Do you feed your roos layer feed?

[ackie]

And of course pellet is often a little more expensive than crumble, for extra processing and equipment required.

That would be a good study (that someone here has probably done) - a cost analysis of crumble vs pellet taking into consideration the higher food waste of crumble.

 

[Ebony Rose]

All good, I use a local mill now too - just trying to answer your question as to relative price differences between "Layer" and "All-Flock" type feeds. Across Brands, its been my experience that All Flock/Flock Raiser is usually close in price to Starter/Grower (which makes sense, both are higher protein relative to Layer, and protein from plant sources is more expensive than calcium supplements), but that the differential isn't extreme - 15-25%, typically.

And of course pellet is often a little more expensive than crumble, for extra processing and equipment required.

You bring up a good point, grower/starter has more protein, the expensive component of your feed bill. If you feed a higher protein regularly, the low protein treats that you serve will have less negative effect on your flock (teeheehee). To me, THAT is worth the little bit extra. I adore my time watching my birds enjoy a good treat. Doesn't mean you can go hog wild on treats, but it's peace of mind that I'm not totally blowing their diet.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I super appreciate you doing the research.

I would have answers but Turners is not quite caught up to the 21st century so ... they do HAVE a website which in itself is surprising, but it just has general pics of the store so it's not an indicator of product selection by any means... and I hate making phone calls. LOL.

Turners sells feed from Tucker Milling - while they are barely in the last century as well, in terms of web design, they are a might better than my own Harrell's Milling Co. Good luck in your search, you will likely end up using their Starter/Grower as your "all around" feed, plus free choice Oyster. I don't see a Flock Raiser/All Flock equivalent, but what I can find of their Starter seems to check the right boxes - higher protein, lower calcium, and I can't find numbers on the rest. If you had ducks, I'd say look at the Niacin, but...

 

[ackie]

Turners sells feed from Tucker Milling - while they are barely in the last century as well, in terms of web design, they are a might better than my own Harrell's Milling Co. Good luck in your search, you will likely end up using their Starter/Grower as your "all around" feed, plus free choice Oyster. I don't see a Flock Raiser/All Flock equivalent, but what I can find of their Starter seems to check the right boxes - higher protein, lower calcium, and I can't find numbers on the rest. If you had ducks, I'd say look at the Niacin, but...

Nope, no ducks. I kinda want some but i hear they poop slime?

Yes my feed is Tucker Milling. I couldnt find anywhere that listed the actually %breakdown of their feed when I looked the other day so I had to actually go get a bag to check. Because not this century haha.

I figure bugs make up any protein mine could be missing from snacks my roommate feeds (or rummaging through her compost).

 

[ackie]

On the plus side, those are great mill dates haha.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Nope, no ducks. I kinda want some but i hear they poop slime?

Ducks are messy shits, can confirm. Its a black, tar like sticky goo when compared to chicken shit. Also, they take beaks full of food to the water dish and mix the two - your water bowls will quickly look like chai, and then the bowl of oatmeal you left soaking in the sink for 24+ hours. Other than that, no complaints.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We used to provide layer feed, before we discovered BYC and became educated. Our first flock was all laying hens and one lovely big, black rooster, which we later learned was a BJG. One morning we found him lying outside dead. I will never know for sure if the layer feed was a factor, but I now suspect it probably was. He was our first fatality. We've never gone back to layer feed. I've gotten a new BJG, but there will never be another Elvis. My chickens are not pets, and this was many years ago, but I'm tearing up again over it. We will always feed all-flock now.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

I don’t have roosters anymore, but I still feed flock raiser to my hens. It’s good not only for roosters, but for pullets, old non-laying hens, molting hens, and older chicks too. I give my hens oyster shell on the side.

 

[ackie]

Ducks are messy shits, can confirm. Its a black, tar like sticky goo when compared to chicken shit. Also, they take beaks full of food to the water dish and mix the too - your water bowls will quickly look like chai, and then the bowl of oatmeal you left soaking in the sink for 24+ hours. Other than that, no complaints.

Which then rots, yum. Are they making their own fermented feed?

 

[ackie]

We used to provide layer feed, before we discovered BYC and became educated. Our first flock was all laying hens and one lovely big, black rooster, which we later learned was a BJG. One morning we found him lying outside dead. I will never know for sure if the layer feed was a factor, but I now suspect it probably was. He was our first fatality. We've never gone back to layer feed. I've gotten a new BJG, but there will never be another Elvis. My chickens are not pets, and this was many years ago, but I'm tearing up again over it. We will always feed all-flock now.

*I'm not saying you should go back to feeding layer by any means, this post isn't about the feed.*

Dont beat yourself up too much about Elvis. Grieve his loss, absolutely, but there are a zillion things that could kill a chicken and theres no reason to blame yourself when no one can know for sure. Even IF you could prove without a doubt that it was the feed, you still did the best you could with the information and resources you have. Grieve Elvis, but forgive yourself because at best you didnt do anything wrong and at worst you did the best you could.