Feed!

[samanthaoverton]

I have unfortunately seen those chicken house's. I feel sorry for the chickens. The farmers are also constantly forced to update their barns (which costs thousands) Chickens die every day. I've seen footage. Farmers taking armfuls of dead chickens out. Only three bucks a dozen for farm fresh? I have mixed prices here. 3, 4,5 bucks. However the closest grocery store around here sells there crappy eggs for around 4. I do not grocery shop there..their meat looks iffy and the prices are through the roof. I drive an hour to shop. Do you sell your eggs or do you just do chickens for you?

Yes, well, economically depressed area - can only sell eggs $3/doz around here, can't compete on selling chicken flesh at all. Not when mechanically seperated Cx are available at $0.99/lb on special and $1.19/lb otherwise.

I'm surrounded by commercial scale family chicken farms (you know, with the big metal quonset hut looking buildings with the fans on one end) which have all folded - the losses were too great - but the local mill still produces and I benefit from their scale. Wayne Farms, Tyson Food, ConAgra all have big operations within an hour's drive or so.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have unfortunately seen those chicken house's. I feel sorry for the chickens. The farmers are also constantly forced to update their barns (which costs thousands) Chickens die every day. I've seen footage. Farmers taking armfuls of dead chickens out. Only three bucks a dozen for farm fresh? I have mixed prices here. 3, 4,5 bucks. However the closest grocery store around here sells there crappy eggs for around 4. I do not grocery shop there..their meat looks iffy and the prices are through the roof. I drive an hour to shop. Do you sell your eggs or do you just do chickens for you?

I sell my eggs, eat my extra roos and old hens, and am culling my way towards a project chicken. I'm licensed to sell chicks and hatching eggs too, including NPIP so they can cross state lines, but I don't yet have a bird I'm proud enough of to put my approval on it by selling it.

 

[Sally PB]

I buy 50 lb bags of Kalmbach 20% Flock Raiser for about $23. Yes, it has gone up; I think it was about $19 last winter. It's a small, family owned business, and I'm happy to shop there. I can make it "on my way" so I'm not making a special trip. With gas prices what they are, I don't go anywhere for just one thing unless it's an emergency.

I "supplement" my chickens' food with buckets of weeds from the garden and kitchen scraps. They enjoy scratching through the weeds, so it's as much for their entertainment as for the food value. In another month, I'll be feeding them all the Japanese Beetles I can catch. There's some free protein!

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

$47 for 20% gamebird crumble here which I buy and feed 50/50 with 15% grower at $38.
The pain is real. I offset with apples, kitchen scraps, a good forage lawn with plenty of clover in it, and yes sometimes just plain corn as a top up.

 

[Happy Novogens]

I've been looking at feed prices (don't yet have chickens). I'm seeing 50lb bags from around $22-$30 by me. Can someone versed in nutrition compare these 2 labels for me? I'm planning on having just 2 or 3 buff orpington hens for egg layers. Was thinking of buying 50lb bags for economy.

These 2 labels are from Cal-Ranch which seems to be cheaper than what our Tractor Supply carries.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I've been looking at feed prices (don't yet have chickens). I'm seeing 50lb bags from around $22-$30 by me. Can someone versed in nutrition compare these 2 labels for me? I'm planning on having just 2 or 3 buff orpington hens for egg layers. Was thinking of buying 50lb bags for economy.

These 2 labels are from Cal-Ranch which seems to be cheaper than what our Tractor Supply carries.

So, the first is your run of the mill Purina Layena Pellet. It "meets the minimums" based on studies out of the 70s, and has nothing to particularly recommend it, nor anything to really ding it for. If you are keeping hatchery quality commercial layer breeds under commercial conditions, losses attributed to poor nutrition will, in theory, cost less than a better (and more expensive) feed. A couple of small things would make it a better feed at the margins.

The second is a cheap feed that isn't certain what its designed to be. Protein overall is better, but the amino acids didn't really follow - and its the AAs that most matter. Lysine at 0.8% will contribute to better muscle development, particularly in the breast, than the 0.7% in the Purina. Methionine at 0.31 instead of 0.30 is too small to make any noteable difference, but Met is THE most important AA in developing birds (whose needs drop as they age). Its responsible for connective tissues, development of the gutt, which contributes to lifelong feed efficiency, fewer joint problems, better immune system (the mechanisms of which aren't well understood). I'd rather see 0.35% or higher, particularly if feeding hatchlings. Its higher fiber, which isn't a plus in poultry feeds, and also in a strange place for calcium - a level above what you want for developing birds of either gender, Roosters all their life, but below the levels needed by any bird that produces more than a medium egg every couple days....

Both are, somewhat surprisingly (well, not the Purina, I'm used to it by now) low on fat - 3.5% is the normal target number, +.-. 2.5% is within the accepted range, and might be a good choice if you plan to "treat" your birds periodically with seeds, bsfl, etc or if you have a pasture with a significant quantity of either seed or "near" grains (Flax, Amaranth, Rape, White Millet, Sesame, BOSS, etc), which tend to be higher fat offerings. The real reason it surprises, however, is because the second feed claims its good for waterfowl, and the general recommend for waterfowl is fat levels about 1% higher +/- than for chickens - the normal range (depending on source, of course) is more like 3% - 5%.

A couple/few Buff Orps are anticipated to eat less than 1# of feed (total) daily - that 50# bag should last you most, if not all, of two months. Learn how to read mill dates, or you could buy an old bag in store which is considerably older still (and losing nutrition to oxidation) before you reach the bottom.

My thoughts only, not an expert, just read some things. Perhaps "more qualified than most"? (An admittedly low bar).

 

[samanthaoverton]

I sell my eggs, eat my extra roos and old hens, and am culling my way towards a project chicken. I'm licensed to sell chicks and hatching eggs too, including NPIP so they can cross state lines, but I don't yet have a bird I'm proud enough of to put my approval on it by selling it.

You've got high standards for yourself. I bet you're chicks are worth buying. I sold some chicks and baby turkeys to sublet some of my food costs. It's shocking how quick the money goes though. Sold some pickled eggs too..you can get a good chunk of change for pickled eggs.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

I feed 20 percent purina flock raiser and Oyster shell. I think it's 25 a 50 pound bag

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You've got high standards for yourself. I bet you're chicks are worth buying. I sold some chicks and baby turkeys to sublet some of my food costs. It's shocking how quick the money goes though. Sold some pickled eggs too..you can get a good chunk of change for pickled eggs.

Integrity is the only thing we truly own, but a good reputation with the neighbors is a shared blessing.

 

[Happy Novogens]

So, the first is your run of the mill Purina Layena Pellet. It "meets the minimums" based on studies out of the 70s, and has nothing to particularly recommend it, nor anything to really ding it for. If you are keeping hatchery quality commercial layer breeds under commercial conditions, losses attributed to poor nutrition will, in theory, cost less than a better (and more expensive) feed. A couple of small things would make it a better feed at the margins.

The second is a cheap feed that isn't certain what its designed to be. Protein overall is better, but the amino acids didn't really follow - and its the AAs that most matter. Lysine at 0.8% will contribute to better muscle development, particularly in the breast, than the 0.7% in the Purina. Methionine at 0.31 instead of 0.30 is too small to make any noteable difference, but Met is THE most important AA in developing birds (whose needs drop as they age). Its responsible for connective tissues, development of the gutt, which contributes to lifelong feed efficiency, fewer joint problems, better immune system (the mechanisms of which aren't well understood). I'd rather see 0.35% or higher, particularly if feeding hatchlings. Its higher fiber, which isn't a plus in poultry feeds, and also higher calcium - a level above what you want for developing birds of either gender, Roosters all their life, but below the levels needed by any bird that produces more than a medium egg every couple days....

Both are, somewhat surprisingly (well, not the Purina, I'm used to it by now) low on fat - 3.5% is the normal target number, +.-. 2.5% is within the accepted range, and might be a good choice if you plan to "treat" your birds periodically with seeds, bsfl, etc or if you have a pasture with a significant quantity of either seed or "near" grains (Flax, Amaranth, Rape, White Millet, Sesame, BOSS, etc), which tend to be higher fat offerings. The real reason it surprises, however, is because the second feed claims its good for waterfowl, and the general recommend for waterfowl is fat levels about 1% higher +/- than for chickens - the normal range (depending on source, of course) is more like 3% - 5%.

A couple/few Buff Orps are anticipated to eat less than 1# of feed (total) daily - that 50# bag should last you most, if not all, of two months. Learn how to read mill dates, or you could buy an old bag in store which is considerably older still (and losing nutrition to oxidation) before you reach the bottom.

My thoughts only, not an expert, just read some things. Perhaps "more qualified than most"? (An admittedly low bar).

Thank you for that analysis! So considering the info you provided and comparing that then to the Purina Flock Raiser, it looks like the Flock Raiser is still going to be better then those other 2 options. Cal Ranch only carries the crumble version. The pellet version at Tractor Supply is $27.99!!

For laying hens, however, I assume I should supplement calcium -- would having a separate container of oyster shell take care of that?

We have hard, dry, desert dirt - no pastures. I was considering growing fodder but thought I'd wait a bit and first get used to the routine of caring for the hens w/out overwhelming myself. The fodder would have to be grown outdoors (perhaps on porch) and we are coming into our summer -- temps already over 100F -- so not ideal for growing fodder.