Consolidated Kansas

[sharol]

I need to buy crumble today (they refuse to eat the pellets unless they are wet mash). Is it better to get 18% protein flock raiser or 16% protein egg maker? They have free choice calcium (oyster shell). I have used both, and they eat both just fine. The 18% flock raiser has a much lower calcium content than the egg maker, and I have one girl consistently laying soft shelled eggs (the other 6 are laying hard shelled eggs). They have been eating the flock raiser in combination with a mash made from 16% pellets (laying feed). I know this has been argued to death, but you all know our weather (especially those of you in Eastern/Central Kansas).

 

[ChooksChick]

Well, let me just confuse the whole thing for all of you...


I make oyster-shell and grit available free-choice to all but the Marans, who get eggshells for their calcium.

Once a month I add liquid calcium to all waterers as a systemic, more absorptive boost. You can find it in the goat section of the feed store.

I feed Resolve Farmer's Helper Ultra-Kibble to all of the birds in a 1:2:3 ratio (by volume, not weight) with scratch and either All-Stock or Sweet Feed from the livestock section.

I know, you're all wondering why, right?

Ultra Kibble is a supplement. It's 40% protein with spices, vitamins, minerals, and all sorts of goodies none of the other feeds have. All of the other feeds are made out of the grains you find in scratch. So when you add scratch, the birds like to eat it, but they get less of the nutrients they need, as scratch is only 8% protein.

By using Ultra-kibble, they get to eat food they like, with the concentrated nutrition they need, all in an interesting mix. If you wet it, it even SMELLS GOOD!

BEST PART: It's cheaper.

The Ultra-Kibble is $22 for a 15# bag- which is a lot more food than you think, as it's crunchy little spheres like cat food, not heavy pellets. BUT when you break it down to how much you spend per scoop (volume) and see that they eat about 75% as much because they're getting better nutrition and don't have to pound the food all day, it really makes a difference.

So...I feed premium food and spend less.

You have to ask Tractor Supply to order it for you. They will do so very gladly. You buy mine off the shelf in the back room and I'll kill you dead. I'm feeding 200 birds and need it all!!!

 

[sharol]

Wow. That is seriously good information. I'll check with Bluestem on the Ultra-Kibble (we don't have a TS in Emporia, and I'll not be in Topeka for a couple of weeks at least.

1 part ultra kibble
2 parts scratch
3 parts all stock or sweet feed

I'm printing to take this with me.

One question, why do the Marans get eggshells instead of oyster shell?

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[ChooksChick]

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Tell them it's made by the C&S suetcakes company- that may help them get it.

I feed eggshells, roasted and crushed, mixed with red pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and any other spice that looks good that day. This goes over the Marans feed once per week as a calcium support because oyster shell decreases the color of the shell. I don't know why, but it works that way!

If you have Marans, you'll see it- crazy business!

 

[ChooksChick]

One more thing:

Sharol brought up a good point about weather. Red pepper flakes in the feed somehow seems to help combs right now.

Big point: Most feeds have insufficient fat content for managing birds well over the winter- I know you've all noticed how much more food they eat right now, right? Well, Ultra-Kibble has more fat, so it helps as an energy source.

For the rest of you, though, there is a great solution- go find the suet cakes and pick out whichever flavor has the best protein content. Usually the nut variety has 8% or so, where the rest are something like 4%. Many times, you can get a 10-pack in a box for about $8.

Just peel off the plastic and give this to them in their feed bowl- they'll really feel better with the fat source.

It will help the combs, too.

 

[sharol]

I wonder if it will affect my Welsumer? She just started laying beautiful dark, speckled eggs.

 

[ChooksChick]

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Yes!

If you have a mixed flock you can use it for all of them- I would in a heartbeat. Mine all get spices and they get eggshells often, but we just don't have enough eggshells to provide this to all of the birds. I hoard for the dark shell layers.

Definitely use all of your eggshells for feeding back in a spice mix to your birds- you'll see a difference.

 

[sharol]

I've been giving them odds and ends as a treat twice a day. Mornings they get soaked pellets plus some canned chopped tomato and the occasional scrambled egg or full fat cottage cheese. Evenings whatever is on hand. The other day I gave them the carcass from a broiled chicken we had for dinner. There was almost nothing left of it. Just a few bones. They also have the remnants of a flock block in their coop (had it since October and there isn't much of it left). Is there such a thing as too much protein or fat? Boy, that sounds stupid when I read it, what I mean is, will they overeat and become unhealthy from food that is too rich for them?

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[ChooksChick]

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My experience has been that they become satiated by fat and protein- the things they seem to eat too much of are starchy things, and it tends to be that they only do so when they have a diet of just processed feeds.

What I mean is: if they are on a diet of pre-processed grain and whatnot (most feeds) then when offered more starchy stuff (scratch, bread, etc.) they eat like mad, and due to the type of calories in the food, they can even become too fat.

If they are on a diet of NOT PROCESSED foods: black oil sunflower seeds, scratch, protein (meat, insects, ultra-kibble, etc.), fat, and greens- well, then they tend to become satiated and don't overeat on anything extra. They tend to pick the thing they are needing and eat it, not overeating any portion of the diet.

I'm a big sucker, too...I sprout wheat and other seed for them, like alfalfa and mung beans.

 

[ChooksChick]

It is a bit disturbing what they'll do to a carcass. It's like a horde of little cute velociraptors and every bit is gone...sometimes I can't find some of the bones.

This makes me wonder if they'll own the Earth again someday...