First off, I have 2 hens one RIR and one PR. At the end of may I will be getting three chicks (BA, SLW, Ameraucana) and maybe to pullets. The Problem: I buy organic feed at the buckingham co-op and I feed it to my layers and chicks (from age week 2 and up). I ran out of feed this week and my mom told me she knows what to buy and she said she could go in herself. I was busy doing work so I was happy that I wouldn't have to make the trek in. In the end my mom comes home with the wrong type of feed but it is made with the same company and put in the same type of bag so I didn't figure out it was different in till I had opened the bags (2) and put them in my storage container and fed my chickens. Then looking closer I noticed it was a finer grained and looked like it had added minerals/vitamins. This is the 'Guaranteed analysis' off the bag. NATUR-AILE LAYER FEED This feed contains added selenium at 0.3mg/kg Crude protein: min 17% Crude fat: min 3.00% Crude fiber: max. 5.00% Calcium: Actual 3.50% Phosphorus:Actual 0.70% Sodium: Actual 0.16% Vitamin A: min 10,000 I.U./kg Vitamin D-3: min 3,000 I.U./kg Vitamin E: min 20 I.U./kg What my main questions are: 1. will it impact my chickens to go from organic to this new type of feed? 2. Can I feed chicks this feed? I suppose not.... 3. Should I just go back to the store and buy my usual type of feed? 4. what is selenium???? Thanks in advance, Zoë
If the older birds are already laying or close to it you can feed what you already have. I would not use it for chicks though, but since they aren't coming until May you'll have plenty of time to get the proper feed for them.
I would feed it. Chickens will eat just about anything. Heck they'll even eat chicken. You're chicks will need another feed but you've got a while till the chicks come home. Here is a link to a very good article on selenium in chicken feed. It's a mineral. http://www.worldpoultry.net/chicken...design-defines-response-of-selenium-7811.html
