Critique This Feeding Plan

[catdaddy66]

Would the amount of oats in the recipe cause a decline in overall protein in the grower feed? I believe that higher protein for growth is optimum, and heard that oats are "junk food" for the chicks. In other words, the teenagers love the oats and "won't eat their meat" (protein)! Chicks don't always make the best choices nutritionally speaking.

 

[jhm47]

Yes, the oats would lower the protein content of the ration somewhat. Not as much as corn, but it will lower it a bit. The only downside is that you likely would postpone the beginning of laying a week or two. Sometimes this is not a bad idea. The big commercial egg farms are only interested in getting as many eggs as soon as possible from their hens. That is why the commercial feeds are designed for maximum growth at lowest cost. As hobbyists, we are also concerned with the health and happiness of our birds, and by adding an ingredient such as oats, we may delay their maturity a bit, but the long term effects may (note: MAY) allow them to live longer. This oats theory is probably not proven, but I do understand the rationale. The dairy farmers do the same thing with their developing heifers. They feed them a very bulky ration to expand their digestive systems while growing. This makes their entire digestive system bigger and more accustomed to bulky feedstuffs. Then, when they come into production, the higher quality feed is digested and utilized more efficiently. An interesting theory indeed.

 

[ghulst]

Sounds like a good plan. You don't want to push your pullets to fast. This my plan that I used on my last batch of 25 Isa Brown pullets. !9% chick starter for about 4 weeks then I went to 16 % grower. At 8 weeks they went in my wagon on grass . At 20 weeks I had $1.51 worth of feed stuck in each pullet. They are now 28 weeks and laying 98%. This was on store bought feed. I now am making my own mix whick is costing 12 cent a lb. for 17% mash.

 

[catdaddy66]

Quote:
If you don't object I would love to know how to make a mash. I do not want to cross any proprietary boundries so if you can't tell me I completely understand. I am getting chicks in 2.5 weeks and want the option of mash. As of now I have starter crumbles medicated.

 

[ghulst]

I buy corn from a farmer freind for $4.00 a burshel and he grinds it for me. I then buy 48% soymeal for 20cents a lb ,Egg layer concentrate for $32.00 for a 50# bag. I also add oystershell. The cost i have in the 17% mash is 12 cents a lb. If you want the formula just pm me.

 

[fiberart57]

Hello, I followed Damerow's plan in Storey's as well and I' m pretty pleased with the girls and their development. It was kind of frustrating to read people bragging about their chickens laying eggs at 18 or 20 weeks, when I had 26 week olds at home still playing on the monkey bars in the playground and not producing anything. My first chicken laid at 28 weeks and the last one started at 36 weeks and they are very healthy. I would recommend it.

I bought race horse oats, red whole wheat and some BOSS and made up a scratch that I fed them in the morning when they were young. Now that their older, they just get it in the evening before bed time with a little corn for warmth.

I think they're doing well.

Mary

 

[gsim]

Hello. I am a beginner who has had fantastic blessings with his flock. They are standards, BR, RIR, BA, and golden comet sex links. Breed is important. Leghorns will produce more eggs/lb of feed than any chicken on earth.

I get 20-22 eggs a day from 23 pullets with NO artificial light since they were 5 1/2 months old They started laying at 4 months. They get 2 1/2 to 3 # Dumor layer pellets a day, plus fresh greens, year round. I give them a cup or two of scratch grain a day if no greens. Greens are defined as ANYTHING green except green potato peels. Fruit scraps also, and some very small amounts of bread scraps. pasta, etc.

How did I start?

I gave them raw live greens from the very first week mixed with grower crumbles, Dumor brand. Grass clippings too. Beet stems and leaves, radish stems and leaves, carrot greens, etc. It was too early for tomatoes but later they got those too, any and all spotted ones. All manner of kitchen leftover greens no matter what except no green potato peels. They never went a day without live greens and started to lay at 4 months. I had too many bags of grower-finisher so I am just finishing the last bag and my chooks are around 8 mo old now. I blended it 50-50 with the layer mix for the past 3 months and still got great results. I never added calcium until they began to lay at 4 months because of the greens which are loaded with calcium. At 4 months I added just a little bit of crushed oyster shells to their pellets.

Live veggies and fruits have enzymes that are not present in grain or feed of any kind. Enzymes are vital to health for humans and animals alike. Wild animals get live enzymes every day, while domestic animals and humans often do not. I give mine bushels of grass clippings every week all year as long as they are available, and use the excess for litter. Smells great and it is free!

Breed is as important as feed. Environment is very important too. I provided 5 sq ft per chook in their coop, and around 80 sq ft/chook in their run. They do not fight and I do not see bullying going on either. They flock to us and want to sit on our shoulders and talk to us whenever we come to their run.

I am a beginner, so do not believe my methods, but do take note of my results. I must be doing more that is right than that which is wrong to get such good production without even using artificial lighting. Give 'em greens!

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Take a look at the management guide we use for the birds in our layer barn. While not specifically applicable to your RIRs, take a look at how the protein is reduced throughout the the growout period until they are ready to lay. Also take a look at how they manage the lighting throughout the growout period to prepare them for production. Increasing the oats throughout the growout period has the same effect, to lower the protein. We get the pullets at 17 weeks old and immediately start increasing the lighting period , by 20 weeks they are laying at 50% and hit a peak of 95% a few weeks later.

http://www.centurionpoultry.com/default/download_pdf/47