Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[cochins1088]

I keep mine on chick starter/grower. I think it is 18%. Just keep oystershell out. I pay about $14 for a 50# bag of grower and that lasts about a week but I also free range.

I should ask about that. I haven't purchased chick starter in a while, but I believe that it's $16 per 50 lb bag. If the protein is the same, than I might as well switch. It would save me $2 a bag and every little bit helps.

Does the chicks starter have the same basic nutrients as adult feeds?

 

[familypendragon]

I use the Flock Raiser at $18 per 50 lb bag Its killing me....

 

[Sally Sunshine]

4 of 5 are hatched, last one still pipped and chirping.... come on chicky!

COME ON CHICKLET!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: This is my first for finding a lower feed, besides fermenting or wetting feed.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I wonder what I can buy to add here. I wish I would have kept my grains prices! Will it really hurt them to have the 20%????

 

[chicksooner]

I should ask about that. I haven't purchased chick starter in a while, but I believe that it's $16 per 50 lb bag. If the protein is the same, than I might as well switch. It would save me $2 a bag and every little bit helps.

Does the chicks starter have the same basic nutrients as adult feeds?

basically just some things are in different ratios. I like the higher protein but the hens need extra calcium.
This is what a switched to a while back and I have been really happy with it and the birds love it.
http://www.admani.com/Poultry/Poultry Chicken Starter Grower.htm

 

[chicksooner]

I wonder what I can buy to add here. I wish I would have kept my grains prices! Will it really hurt them to have the 20%????

I think your big birds would be fine. Not sure on the small ones. I only know big birds.

 

[ozexpat]

I wonder what I can buy to add here. I wish I would have kept my grains prices! Will it really hurt them to have the 20%????

My take on it is that protein is more expensive so the guidelines are essentially minimums. I would not over do it though.

Mixing feeds is fine but premixes also have all the vitamins and minerals so you need to be mindfull of that if your birds dont have a variable diet from free range.

I have no idea what feed frices are here in the USA.




Table 1. Average Nutrient Composition of Grains, Dry Matter Basis.
Grain
Crude Protein %

Starch %

DEa Mcal/kg

ADFb %

Ruminal Starch Digestion % Total Starchc
Corn
10.3

75.7

4.1

3

65
Barley
12.7

64.3

3.7

7

87
Wheat
15.9

70.3

3.9

8

89
Rye
11.8

65.0

3.7

8

90
Triticale
15.7

67.0

3.7

8

90
Oats
11.6

58.1

3.4

16

92
aDigestible Energy
bAcid Detergent Fibre
cAll grains were steam rolled, except corn which was cracked.

You can check out the prices of the grains in the table and then blend them into your mash or pellets.

Soy meal is 48-56% protein so you can use it to boost if you need it

 

[loveourbirds]

ive been really busy lately, and havent had time to catch up.

when i have to add protein i use calf manna, hog pellets, or "bowles rangebird pellets". i avoid soy because of anti-nutrients, especially if using GMO soy and corn. if your chickens in question are eating eggs, it wont hurt to add small amounts of cat food a couple times a week. keep in mind to much cat food can be toxic to chickens.

to help with the issues we have here, im switching to open pollinated corn next year. the protein is higher, and a little better nutritional content.

i find my chickens do best with about 17% protein in normal conditions, 19-20% during molt and for high energy roosters, raise fat content during winter, and use coarser ground corn for heat.

 

[loveourbirds]

with a little reservation im giving my feed formula, we worked with other farms to develop this feed for our situation of caged chickens. if your chickens are free range and get plenty of grass and bugs, you may need to modify this to match your needs. with local conditions it figures out to 16% protein. to date this is the best mix we have found. adding a bag of chick starter the overall price is $201.50. it figures out to around $13 per bag.

375 lbs of cracked corn
50 lbs of oats
200 lbs of "bowles range bird pellets" - a hog pellet will work too - these are 24% protein and developed for chickens.
75 lbs wheat
50 lbs sunflower
25 lbs wet molasses
10 lbs grit

when feeding we add alfalfa cubes 1 per 3 chickens (option, add 50 lbs of alfalfa pellets to above mix)
a couple of times a week we add meal worms

for turkeys, high energy birds, and table birds, we mix the feed with an equal amount of range bird pellets again to boost the protein.