Chicken Feed, Options?

[freemare]

So I have a lot of chickens and right now I am feeding vibrant life that can be found at walmart. Right now its 40lbs for around $12. I started feeding it as its one less trip I have to make. I do live far out in the ranch lands so everything is so far apart. However I have noticed the girls dont like it, they leave a lot and I have to starve them to get them to eat the rest. So i am looking for options on feed. I do have a local feed mill and tried feeding that but I had super bad egg count on that feed. Right now in my area I see a lot of Purina, nutrena and dumor. What do you feed? Have you seen a change? Cost? I live in a small part of AZ, so some feeds I cant get.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I find price is often relevant to protein content and wally sells lower protein feeds in my area though not the same brand you mention. For example the Manna Pro starter they sell is only 18% protein while many other feeds have 22% in their starter. And their layer is 15% verses usually 16%. To me protein is more expensive than oyster shell or corn... so you get what you pay for. Also 22% protein was shown to give the best hatch rates. Which to me says more nutrients going to my birds and thus their eggs which are subsequently nourishing my family.

I use Purina flock raiser with oyster shell on the side since I often have broody's, roosters, chicks, juveniles, and layers. It has 20% protein which works great for my flock. It cost between $17-21 depending on which store I buy from.

Don't forget egg count can be relative to day length and such.

Dumor and many others are still owned and manufactured by Purina. Finding a formulation that you like is key regardless of brand name. Mill date also impacts nutrient levels so trying to get recent mill dates is also important. Some stores don't have enough turn over. I know TSC sells the Purina layer feeds cheaper than the flock raiser and Dumor is made for TSC... so that's a good place to go for comparison shopping.

Good luck!

 

[freemare]

I find price is often relevant to protein content and wally sells lower protein feeds in my area though not the same brand you mention. For example the Manna Pro starter they sell is only 18% protein while many other feeds have 22% in their starter. And their layer is 15% verses usually 16%. To me protein is more expensive than oyster shell or corn... so you get what you pay for. Also 22% protein was shown to give the best hatch rates. Which to me says more nutrients going to my birds and thus their eggs which are subsequently nourishing my family.

I use Purina flock raiser with oyster shell on the side since I often have broody's, roosters, chicks, juveniles, and layers. It has 20% protein which works great for my flock. It cost between $17-21 depending on which store I buy from.

Don't forget egg count can be relative to day length and such.

Dumor and many others are still owned and manufactured by Purina. Finding a formulation that you like is key regardless of brand name. Mill date also impacts nutrient levels so trying to get recent mill dates is also important. Some stores don't have enough turn over. I know TSC sells the Purina layer feeds cheaper than the flock raiser and Dumor is made for TSC... so that's a good place to go for comparison shopping.

Good luck!

I did see that TSC does have the Purina on sale for $15. I started to add some chick feed into my feed as I had some over from my last hatch of babies that did not need it in anymore. I noticed a huge jump in size of eggs and how many i got a day. Maybe i should try a higher protein and see how that goes.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I use all three of those and a few others. I usually pay $11-16 for a 50# bag depending on if it is starter/grower/finisher/layer/all flock.
Your price makes it $15 for 50#.
Personally, I don't trust anything from Walmart and I've never heard of Vibrant Life chicken feed. I thought they only made dog and cat food. Do you check the mill date before you buy feed? Do you check nutrient levels and ingredients?
Sometimes old feed is shunned by chickens. I never buy feed older than 2 months. It also loses nutrients over time.
Some stores harbor feed for way too long. The feed store closest to me will have starter feed they buy in the spring till the following spring.
Usually when feed stores have a sale, it is because the feed is starting to get old.

 

[freemare]

I use all three of those and a few others. I usually pay $11-16 for a 50# bag depending on if it is starter/grower/finisher/layer/all flock.
Your price makes it $15 for 50#.
Personally, I don't trust anything from Walmart and I've never heard of Vibrant Life chicken feed. I thought they only made dog and cat food. Do you check the mill date before you buy feed? Do you check nutrient levels and ingredients?
Sometimes old feed is shunned by chickens. I never buy feed older than 2 months. It also loses nutrients over time.
Some stores harbor feed for way too long. The feed store closest to me will have starter feed they buy in the spring till the following spring.
Usually when feed stores have a sale, it is because the feed is starting to get old.

When i looked it seemed like it was made by mana pro. The feed sells like hot cakes, some times they are sold out for 2 weeks. I do check dates to make sure.

 

[BlueBaby]

I'm in AZ. also! I use Purina Flock Raiser with oyster shell on the side, because I hatch out chick's a lot. I tried the Dumor before, but it was too powdery.

 

[freemare]

Hello, and welcome! I'm in AZ. also! I use Purina Flock Raiser with oyster shell on the side, because I hatch out chick's a lot. I tried the Dumor before, but it was too powdery.

I would use the flock raiser as well, my TSC is always sold out. It drives me nuts.

 

[BlueBaby]

I would use the flock raiser as well, my TSC is always sold out. It drives me nuts.

I read in another thread here in BYC where someone said that TSC now is taking online order's for poultry feed and will ship.

 

[freemare]

I read in another thread here in BYC where someone said that TSC now is taking online order's for poultry feed and will ship.

Hmm, I looked at the website and they still said pick up only on the feed.

 

[BlueBaby]

Here's where I seen it at: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/tsc-now-sells-bulk-feed-by-mail.1290932/