Best brand of laying feed for chickens

[Brooks_]

I currently have chicks on Purina Flock Raiser Crumbles as thats what the feed store was feeding them. Purina says it's good for pullets but do you feed this to your mature flock? Any drawbacks? Thanks.​

The only issue is to offer a calcium source -for the active layers- such as oyster shell in a separate dish.

 

[NaineyBug]

The internet is full of wannabe "experts" that are writing blogs for clicks and fame, but know nothing about chickens. Chickens are a fad right now, and the internet is reflecting that. Same goes for various local facebook chicken groups. A lot of myths and misinformation circulate out there. And a LOT of paranoia! I agree with those who said to use this forum instead. There are lots of people on here who have actual experience, and methods that they've tested over time. This site is the best chicken resource out there!

I'm another one of the big fans of flock raiser type of feeds. I use Purina Flock Raiser which is 20% protein and covers all my needs - growing chicks, laying hens, males, retired freeloaders. And I provide calcium on the side (unlimited supply of crushed eggshell, though oyster is fine too). Fish and soy are fine, and Purina is a large and trusted brand so I leave it up to them what they put in there. I'd rather them make use of byproducts from the fish industry that work for this purpose, than add them to a landfill and burden the environment further by creating a whole new pipeline for chicken feed protein. Chickens are scavengers, they don't need organic grass fed filet mignon for their protein needs.

Thanks.

 

[Teresa57]

Why are you avoiding fish or soy? They are both good and inexpensive sources of protein. Depending on your answer, what else I say may be a moot point.

Better than a layer formula is an All Flock or Flock Raiser or Flock Maker formula. Most every brand of chicken feed has one of those, and I use the terms interchangeably. They will usually be in the 18-20% protein range.

Layer feed is usually in the 14-16% range. That's what the commercial chicken keepers have found is the LOWEST they can make the feed, and still get good egg production. At their scale, fractions of a percentage matter to their bottom line.

none of my chicks are laying (3 are molting) what can i add to up the protein %? to help get feathers back?

 

[rosemarythyme]

none of my chicks are laying (3 are molting) what can i add to up the protein %? to help get feathers back?

How old are they? A feed of 18-20% or so would be fine for that purpose, but if they're over a year old and you're in the northern hemisphere, they're not likely to start laying again until after winter solstice unless you supplement light.