Can I feed 19 week old laying hens 20% protein?

[lynviviana]

Of course you can. Plenty of us raise birds on 20% all their lives, free choice oyster shell on the side for supplimental calcium. Its usually sold under an "All Flock" or "Flock Raiser" label. Nutrina and Purina are both readily available and generally inexpensive. as you go thru the niche brands, consider non-GMO, no Soy, and Organic, they become more expensive. Expect prices to start around $17-18.50 / 50# bag and go up from there, for much of the nation.

What about feeding crumble and pellets? What is best to feed?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and if you have a local TSC, their "Dumor" brand now has a 20% protein as well, I believe. Its a little cheaper, like buying "store brand" at the grocery, but the comments here on BYC about it have not generally been positive. Lots of complaints aoubt it being powdery.

Of course, if you serve as a wet mash or fermented feed, that's not an issue.

if you have local mills, decent chance a 20% feed is available to you at a decent price.

and whatever you decide, fresher is better!

 

[MysteryChicken]

What about feeding crumble and pellets? What is best to feed?

Pellets seem to last longer then crumbles.

 

[MysteryChicken]

and if you have a local TSC, their "Dumor" brand now has a 20% protein as well, I believe. Its a little cheaper, like buying "store brand" at the grocery, but the comments here on BYC about it have not generally been positive. Lots of complaints aoubt it being powdery.

Of course, if you serve as a wet mash or fermented feed, that's not an issue.

if you have local mills, decent chance a 20% feed is available to you at a decent price.

and whatever you decide, fresher is better!

Our Dumor All Flock is only 17%. Makes my birds eat more, & poop more. Hate that feed, but sometimes have no choice to buy it.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

What about feeding crumble and pellets? What is best to feed?

They are the same feed. Pellet is usually a little more expensive, because it requires an additional machining operation to press the powder into pellets.

The advantage of pellets is in waste management. I'm sure you've noticed that chickens are nOT dainty eaters, food tends to get flung everywhere. Loss can be quite high, 10-15% estimates aren't uncommon. Likely much higher than that with chicks, judging by the bottom of my brooder box. Ducks even worse.

Anyhow, pelleted feed tends to stay together when chickens walk thru it, push it out of the feeder, whatever - meaning there's a decent chance that a hungry chicken wandering by later will see that pellet and eat it off the ground - while crumble tends to get scratched into the earth and mixed with sand until unrecognizable and unpalattable.

Again, many who feed crumble choose to do so as a wet mash (oatmeal like consistency) or a strained ferment (a bit soupier) to reduce waste and combat that. I personally feed crumble as a wet mash.

and if you have hatchlings, full sized pellets don't work well. That's the only situation I can think of where crumble is universally consiered the superior choice.

 

[lynviviana]

Pellets seem to last longer then crumbles.

if possible, can you look through this link and tell me if this is an okay brand to feed? nutrition information should be posted. Do i have to mix this? please educate me. if possible, can you look through this link and tell me if this is an okay brand to feed? https://www.hiprofeeds.com/products/hi-pro-layer-ration-crumble/

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Our Dumor All Flock is only 17%. Makes my birds eat more, & poop more. Hate that feed, but sometimes have no choice to buy it.

Yup - they are counting on people not reading the label, just the meaningless term. But their Starter/Grower is 20% and compares favorably in nutrition labelling to the Nutrena, Purina, etc.

 

[MysteryChicken]

if possible, can you look through this link and tell me if this is an okay brand to feed? nutrition information should be posted. Do i have to mix this? please educate me.

I don't see a link?

 

[lynviviana]

They are the same feed. Pellet is usually a little more expensive, because it requires an additional machining operation to press the powder into pellets.

The advantage of pellets is in waste management. I'm sure you've noticed that chickens are nOT dainty eaters, food tends to get flung everywhere. Loss can be quite high, 10-15% estimates aren't uncommon. Likely much higher than that with chicks, judging by the bottom of my brooder box. Ducks even worse.

Anyhow, pelleted feed tends to stay together when chickens walk thru it, push it out of the feeder, whatever - meaning there's a decent chance that a hungry chicken wandering by later will see that pellet and eat it off the ground - while crumble tends to get scratched into the earth and mixed with sand until unrecognizable and unpalattable.

Again, many who feed crumble choose to do so as a wet mash (oatmeal like consistency) or a strained ferment (a bit soupier) to reduce waste and combat that. I personally feed crumble as a wet mash.

and if you have hatchlings, full sized pellets don't work well. That's the only situation I can think of where crumble is universally consiered the superior choice.

if possible, can you look through this link and tell me if this is an okay brand to feed? nutrition information should be posted. Do i have to mix this? please educate me. https://www.hiprofeeds.com/products/hi-pro-layer-ration-crumble/

 

[lynviviana]

I don't see a link?

yes, sorry i just edited it.