Feed Question - Harrell Milling (N Fl, AL, GA poultry people)

[U_Stormcrow]

Does anyone have any experience with feeds coming out of the local milling company, Harrells of Hartford, AL?

I'm currently feeding whatever All Flock I can get from TSC, which usually works out around $0.39 to 0.41/lb. At those prices, they are stretching my entertainment budget, forget being break-even, much less profitable. Recently found a nearby source for feeds from this miller, and the pricing is FAR more attractive - $0.25/lb, with higher protein (24% - good for my meaties), similar fat (4.5%) and fiber (6%). Calcium is 1.4%, so that's similar too. Sadly, medicated. Amprolium and Bacitracim in most of their feeds. I'm not raising "organic", so that's not necessarily a deal breaker.

The final advantage is that its 9 minutes up the road, not 45 minutes up the road.

So, before I run out and buy up 200# for the next month, any experience with these products?? HMC Poultry Feed List Sadly, they don't break down the feed further on their website, I'm working from a photo of the Game Bird Grower I took while poking around the feed store.

 

[chickenlittle21]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threadloom/search?query=Harrell milling&tab=618

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Should have thought to look first, thanks for the pointer. This is my brain on one cup of coffee. It ain't pretty. TY @chickenlittle21

 

[U_Stormcrow]

OK, so, three users commented - in 2013, one recommend as an alternate to their home brew feed. In 2014, one comment for a feed (18% layer) HMC no longer makes, and in 2018, a comment about starting on 28% super biddie, then swapping to a 20% feed after one month (which they no longer list on their website, unless its the Chick Starter/grower for which no protein % is offered).

Any newer experiences, since HMC seems to have changed their lineup a little in the past handful of years?

 

[carlaashdown]

Hey, I was wondering if you ended up using the HMC feed. If so, what is your review on it ?

Hubby went to one of our local farm/nursery/feed stores today for something else and bought a 50lb bag of their layer crumbles. I like to research before using and have a blend that I’ve been happy with. My chickens are my babies so I don’t want to give them anything that will hurt them.

Bless him. He meant well and was excited to tell me he bought it lol

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Not sure what I can honestly tell you about it, beyond the obvious. Serve it wet (mash, like oatmeal consistency) to cut down on waste (or ferment it), keep it dry in the bag. My local feed store gets it fresh from the HMC delivery weekly. Paying cash, buying 500# at a time, I can get it under $12/bag right now, so I can't complain about price or freshness.

Now, the reasons I can't say much else. I used HMC feeds for more than 7 months, before my biggest egg buyer asked me to swap to Tucker's non-GMO 18% feed, because non-GMO is important to him and he's willing to pay the price premium.

My birds performed well on it. No soft eggs, good frequency (till they started molting), good (but not great) weights on the males, no health issues evident in behaviors or when I looked around their insides during culling. No excess of subcutaneous fat, either - healthy, not obese.

**BUT** (and its a big but!) My birds free range all day long, only 2/3 to 4/5 (seasonally dependent) comes from their feed. Its a large area (about 4.5 acres, of which 1.75a is a biodivererse polycultural pasture - they have lots of options, all the time), I don't keep birds long (males - with the exception of select breeding Roos - don't make it 20 weeks, while my breeders don't make it more than a year of providing service), while hens only make it to 18 months or so. So I can't speak to long term health.

I provide oyster shell, free choice.

AND I custom mix HMC feeds to get a good mix of price and protein, generally adding one bag of their 24% Game Bird Grower to either one or two bags of Layer - giving me either a 20% protein or an 18% protein blend, while cutting calcium down to around 2.3 or 2.8% average (a figure much higher than I recommend for typical backyard flock owners, with typical management practices). My hatchlings get the 24% Game Bird for their first 8-9 weeks, then join the adult flock on the blended meal.

There are so many variables involved there that I can't honestly recommend it, except to say that it was adequate to my needs, fresh, and at a good price point. But how much of my birds' condition relates to the HMC Layer, the HMC GameBirdGrower, or my pasture I can't honestly say. Also, its *ALL* medicated. Maybe you care about that, maybe you don't - but you should be aware of it - most of HMC's feeds are.

For the last month and a half or so, I've been on the Tucker non-GMO 18%, fed across the board. I'm not happy with it. My hatchlings aren't growing as fast (of course, their protein has dropped immensely, but finding a non-GMO 24% feed is near impossible, isn't local, and isn't at a reasonable price point, even before shipping)** and my overall flock condition has waned in spite of being peak growing season in the pasture. But I can't blame all that on the feed, either - because my three goats have discovered they MUCH prefer chicken crumble to goat pellets to grazing. Lazy bums. End result that a bunch of my feed isn't making its way into their crops, forcing them to greater free ranging activity. Of course its been brutally hot, AND most of my older birds are molting...

**Sources of high quality non-GMO methionine, a limiting amino acid, are non existent for chicken feed. I'm trying to grow my own, but even the best vegetable sources don't exceed 1.4%, and I can't produce (absent a massive investment in equipment and land clearing) in the quantities I need to significantly suppliment year round.

I can, however, provide the courtesy and respect of a thorough answer, in hopes you might derive some value in there, somewhere. I hope the above satisfies.

/edit to correct final calcium content

 

[carlaashdown]

Very helpful! Thank you for taking the time to explain and write such a thorough review

 

[U_Stormcrow]

that's what BYC is for - sharing our mistakes, in hopes that others don't repeat them.

Oh and HMC has an 18% w/o the high calcium, I think its a "starter" mix. Price wise, it was more expensive than maxing one bag of game bird with two of layer to arrive at the same 18% protein, so I've never tried it. (well, one or two bags, to get me up to a 500#/10 bag feed order - not enough to draw any conclusions from)

 

[carlaashdown]

For now, I’m going to mix the HMC layer feed he got 1/2 and 1/2 with an organic all flock in order to use it. I would love for it to work out, because the cost is pennies compared to what I’ve been using.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

At the request of my main buyer, the feed I've been using lately is Tuckers non-GMO 18%. While it is more expensive than the HMC, its not much more expensive than the HMC, so if non-GMO is important to you, and you have HMC in the area, chances are, you also have the choice of Tucker's. As I said, I'm not happy at the moment, but there are a lot of complicating factors, the feed may not be to blame.

anyhow, let us know how things work out for you, so we can grow the community's experience?