Is there a specific grain that is really good for feather condition?
Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds
- Thread starter shadowmane
- Start date
I think BOSS is good for feathers, giving them good fats makes for smooth and good feathering.
Bee, I noticed over in the other "fermented feeds" thread you spoke about changing the feed up a bit during the winter months; less protein and more fats. What can I do in order to achieve this ? Currently I am feeding an grower with 16-18% protein and I'm also mixing some barely in there (as we discussed before) so the protein absorption isn't as great. I'm wondering what I can feed them come winter that would allow me to do as you do ? Keep in mind that these birds are going to be laying in just over a month so I was planning to switch them to a layer feed. Please advise 
I usually just mix 30-50% of a whole grain..lately I've been using steamed barley...with the layer ration and later on in the fall, near the end of Oct. I usually throw in some BOSS (not a lot but some) for added fats. I'll be getting some birds coming into lay this fall also but I'm not worried about the ration not being enough for their needs. I kept my Barley at 30% this time for that reason, instead of mixing it 50%. That's just a nod to the new layers but it's not crucial. The real laying season won't be until spring and so I don't worry too much about winter laying.
The birds will be more inactive in the winter and burn less fuel due to this, so more can be used for their production needs. It all balances out in the end. The BOSS also gives them a little variety and you will see them scarf them down first...they LOVA dem some BOSS!
This pic shows the mix I had last fall...ignore the red pellets in it as they are not my usual. I had added some calf manna to get some sick, anemic birds some quick fat before winter (see Road Less Traveled thread) but it was just a bit and only for a few weeks. Even with that it was WAY too much and the birds got too fat, too quick so I had cut them back on feed a little to correct my mistake. That's the only time I've ever used calf manna for chickens, so don't think that is a normal thing...I've never had to recondition old and sick birds before winter before, so it was a quick fix. Have to be careful with that stuff..it is WAY to rich to use on a regular basis.
The birds will be more inactive in the winter and burn less fuel due to this, so more can be used for their production needs. It all balances out in the end. The BOSS also gives them a little variety and you will see them scarf them down first...they LOVA dem some BOSS!
So if I switch them to a layer feed (planning to do this in early to mid October) and continue to mix in some barely at about 30% then this would essentially be what you are planning to do for the winter months, correct ?I usually just mix 30-50% of a whole grain..lately I've been using steamed barley...with the layer ration and later on in the fall, near the end of Oct. I usually throw in some BOSS (not a lot but some) for added fats. I'll be getting some birds coming into lay this fall also but I'm not worried about the ration not being enough for their needs. I kept my Barley at 30% this time for that reason, instead of mixing it 50%. That's just a nod to the new layers but it's not crucial. The real laying season won't be until spring and so I don't worry too much about winter laying. The birds will be more inactive in the winter and burn less fuel due to this, so more can be used for their production needs. It all balances out in the end. The BOSS also gives them a little variety and you will see them scarf them down first...they LOVA dem some BOSS!This pic shows the mix I had last fall...ignore the red pellets in it as they are not my usual. I had added some calf manna to get some sick, anemic birds some quick fat before winter (see Road Less Traveled thread) but it was just a bit and only for a few weeks. Even with that it was WAY too much and the birds got too fat, too quick so I had cut them back on feed a little to correct my mistake. That's the only time I've ever used calf manna for chickens, so don't think that is a normal thing...I've never had to recondition old and sick birds before winter before, so it was a quick fix. Have to be careful with that stuff..it is WAY to rich to use on a regular basis.
Bee, I noticed over in the other "fermented feeds" thread you spoke aBout changing the feed up a bit during the winter months; less protein and more fats. What can I do in order to achieve this ? Currently I am feeding an grower with 16-18% protein and I'm also mixing some barely in there (as we discussed before) so the protein absorption isn't as great. I'm wondering what I can feed them come winter that would allow me to do as you do ? Keep in mind that these birds are going to be laying in just over a month so I was planning to switch them to a layer feed. Please advise
That will be in Volume III of her new book series. It''ll be titled "Feeding Your Chook Addiction: Brewing the Perfect Fix" and will be available on April 20th...
That's what I am currently beginning...hitting the barley mix right now in the feed can and will soon be adding some BOSS long about next month. It's an easy seasonal switch...layer ration starting in Feb and running until around July/Aug, ease into a cut down ration in the middle of molt and then add some fats in the fall, keeping the cut down ration and fats in the winter. Start back with layer in the end of Feb. That's about as wild as my feed tweaking gets and the feed is all mixed in a big trash can, so it transitions slowly from one to the other as the feed filters down into the can and gets added to the top, etc.
Right now it has a 50 lb bag of layer at the bottom, a 50 lb bag of barley in the middle and a 50 lb bag of layer on the top which I have been using for a bit..just now picking up on the barley in the middle and will let the layer mix in with it from both ends. Next month, I'll throw in some BOSS and work it into the mix. It's an easy, breezy seasonal switch that I don't stress over about proportions and percentages.
Until I hit BYC, I had never really even looked at the protein percentages on my feed bags! I free range, so it's a supplement at best and better than my grandma ever fed...her flock got shelled corn right off the cob and free range in all seasons.
I usually just mix 30-50% of a whole grain..lately I've been using steamed barley...with the layer ration and later on in the fall, near the end of Oct. I usually throw in some BOSS (not a lot but some) for added fats. I'll be getting some birds coming into lay this fall also but I'm not worried about the ration not being enough for their needs. I kept my Barley at 30% this time for that reason, instead of mixing it 50%. That's just a nod to the new layers but it's not crucial. The real laying season won't be until spring and so I don't worry too much about winter laying.
The birds will be more inactive in the winter and burn less fuel due to this, so more can be used for their production needs. It all balances out in the end. The BOSS also gives them a little variety and you will see them scarf them down first...they LOVA dem some BOSS!This pic shows the mix I had last fall...ignore the red pellets in it as they are not my usual. I had added some calf manna to get some sick, anemic birds some quick fat before winter (see Road Less Traveled thread) but it was just a bit and only for a few weeks. Even with that it was WAY too much and the birds got too fat, too quick so I had cut them back on feed a little to correct my mistake. That's the only time I've ever used calf manna for chickens, so don't think that is a normal thing...I've never had to recondition old and sick birds before winter before, so it was a quick fix. Have to be careful with that stuff..it is WAY to rich to use on a regular basis.
Oh wow my chickens would go insane over this!!!! They LOVEEEEEE grains! They ALWAYS pic the grains out first and leave the layer feed. They will only eat the layer feed later once ALL the grains are gone. What they basically do right now is this, they are eating the grains out and then the next morning they finish up the food that was left in there. Still having left overs and still working on trying to get it right so no left overs at night.
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