ food bowls and cat bowls. We also keep our bags of horse feed (sticky and sweet) in a wheelbarrow with Garden and Poultry Dust around the bottom of the bag. That is also what I put underneath the chicken feeders. Once the ants crawl through the dust they die within minutes

Funny fact: I have sat and watched my chickens eat their feed from a line, like on a conveyor belt. The little white bits of feed are being moved by ants and the chickens are picking them off, one by one!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Funny fact: I have sat and watched my chickens eat their feed from a line, like on a conveyor belt. The little white bits of feed are being moved by ants and the chickens are picking them off, one by one!

I NEED to see a video!

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

We have pellet feed and water inside the coop for early mornings and if it is raining but otherwise they forage all their food except for the once a day, three hands full of meal worms treat they get when I feed the hogs. We had an ant problem but I used spent coffee grounds to cover the ant mound and all around it, no more ants. If you have ants after using spent coffee grounds, just buy some cheap coffee grounds and use fresh grounds to cover and around the ant hill then sprinkle gently to soak the fresh grounds. The ants will be gone soon after the treatment. The best part is no poison, no harm to chickens or good bugs, just dead ant hill.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Well, I guess that is why I cannot find the pellets on their website anymore.

Nutrena Naturewise, makes a All-Flock pellets feed. They don't carry it at either of my two TSC.
But you can go to the Nutrena website and put in your zipcode to find a dealer near you.
I did that and found a dealer. The only problem was I had to pay for the feed and drive out back to their warehouse to have it put in my car.
Hopefully the dealer near you has the feed in the store so you can check the date before buying.
https://www.nutrenaworld.com/product/naturewise-all-flock-feed
GC