Easter Egger club!

[minihorse927]

Would Turkey grow or Gamebird feed higher in protein be okay too?

yes

 

[JessicaAnn]

green.  Having same debate at my house....

Thats funny!

 

[junebuggena]

Would adding 'feather fixer' to their diet help with their protein intake? Or do you recommend something else? After they're all laying, that it.

Feather fixer has the same calcium levels as layer feed, and that can be dangerous for non-laying birds. Any feed with a protein content of at least 18%, and a maximum calcium content of 2% will be just fine to offer any chicken, at any age. There is no reason why you have to give them layer feed ever. There is no magic ingredient in it. It's just regular feed but with less protein, and way too much calcium for even the most prolific layer. I keep my whole flock on starter/grower for their entire lives, supplementing the layers with crushed oyster shell for calcium. Makes life much simpler to only ever buy one feed to dish out.

 

[Chicken5555]

Quote:
Thank you for the advice! I never would have thought about catfish food for chickens.

Quote:
Fascinating. So all the different types of chicken feed is just one big marketing scam. Thank you for the info!

 

[junebuggena]

Thank you for the advice! I never would have thought about catfish food for chickens.



Fascinating. So all the different types of chicken feed is just one big marketing scam. Thank you for the info!

Pretty much.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

Thank you for the advice! I never would have thought about catfish food for chickens.



Fascinating. So all the different types of chicken feed is just one big marketing scam. Thank you for the info!

Yup. I had everyone on starter/grower during molt then switched back to layer and it's been nothing but problems. I'm now cutting the layer half and half with grower so I don't waste money, then the next purchase will be back to starter. Calcium deposits on shells, girls stopped laying, one went back into molt...weird stuff. NONE of those issues on starter/grower. Plus all that calcium isn't good for the roosters.

 

[Sylvester017]

Feather fixer has the same calcium levels as layer feed, and that can be dangerous for non-laying birds. Any feed with a protein content of at least 18%, and a maximum calcium content of 2% will be just fine to offer any chicken, at any age. There is no reason why you have to give them layer feed ever. There is no magic ingredient in it. It's just regular feed but with less protein, and way too much calcium for even the most prolific layer. I keep my whole flock on starter/grower for their entire lives, supplementing the layers with crushed oyster shell for calcium. Makes life much simpler to only ever buy one feed to dish out.

Most excellent experienced advice and really wish that method would work for me - it would make life simpler! My only problem is that I have a couple hens that go directly after the organic Layer Pellets form of feed so I have to set out multiple types of protein feed so everyone chooses what they need/want/like.

 

[junebuggena]

Most excellent experienced advice and really wish that method would work for me - it would make life simpler! My only problem is that I have a couple hens that go directly after the organic Layer Pellets form of feed so I have to set out multiple types of protein feed so everyone chooses what they need/want/like.

They won't starve themselves. A hungry chicken will eat just about anything.

 

[FlyWheel]

Quote: Anybody here remember the fairies in Disney's Sleeping Beauty?

 

[Sylvester017]

if I want to up the protein in my breeding bird without changing feeds I add in some catfish food. it is usually 30% or higher in protein and nothing in it is harmful to chickens

Just a clarification -- is that food made out of catfish or is it food that is fed TO the catfish and who sells it?