Do you change your feed in the winter ?

[Cindy in PA]

It's formulated for production layers like leghorns, and it's the bare minimum. Companies aren't going to reformulate for smaller populations of chicken keepers.

Minimum protein requirement for laying hens is actually14%. Most current feeds are expressly made to appeal to backyard chicken people. So the companies assume we all have leghorns & sexlinks? I don't discount that sometimes extra protein is beneficial or that you shouldn't feed too much calcium nonlayers, but the feed companies don't produce feed that doesn't work for the majority of people. Amino acids are actually more important than protein. Freaking people out about using layer is getting old.

 

[Mosey2003]

I'm not trying to freak anyone out, maybe I missed a reply that did. I just don't find layer that useful myself

 

[Cyprus]

You need to be looking for a higher CARB content feed, not a higher protein content for winter feeding. During winter, the maintance for animals increases a lot. Their bodies work a lot harder to keep them warm. To do so, they are eating more feed and burning a lot of carbohydrates. That's why it is recommended to feed corn in winter. The protein is not as critical as the carbohydrate content.

 

[Lisafitz]

It works well for many, I want to do better than the minimum.
Mary

At what age can you start feeding all flock feed?

 

[Sequel]

I feed an all flock all year with oyster shell on the side. I agree with @Folly's place I want to do more than the minimum. In fact it was her posts as well as some others' that helped me decide to do that.

It seems that most new chicken people assume you SHOULD use layer food as soon as it says to on the bag, I know I did. Many many people have and do use it and have good results, but I can't unknow what I've learned here, on that subject anyway.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We lost the best rooster we ever had when he was probably no more than 4 years old. The hens we got at the same time outlived him by a good 3 to 4 years, although we don't really know exactly how old any of them were, but all probably within a year of each other. All were laying well. Did he die because we were giving them all layer feed? I'll never know, we didn't send him in for a necropsy (I'd never heard of such a thing). Is it possible? Sure. Is it worth it to me to switch to all-flock so it doesn't happen again? You betcha. I've got two roos I like pretty well right now, and I want to do the best I can by my new flock. Why feed what they don't need, especially if there's a chance it may harm? Cost is the same, so why chance it? Just makes sense to me. But that's my decision for me. Others may choose differently for them, and that's okay too.

 

[Folly's place]

For whatever the reason, I'm happy feeding as I do. A friend and I have very similar flocks, in fact, we usually order chicks together, so similar genetics in many of our birds. She feeds layer, and I feed Flock Raiser. Our birds all look fine and live to similar ages (except for predation!) BUT when mine molt, they aren't bald like hers are. I mean nearly bald! Is it diet? I don't know, but maybe?
Mary

 

[BigBlueHen53]

For whatever the reason, I'm happy feeding as I do. A friend and I have very similar flocks, in fact, we usually order chicks together, so similar genetics in many of our birds. She feeds layer, and I feed Flock Raiser. Our birds all look fine and live to similar ages (except for predation!) BUT when mine molt, they aren't bald like hers are. I mean nearly bald! Is it diet? I don't know, but maybe?
Mary

Interesting! This will be our first time seeing our birds molt on all-flock, so we'll see what happens. They older ones (six of them) may be starting already, they are looking a little ragged.

 

[Folly's place]

Mine have been molting; the coop has feathers everywhere, in heaps. Egg production isn't great either. SOON the pullets will be doing their thing, as a couple of them are just starting to produce little eggs.
Mary

 

[Beer can]

Just like to say feeding extra corn in the winter just doesn't make sense, all feeds have lotsa corn in them. So feed extra? How fat do you need them?
We get subzero winters here and I never have fed extra. I've processed some birds in winter and they have way too much fat on them.