Feeding Breeders

[YdogsflY]

50lbs scratch, 50lbs 21% crumble, 40lbs good dog or cat food, mixed. Gonna throw some brewer's yeast in it too, have some concerns about B vitamins. Plus a handful of mealworms most afternoons. My goal is to cut the soy content and add good amino acids from meat (dog/cat food). I'd like to have it all ground to feed as wet mash, but my friend with the grinder isn't thrilled with the idea.

Always oyster shell on the side, I never feed layer. There is a soy-free 18% layer available locally now, but it's pricy and pelleted and still includes other legumes, and I'm unsure if they might have the same issues as soy, so not using it currently.

Dog and Cat food is high in salt. A little as a treat is ok from time to time, but not as a feed in teh amounts you are listing. With the 21% crumble they will be getting everything that they need. Mealworms and a little dog/cat food on the side is fine. A can of cheap sardines once week can go a long way in providing meat proteins. Fish food for game fish (trout, Crappie, bass, etc) as a scratch works well. It's lower in salt than the cat food and has a better balance for chickens.

Buttermilk mixed into the crumble also provides good land based amino acids. When it comes to meat proteins a little goes a long way.

 

[Mosey2003]

Dog and Cat food is high in salt. A little as a treat is ok from time to time, but not as a feed in teh amounts you are listing. With the 21% crumble they will be getting everything that they need. Mealworms and a little dog/cat food on the side is fine. A can of cheap sardines once week can go a long way in providing meat proteins. Fish food for game fish (trout, Crappie, bass, etc) as a scratch works well. It's lower in salt than the cat food and has a better balance for chickens.

Buttermilk mixed into the crumble also provides good land based amino acids. When it comes to meat proteins a little goes a long way.

I'm wanting to cut the soy in the feed by half with the scratch though, thus bringing down the overall protein. The fish food is a good tip though, thanks. I'm not a fan of giving birds dairy though.

Editing to add, I just read back what I typed initially there, that was a typo. It's 20lbs dog food, not 40!

 

[cgmccary]

Chick starter and crushed oyster shell should never be fed to the same bird. Starter is for chicks. Crushed oyster shell is just a supplement for pullets and hens who are laying.

I feed my birds in breeding pens a layer crumble and layer mini-pellet. I provide some crushed oyster shell on the side at times. Outside ranging adult females have crushed oyster shell available and get part layer ration. Solitary males, chicks, juveniles pre-lay should never be given a layer feed nor crushed oyster shell.

 

[cgmccary]

Dog and cat food are not high in salt, at least not enough that if your chickens eat it from time to time, that it does them any harm. I have ten year old birds that eat dog food with my dogs.

 

[LilJoe]

Is there an adult bird feed without the extra calcium?

 

[Mosey2003]

Is there an adult bird feed without the extra calcium?

All Flock

 

[cgmccary]

Is there an adult bird feed without the extra calcium?

Yes, both grower feeds and maintenance feeds -- neither have the excess calcium & are available from a lot of feed companies in either crumble or pellet. I feed an FRM (Flint River Mills) feed. They have small pellets as both grower or maintenance (growers have more protein than maintenance).

 

[cgmccary]

All Flock

Yes, Purina's ALL Flock is one. I have used it. I don't think it has any protein that is animal derivative, all plant based.

 

[Mosey2003]

I never think about Grower because we don't really have that locally, just Starter-Grower in one. I think I could find a Grower if I tried harder, but I've never felt like I needed to.