Best Broiler Feed?

[rosetarantelli]

Hey I'm starting my first round of Cornish cross broilers in the spring. What are some good quality reasonably priced feed options?

 

[iwltfum]

Depends on what's available in your area first. And second, how important are labels like organic and non-gmo to you.

Diving deeper....Some people want buy as local as possible - which you might be able to find - locally mixed and milled feed in your area. Some of the die hard purists buy their own grains individually and crack and mix them together on their own...

But if you're trying to keep it simple, whatever fits your budget and eco mindset (or not) at your closest feed store ought to be completely sufficient.

Edit to add: assuming you're in the lower 48 US

 

[rosetarantelli]

Depends on what's available in your area first. And second, how important are labels like organic and non-gmo to you.

Diving deeper....Some people want buy as local as possible - which you might be able to find - locally mixed and milled feed in your area. Some of the die hard purists buy their own grains individually and crack and mix them together on their own...

But if you're trying to keep it simple, whatever fits your budget and eco mindset (or not) at your closest feed store ought to be completely sufficient.

Edit to add: assuming you're in the lower 48 US

Thanks for this insight! It made me think more into what I want....
I'm not going to do organic or non-gmo even though it would be ideal- I'm just starting out and it seems too expensive to me.
I did find a local feed mill near me. I'm going to talk to them and then price compare because I want to support local.
I have heard some people say its cheeper to crack and mix your own if you have a large enough scale but I don't think I can commit to that either.
Is there controversy on feeding your chickens soy and other additives? Is that important?
Also I'm seeing videos of farmers saying they feed their chickens cooked venison organs in the winter to increase their protein consumption and they're producing TONS of eggs all through out the winter. Can anyone speak to this method or similar alternatives for egg production in the winter?
Thank you!!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is there controversy on feeding your chickens soy and other additives? Is that important?

Depends on what the additives are but to some people soy or additives are important, to some they are not. To me soy is OK as long as the nutrients in the total of what they eat is balanced.

Also I'm seeing videos of farmers saying they feed their chickens cooked venison organs in the winter to increase their protein consumption and they're producing TONS of eggs all through out the winter. Can anyone speak to this method or similar alternatives for egg production in the winter?

Could you please post a link to those videos? I'd like to see them in context.

What you feed them has little to do with whether they lay at all during the winter, let alone produce a ton of eggs. Unless you manipulate the lights so they cannot tell if the days are getting shorter most hens stop laying in the fall and molt to replace worn out feathers. Some pullets will skip the molt their first year and continue laying throughout the winter but practically all older hens are going to stop laying in fall/winter until the molt is over.

What chickens need to lay eggs is a balanced diet. That does not mean they need a precise amount of any one nutrient, there is a range that works. Those nutrients include vitamins, minerals, fats, fiber, protein, and more. There is nothing wrong with feeding them meat to increase their protein intake, I feed mine mice, rats, raccoon, possum, and skunks throughout the year when I trap them. Venison, whether organs or other meat products, would work well. If I hunted deer they would get some of that. But you do not want that meat or meat products to be their sole diet.

If you have it I'd feel comfortable in feeding it to them. But I'd feed it in moderation. It will not cause them to lay. The extra protein may make the eggs a tiny bit larger than otherwise. You may get a ton of eggs but it will not be because of the meat. You'd probably get the same number of eggs anyway.

 

[rosetarantelli]

Depends on what the additives are but to some people soy or additives are important, to some they are not. To me soy is OK as long as the nutrients in the total of what they eat is balanced.


Could you please post a link to those videos? I'd like to see them in context.

What you feed them has little to do with whether they lay at all during the winter, let alone produce a ton of eggs. Unless you manipulate the lights so they cannot tell if the days are getting shorter most hens stop laying in the fall and molt to replace worn out feathers. Some pullets will skip the molt their first year and continue laying throughout the winter but practically all older hens are going to stop laying in fall/winter until the molt is over.

What chickens need to lay eggs is a balanced diet. That does not mean they need a precise amount of any one nutrient, there is a range that works. Those nutrients include vitamins, minerals, fats, fiber, protein, and more. There is nothing wrong with feeding them meat to increase their protein intake, I feed mine mice, rats, raccoon, possum, and skunks throughout the year when I trap them. Venison, whether organs or other meat products, would work well. If I hunted deer they would get some of that. But you do not want that meat or meat products to be their sole diet.

If you have it I'd feel comfortable in feeding it to them. But I'd feed it in moderation. It will not cause them to lay. The extra protein may make the eggs a tiny bit larger than otherwise. You may get a ton of eggs but it will not be because of the meat. You'd probably get the same number of eggs anyway.

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Here’s the link I saw, he was giving the organs in moderation a long with their normal diet. I think he was saying they need more of those nutrients and protein in the winter because they’re trying to stay warm and they’re working harder and that’s why egg production was down for him. I know daylight plays a large part in it though and I’m still new to all of it but I thought it was interesting that chicken owners in the comments were saying similar things. I was wondering if I should be supplementing something in the winter when they might need a little more after seeing this?
Also, that’s cool that you feed them the critters your trap they probably love it. Do you cook or process them? Or are they servered raw and whole?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Served raw. Mice are served whole. The others are split open so they can get to the insides.