Chicken feed after starter

[mahsad]

Yup, "give them grower", but what alternatives do I have when the chicks are 8 weeks old? Starter mixed with wheat? Anything else?

 

[gryeyes]

I give mine medicated feed for at least two weeks after they have "hit the ground" out of the brooder. They have to be exposed to cocci to build up their immunities; the medicated feed does no good if the chicks ONLY eat it inside their brooder.

My flock has mixed ages and species; I have chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese. So I feed Nutrena All Flock to everybody (except chicks in brooders or in integration/separation quarters. (I have a "grow out" coop for juveniles.). Crushed oyster shell is available free choice for the layers.

Not that I recommend Purina, but if it's the only brand available to you, "Flock Raiser" is pretty similar in purpose to Nutrena All Flock.

 

[mahsad]

I've had a look at nutritional values of wheat and found that wheat contains something about 14% proteins. Would you say wheat is enough to feed besides what leaves the kitchen scraps? Maybe only when the chickens are old enough?

 

[Den in Penn]

If your free ranging, they could get by the way you described. Their performance wouldn't be the best however. Wheat isn't complete in the vitamins and nutrients for a long term feed, and at 14 percent it is a little low on the protein.

 

[Eggcessive]

Chick starter is the same as flock raiser or all flock pretty much(20 % protein.) The only thing is that hens laying age need 3X the calcium, and so you can put some calcium (crushed egg shells or oyster shell) out in a container for the layers when you have them. I have chicks, teenagers, hens, and roosters, so an all flock raiser is the way I feed. Wheat is not always liked by chickens--mine always leave that whenever I give a little scratch for a treat.

 

[mahsad]

So wheat, corn and all that stuff.. When is it used? Only for "adults"? I have had a look at an egg layer feed which should be given as 1:1 with wheat.

By the way, when people say they have 6-9 weeks roosters for fattening to butcher, how do they/you fatten them? Some special hyper-space nucleoactive feed?

 

[Den in Penn]

Milled wheat, corn and all that stuff, is used in commercial feeds along with the minerals vitamins and other things to get a balanced ration for that type of feed starter, grower, all flock or layer. Whole grains can also be used as scratch feed, usually several grains in the scratch mix.