Best Feed For Reproducing Flock

[SamanthaBrooke]

Hi there,
I am wondering what the best diet would be for my small flock of serama's. I have 6 hens and 2 roosters (one rooster hasn't found his crow yet hehe) I have many hens on fertile eggs and hatching eggs as I write this. I have been feeding them Purina Layena Pellets and I think they are okay but I'm not thinking it is the best for them if we are not consuming the eggs. They have most certainly been laying a lot of eggs, in fact I am expecting nearly 20 hatches this month so far

When their off spring hatches I pull the chicks and raise them under heat so they are tame for family pets.
I have called a few local feed stores but their advice hasn't really helped me because they deal more with meat and egg consumers.

Thank you for reading and the advice in advance!!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I to have Seramas. : )

Really, just about any feed you buy from the store is junk, but the Purina is one of the better feeds, I think. My poultry like it alot more than our local feed store's brand, which is Hi-Pro. It's nasty! The chickens hate it. But it's either that or starve. Really if you could get a feed mill to mix you your own feed, that would be the best thing. But, since you only have a couple of birdies that might not be the best bet for you. Do they have acess to grass and bugs? I'd say from what you've written above, they are doing good. You can raise meal worms and such, which are high in protien and super good for your babies. That would be a good source of food for them, and a whole lot better than the feed you buy in the feedstores. My birds also really enjoy scrambled/boiled eggs. Also yogurt, cheese, just about anything. We feed all our table scraps to our birds.
Good luck with your babies!

~ Aspen

 

[SamanthaBrooke]

Thank you for the advice! My babies do not have access to the out doors due to a hawk issue.
How do I raise metalwork? They absolutely love them and crickets!

I also feed them leftovers like wrinkled grapes and broccoli and other greens and fruit when I have them.