Feeding a mixed flock--various ages, free ranging

[wife89]

Glad I found this... looks like I need to get a bag of flock raiser for my mixed flock of layers, teenager, preteens, and a few boys that snuck in the "pullet' bin.....

.....

 

[Chris09]

From a statistic's point of view, it is way more representative than the mean flock size on BYC.

I am willing to change the way I raise my chickens, but I won't do it by taking the advice of a small hobbyist who does his "homework" and can not provide any documentation.

Small Hobbyist? You think I'm a "small hobbyist"?

I hatch more fowl a year that you have layers.
I also don't see you posting any documentations on how calcium is not a problem for non-laying fowl.


Chris

 

[Chris09]

What about the dange/problems of thin shelled eggs on the layers? I have a couple of girls who tend to have problems with the shells. Currently I have 11 one year old hens all laying regularly. I just mixed in 18 eleven week old chicks. They free range about 4 hours a day now that it is hot and dry. I have one feed tray of layer feed, one feed tray of Game bird starter, bowls of oyster grit, all free choice available all day to all of them. I see the birds crossing back and forth between the feeds. When we first mixed the flocks, the babies seemed to prefer the layer feed and the hens the starter, however, now, although I don't track each bird, I see them at what ever trough is open/close to them when they choose to feed. In your opinion, will the babies be ok? Are they getting enough of a balance? I have never seen the babies even try the oyster shells just the feed.

There are a number of things that can cause thin shells.
Protein, Calcium, Phosphorus, and Vitamin D are the main ones and a imbalance in any of them can cause soft shells.
IMO your chicks could be ok but a lot depends on how much they ate.

Chris

 

[Contrary]

Small Hobbyist? You think I'm a "small hobbyist"?

I hatch more fowl a year that you have layers.
I also don't see you posting any documentations on how calcium is not a problem for non-laying fowl.


Chris

Again, you are having problems with reading comprehension.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I feed all of my birds (chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys) Flock raiser with no problems. I have been doing this for years.

 

[Chris09]

Again, you are having problems with reading comprehension.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Where is my, "problem with reading comprehension"?
You seem to disagreeing that feeding a feed high in calcium to non-laying fowl will not cause kidney problems or at least that's the the way that coming off as.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hy-line did a good right up on Avian Urlithiasis also R.K Page, O.J. Fletcher and Parshall Bush did a good article on Calcium Toxicosis in Broilers both should be easily found if you Google [/FONT]calcium toxicity in poultry.

Chris

 

[Contrary]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hy-line did a good right up on Avian Urlithiasis also R.K Page, O.J. Fletcher and Parshall Bush did a good article on Calcium Toxicosis in Broilers both should be easily found if you Google [/FONT]calcium toxicity in poultry.

Google this, google that. Can't provide a link?

So, again problems with reading comprehension. Read the title of this thread. The broilers in the study were not free range, but rather in confined housing with no other food sources available. I mentioned that earlier.

 

[Chris09]

Google this, google that. Can't provide a link?

So, again problems with reading comprehension. Read the title of this thread. The broilers in the study were not free range, but rather in confined housing with no other food sources available. I mentioned that earlier.

As I said before Free Rang or Confined it makes no difference.

Acidifiers will neutralize calcium to a point BUT since you are neutralizing the calcium your are bound to start getting soft shell eggs. For the most part if your not getting soft eggs then your bird are not neutralizing there calcium intake.


Laying Hens are not prone to getting Avian Urolithiasis because they are depleting the Calcium by adding to the eggs they lay, Roosters, Growing birds and Chick are more likely to get Avian Urolithiasis because they have no way to deplete the high amounts of calcium.

http://www.hyline.com/redbook/Health/Gout.html
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.23...2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21100893919091
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.23...2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21100893919091


Chris

 

[aoxa]

Instead of worry about damaging the little ones' kidneys, I have ALWAYS fed grower after 5 weeks old. At 5 weeks they are feathered (for the most part) and are allowed out with everyone else, so instead of risking the adults eating medicated starter, everyone is on grower. Oyster shell free choice 24/7, grit free choice 24/7. I don't really see the point of layer if you have a side of calcium.

You don't really need 5 glasses of milk a day if you have a calcium supplement right? That's my thinking..

Everyone is healthy and happy with the feeding situation, and I don't have to worry about the chicks getting into the layer or to layers getting into the starter.

Right now I have day olds, 3 week olds, 5 week olds, 8 week olds, 9 week olds, 13 week olds, 18 week olds, 19 week olds and up all foraging outside together (except the day olds, they are in the brooder).

Chris,

Do you personally feed your roosters grower or flock raiser as well as your layers?

 

[Chris09]

Chris,
Do you personally feed your roosters grower or flock raiser as well as your layers?

aoxa,

Right know I'm feeding
Chicks up to 6 weeks of age -- Turkey Starter (30%),
Growing Birds from 6 weeks of age to Laying -- 50.5% Five Grain Scratch 40.5% Turkey Starter (it's about a 16% feed)
Breeders -- 50.5% Turkey Starter, 30.5% Five Grain Scratch and 10% Alfalfa Meal (it's about a 19% feed)

​

Laying Hens -- 50% Five Grain Scratch, 40% Turkey Starter (non-medicated) and 10% Alfalfa Meal (it's about a 16% feed)

Layers and Breeders have a mixture of Calcium Carbonate and Oyster Shells available to them.
Breeders get there feed topped with Instant Dry Milk and a little Cod Liver Oil for added Vitamin A, D, B2 (Riboflavin) and Fatty Acids for improved egg production and hatch-ability.

The Turkey Starter I am using on the chicks, growing birds and breeders is Honor Show Chow put out by Purina.
This feed contains Animal Fat and Fish Meal but also contains Amprolium and BMD.

I'm not a fan of the Purina Start and Grow, Flock Raiser, or Layena to me there junk feeds but
if you get Purina's show line of feed and from what I can see so far it isn't a bad feed.
Now only time will tell what I think about it after this season.
I will forewarn you that the Turkey starter is not cheep. I pay right around 20.00 for a 50 lb bag but
it has Animal Fat and Proteins, BMD, Amprolium and is a 30% protein.

Now it I was to feed one feed with out mixing I would go back to Buckeye Nutrition and use there 18% Miracle Starter-Grower.
The 18% Miracle Starter-Grower is a good feed that contains animal proteins and fats it's just that I hated driving 30 miles out of my way to the plant where they make it to get what I needed.

Chris​