Flock Raiser for your layers?

[Glasshen]

I have been using flock raiser and oyster shell for mabe a year and a half. I like it much better than layer feed, the feathers are so soft since I switched. Higher protein is good, in my opinion.

 

[humphrey farms]

awesome! its time to pick up more feed so thats great to know! i like the idea of using flock raiser, i guess now it just depends on how much it costs vs. the layer feed. also, i told my fiance to save his egg shells so we can crush & feed out those, he proposed going to the seafood dept. of our grocery store and asking for their leftover oyster shells since they display the oysters in half shells. is this feasible?

If you do business with the grocery store they might be kind enough to help you out. Here in my neck of the woods..3lbs of oyster shell (Purina Mills) is $3...I buy bulk 50# bags for my 20+ laying hens for $10 at the tractor supply store.

 

[floridagirl13]

i hope so, i mean im ok with buying the pre-crushed, pre-bagged oyster shell. the closest grocery store is publix, i'm not sure if they would be open to the idea, or if there is some strange policy regarding the oyster shells.

i love TSC, but the closest one to me is around 25 miles away

 

[floridagirl13]

Ok so it turns out my feed store carries 25 l. Bags of layena now, also 40lb bags of the layena plus. So I got the layena plus pellets. I was concerned they might not be interested since they've been on crumbles. Chanti tried it first, spit it out, then Ginger ate what he dropped and went for more. I Dont know who "runs the roost" out of the 2 of them, it would seem that Ginger is The Lady of the Coop lol

So I guess my question now is who else uses it for their flock, and have you actually seen any difference in them or their eggs?

 

[SunnySkies]

I use Flock Raiser in my mixed age and species flock and like it. Eggs have never had soft or thin shells, but my birds free range and thus get adequate minerals on their own.

Every time I have tried a different brand or type of feed, it has been a failure. Either they flat out refused to eat it or they wasted more of it than usual. Layena was the worst for that for my birds.

 

[floridagirl13]

I want to mix both but the fed store we go to doesn't carry any smaller bags of flock raiser and while I only have 2 now, soon to be 5+, I think it would be more of a pain in the tushy to get 2 different kinds for such a small flock. Once I get more ladies I probably will use both.

I have only given then a handful to see if they would eat it. But tonight I will mix the last of their start & grow with the layena and hope for the best.