Feeding Meat Birds 18% layer mash

[EGGTASKTIC]

Mine are on 18% from the local feed mill. I am good with the results to date. I get to 4.5lbs to 5 lbs dressed birds in 7 weeks. Big nice juicy roasters at 10 weeks.

You can waste a lot of money just pumping the protein up in your mix. If the birds can not process it , well you know were it ends up.

 

[Beekissed]

I have been feeding my CX with laying mash and just recently, in the past week or so, added sunflower seeds, oats and a little cracked corn.

I have also not fed free choice but just once in the evening along with my layer flock. They have also free ranged since 2 wks. old.

From the pics I've seen on this forum, my birds are not too far off the normal size for their age...if not spot on. I've had no health problems whatsoever. The calcium in the layer ration won't harm them for no longer than these birds are going to be alive.

That is a great deal for laying mash and I would take it if I were you and I would have to agree with the previous post.... alot of the high protein feed is going to wind up on the floor in a hot, nasty squirt.

I would think that buying more expensive feeds, using the same feeds as commercial growers and trying to produce meat just as quickly is no different than birds produced commercially. Might as well save your time and effort and the money spent on feed and birds~not to mention the smell and the labors of processing~ and buy them from the local store.

 

[washxc]

Thanks for all your input everyone, I really appreciate it. I have 30 or 40 pounds of soybeans that I got for free recently so I think I'm thinking about roasting/boiling them and supplementing just a bit. Otherwise, I'm going to keep them on the 18% layer mash and see how they do!

 

[harleyjo]

Here is a link to a thread I started on this a week or so ago. I wanted unmedicated feed to finish them and couldn't find it. With the advise from on here and then going to the coop where I buy my feed this is what I ended up doing.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=355639


I am adding soy meal to my layer crumbles. They seem to be doing fine.

 

[Lynn_Farm]

Our feed store does not carry unmedicated broiler feed. Since I want to go as natural as possible, the feed store owner recommended I use Flock Raiser (20% protein) & mix in a bit of soybean meal (48% protein) to make a ration that is appx 24% protein. The soybean meal is sold by the 50 lb bag and ran me $14. You could also try this, adding in the approprate amount of soybean meal to the layer feed...

 

[jillbert]

I love great info. Would you consider sharing you recipe ?

 

[wsmoak]

If you are buying direct from the mill, do they not have a higher protein broiler feed available? Surely the layer feed is not their only product...

You might also want to ask them what their minimum order is for a custom mix. If it's half a ton and you're raising 50 at a time, that could work out.

-Wendy

 

[matt81c]

Add some peanuts to that feed I think 8 very read you can add like 1.5% to your mix weight from a make your own feed receive peanuts are like 40% that's why you only add like 1.5 lbs to 100lbs crushed to the feed it helps get the protein up abit.Theres some other grains that can help to if you can get ahold of them.Even heard of people growing and drying duck weed which also has higher protein and doubles every 2 to 3 days in growth if growing.

 

[Bluegill]

Even if you fed them 10 weeks to get them to size you will spend half as much money as you would on 22% for 6 weeks. Consider fermenting the mash. It is not that much of a hassle for the benefits received.

 

[matt81c]

Yeah I've heard that good for them too . sprouted seeds offer some benefits too.