Feeding chickens ducks and geese all at the same time

[Cuttlefishherder]

GameBird feed has a higher protein content but if Chickens can have it and still be healthy would it be okay? We are trying to establish a good meat stock in our back yard and apparently chicken has fallen off the menu so we are leaning toward geese, duck, and rabbit.

Right now we feed our chickens Scratch grains(50 pound bag) mixed with 2 gallons of BOSS, 2 gallons of rolled oats, and 2 gallons of lay feed(if we have any)

Even with out the two gallons of lay feed in the mix we are still up to our eyeballs in eggs.

We also have a goose right now, but he was only ever fed cracked corn(he came free with the goats), so all he does is pull the corn out of the mix which is fine with us because the chickens dont really eat it any way, so much so that some times the coop looks like we use corn for bedding

So does any one know what all would be a good all round mix?

 

[Mama_Chicken]

I'm getting some ducks to add to my flock and I'd like to know the answer to this, too!! Bump!!

 

[DickGJ]

I assume you're referring to milling/mixing your own. If not, I've read very good reviews regarding Purina Flock Raiser feed (20% protein) and have decided to go that route until I hear of something better. I only have chickens right now, but it's suppose to be a good mix for turkeys, ducks, chickens, etc...

 

[schellie69]

I use gamebird feed 22% protein due to them free ranging. I read that it can be feed to all the birds. I would use it or flock raiser for ducks. chickens. geese. I would offer oyster shell and grit as free choice.

 

[DickGJ]

Shellie69 makes a good point... a separate bowl of oyster shell should be made available for layers. Even with the Purina Flock Raiser since it's not layer feed...but typically commercial layer feed is only 16-18% protein. Now my birds get 20% with a calcium supplement on the side.

 

[Cuttlefishherder]

I'm glad other people took interest in this! Thank you for all the reply's and advice! We are planning on switching over to a full time Gamebird feed or flock raiser, I know when we were just feeding our chickens scratch grains they stopped laying eggs, so we did research and bought rolled oats and Boss to add and added a gallon at a time, only had to add 2gallons of each. We have lay feed on hand because when our chicks are mostly feathered out we switch them to lay feed and when they go out side they go on the scratch grain mix.

It looks like there is a lay feed for game birds that purina carries, this looks like what we need, would it be safe for chickens too? We want to hatch out little baby ducks and geese to eat, to this seems to be a good option.

Game Bird Breeder Layena

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein not less than 20.0%
Crude Fat not less than 2.5%
Crude Fiber not more than 7.0%
Lysine, not less than 0.9%
Methionine, not less than 0.3%
Calcium (Ca) not less than 2.5%
Calcium (Ca) not more than 3.5%
Phosphorus (P) not less than 0.8%
Salt (NaCl) not less than 0.25%
Salt (NaCl) not more than 0.75

 

[tiffanya]

I've raised ducks and chickens together and have fed Purina Flock Raiser to all until 20 weeks and have had good luck. Then I switch them all over to layer pellets. I believe any non-medicated starter will do the job though.

 

[llrumsey]

I'm just getting started with all the animals and find that they all like about the same thing. I have trouble keeping the geese from the ducks and the 3 tom midget turkeys have decided to live with the ginues and just the other day a couple of hens and a rooster moved in also. I have hens and a rooster living with my chineese geese. I have a rooster that likes to be with the pigeons and another rooster that lives with the rabbits. So everyone gets about the same mix of feed.

LaNell

 

[Cuttlefishherder]

Quote:
Silly roosters! One of ours really Liked rabbits, we had to eat him, but when a rabbit got our and was running the yard, we found him because our roo mounted him. It was really funny!
Our ducklings right now are in with our chicks, they all sleep together in a pile of cuteness<3

I'm glad to hear all of this, its really making me more comfortable having all of these different birds together.