best brand of chicken feed?

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
You're so lucky! I pay as much for shipping as I do for the feed. Darn. But the feed is so good, I'm willing to pay.

I'll say Purina is crap. get a load of the dog food and cat food labels.. Poultry Digest.. This is what comes out of the birds after they eat and includes the litter.
It's ground up and given to our house pets. Coupled with the amount of antibiotics in that feed.. It's scary.
AND to interpret the feed label. It says No "RUMINENT" meat or bone mal products added.. It doesn't exclude ground up dead chickens and their body parts.. EEEWW!!

But wouldn't you think that if Purina was crap, then a person's chickens would not be healthy, stay sick a lot, not be productive and look like crap?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
I don't see anything wrong with Purina, I just feel it's overpriced for what you are getting. I've tried about every feed out there including a short stint with trying to make my own. My chickens all done fine with Purina, no problems other than I did notice after a while a bit of feather picking/eating in some of the more crowded grow out pens. I thinned them down, started throwing them out some extra table scraps and it stopped right away. I put it down to lack of animal protein, but maybe it was just a fluke?

I like animal protein in our chickens feed because chickens naturaly eat bugs, insects, even a mouse every now and then. I just think that chickens aren't natural vegetarians. In a set up like yours where they have room to roam I'm sure they catch bugs and stuff naturally so would be different than those with static coops.

Here Purina is up to about $16.00 a bag or so, Dumor (Which has a bit lower quality ingredients and animal protein) is $13.89.
I buy mine at our local mill or co-op right now for $10.20 a bag. It has the same protein (16%) animal protein, and is milled fresh. I haven't noticed any difference at all in production using any of these. With me it's a price thing, but I feed around a ton of feed a month most times here on the farm, so price is very imporant to me.

I do still buy Purina or Dumor starter because our feed mill only makes 18% chick starter and I use 20% - 24% depending on the breeds.

I think it's just a personal choice thing.

Yes, Purina is expensive. For a few months, I switched to another brand (less expensive) and I could tell the difference in my chickens. Egg production was WAY down when they were not eating Purina and their feathers looked dull. Purina pellets are $14.99 for a 50lb bag here. However I do "add" Purina lay pellets to their feed that I get at the local feed mill. Maybe the combination of the mill feed and the Purina and BOSS help with they way they look and the egg production. I hear you as far as the quantity that is purchased. I buy about 2,000 lbs of feed every few months for all of the animals.

Yes, you're right about their room to roam. They have access to al sorts of yummy, juicy and crunchy bugs. So, I guess it's just a personal choice as you said.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
You're so lucky! I pay as much for shipping as I do for the feed. Darn. But the feed is so good, I'm willing to pay.

I'll say Purina is crap. get a load of the dog food and cat food labels.. Poultry Digest.. This is what comes out of the birds after they eat and includes the litter.
It's ground up and given to our house pets. Coupled with the amount of antibiotics in that feed.. It's scary.
AND to interpret the feed label. It says No "RUMINENT" meat or bone mal products added.. It doesn't exclude ground up dead chickens and their body parts.. EEEWW!!

So you're saying that Purina includes dead chickens and body parts? Can you send me those facts please? I would love to read that article.

 

[B'villechicken]

kuntrygirl,
I think you have illustrated the fact that you feed whatever makes your birds happy and what gets you egg production. As you have seen in this thread, there are varying (and sometimes passionate) opinions about different brands of chicken feed. I am a proponent of "whatever work". Have fun with your girls.

David

 

[kuntrygirl]

B'villechicken :

kuntrygirl,
I think you have illustrated the fact that you feed whatever makes your birds happy and what gets you egg production. As you have seen in this thread, there are varying (and sometimes passionate) opinions about different brands of chicken feed. I am a proponent of "whatever work". Have fun with your girls.

David

Yes but I still like to read facts on different topics. With all the comments about Purina, I was hoping that there were articles out there commenting about the effects of Purina on different animals. It's all about learning.​

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

I agree with kuntrygirl. Some people have made claims about the quality of Purina feed. Others countered with observations on the health of their flocks using Purina feed. So far, the jury is out.

Specific claims about any feed product should be backed up with some evidence. Pointing out that the Purina label excludes ruminant bone meal is an excellent observation and good logic. The next step is to look for evidence that other animal sources may be used.

I think everybody agrees that Purina is kind of pricey.

To reiterate my love for M-G, I just got a 50# bag of excellent feed for $12.50. The Dumor was $13.50. My comments on the quality of M-G vs Dumor are based on the way my flock responds to the feed.

In the past I have repeated the claim that Dumor is made by Purina from lesser quality grain. Does anybody have original sources for this information?

 

[B'villechicken]

Quote:
Yes but I still like to read facts on different topics. With all the comments about Purina, I was hoping that there were articles out there commenting about the effects of Purina on different animals. It's all about learning.

I absolutely agree with you.
David

 

[sunnyvera]

Quote:
Hello Neighbor, my hubby was in Spencer on business and stopped at the feed store and got a bag. It did indeed look real good. Just wish it was closer. We supplement a lot, anyway. Is pork listed on the ingredient list? Then it is the same feed.

 

[12henfun]

so many choices! Sunnyvera where do you live in Ohio?

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Chicken.Lytle :

I agree with kuntrygirl. Some people have made claims about the quality of Purina feed. Others countered with observations on the health of their flocks using Purina feed. So far, the jury is out.

Specific claims about any feed product should be backed up with some evidence. Pointing out that the Purina label excludes ruminant bone meal is an excellent observation and good logic. The next step is to look for evidence that other animal sources may be used.

I think everybody agrees that Purina is kind of pricey.

To reiterate my love for M-G, I just got a 50# bag of excellent feed for $12.50. The Dumor was $13.50. My comments on the quality of M-G vs Dumor are based on the way my flock responds to the feed.

In the past I have repeated the claim that Dumor is made by Purina from lesser quality grain. Does anybody have original sources for this information?

I haven't tried looking it up on the net or anything, I just asked our feed lady at TSC. This is the lady that buys all the feed in our local store, I've gotten to know her due to having her order special feed in the past and making sure when the supply truck runs on Thursdays there is enough if I'm ordering several hundred pounds or a pallet or something. She said it was made by Purina for TSC to sell as their store brand. She said it was basicly the same feed, just used different grains, different grades of grains and it had added animal proteins. That is the only original source I can personally qoute. She's always been helpful to me, although I know there is a large group of TSC haters on here, they have always been helpful to me as long as you know to ask the right people. The cashiers here don't know anything but the registers.
Basicly both feeds are milled at the same plants regionally across the country, just using slightly different formulas. Of course this lady works for TSC, not Purina, so I'm sure a quick letter to Purina would confirm or repute it if it's important to you.​