Breeder ration

[michickenwrangler]

I'm already getting excited and thinking about springtime and hatching eggs

And also thinking about breeder ration. The chicks I tried to hatch last year all died at point of hatch and many people suggested that breeder nutrition might not have been optimal. From Gail Damerow's Storey's Guide says that protein needs to be increased as well as giving chickens a vitamin supplement.

Now I get most of my meat from a local dairy farm and I get lots of grass-fed organic ground beef. I also get my milk from there and make cheese so I usually have whey for additional protein and calcium. Now for a vitamin supplement, what about those manna things that they sell at TSC or should I just use the chick electrolyte mix?

Suggestions appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Chris09]

I feed a premixed breeder feed along with a mixture of whole grains and a top-dress 3 times I will add a good vitamin/electrolyte mix to there water.

The breeder feed that I use is a 18% protein and has extra vitamins added in it.
Not knowing what feeds you can get where you are here two feed mfg. that I know that has a premixed breeder feed -
Kent
Buckeye

Chris

 

[michickenwrangler]

When I inquired last year, none of the mills had breeder ration and TSC just had FlockRaiser and Dumor 20% and 24% chick grower. I gave them some fairly expensive cat food and, granted, it was my first time incubating and I thought I had temp/humidity right. The chicks developed normally according to candling pics in Incubating and Hatching section and even before lockdown I could see the legs moving and heart beating, but the one chick that hatched died a few minutes after and the other two never even pipped. Just nothing

Again, others (and my books) mentioned lack of breeder nutrition can cause death at point of hatch. It was a very sad weekend for us and made me reluctant to try again.

This year, I'm going to wait until the weather warms a bit more and the hens are getting more daylight in addition to making sure they get some good food a month beforehand.