Good Feed? Plus, Chickens in the Woods?

[Birch66724]

Hello, and thanks in advance for replies.

My pullets are 14 weeks, and I am transitioning them from Purina Start and Grow to a layer feed. I picked up a 50 pound bag of feed from my local mill, and upon opening the bag, it looks more like scratch than feed? Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm just a concerned mother. Also, does this feed have enough if all the essential nutrients or do I need to supplement?

And side question, sorry, but should I allow my pullets in the woods? They always seem to drift into them when they are free ranging... I shoo them out, but that is a hassle

Thanks!
-Birch66724

 

[coltgrizzz]

What is the brand of the layer feed? i would add crushed clam/oyster shells to their feed. Doesn’t have to be much. I just give my girls a handful and mix it around. Everything else seems pretty good

 

[coltgrizzz]

What is the brand of the layer feed? i would add crushed clam/oyster shells to their feed. Doesn’t have to be much. I just give my girls a handful and mix it around. Everything else seems pretty good

Also about the woods, depends where you live. I would never let my girls into the wood because we have a gang of raccoons that sometimes will wonder around during the day.

 

[Birch66724]

Okay thanks. It's called "Gerken's AKA" . I think it's just a local thing, but I might be wrong.
I don't believe we have any predetors in the area, but you never know I suppose. Their coop borders the woods, so it difficult to keep them out.

And they do have a free choice of oyster shells too, forgot to say

 

[coltgrizzz]

I also forgot to mention (geez i keep forgetting to add stuff) that i would recommend using this feed in the winter since it seems to have an abundance of corn. If used during the summer, they might get fat and overheat.

 

[Evelyn's Mom]

Hmmm.. it looks like the label says for hogs and chickens...wonder if that's recommended?

 

[Birch66724]

Hmmm.. it looks like the label says for hogs and chickens...wonder if that's recommended?

Yeah that's mainly why I was posting this. Seems kinda strange, but if it meets the nutrient requirements...?

And good point about the winter feeding!

 

[sylviethecochin]

I see no B vitamins, which makes me wary, because while a lot of "local" feeds don't list B vitamins, they're sort of very necessary. [EDT: the fact that they supplement vitamins is in the ingredients, obviously, but I prefer to know how much they're supplementing. In ppm, if at all possible.] Methionine is spelled wrong, which makes me warier. There's definitely not enough calcium for new laying hens--all the research I've read says that they need very high levels of calcium when starting out. A little high in the sodium.

(This chart is, of course, for white leghorns, so it's a little off in regards to heritage hens. For a really good baseline feed chart, I'd probably pull a Purina feed tag from the internet, because they generally do know their stuff.)

 

[Birch66724]

sylviethecochin, you have pointed out some sketchy, if you will, details ....
Is there something I should supplement them to make sure my hens have enough B vitamin?

 

[sylviethecochin]

TSC and other feed stores sell a B supplement in liquid form. Since the Bs are water soluble, you could just dose their water. I prefer to buy B-complex tablets from Walmart and grind them up. Others add Brewer's yeast, but that's fairly expensive, and doesn't contain nearly as much vitamin B.

I wouldn't supplement with any other vitamins, though. B's are water soluble, so they can pass through the chicken's system quickly, if they aren't needed. Other vitamins, you can potentially overdose.

And if you ever plan to hatch eggs, a good amount of Bs (especially riboflavin) is necessary for the chick to develop properly.

I do keep E and selenium on hand in case of sky-gazing. I've not had it with chickens yet, but it used to be a problem with our rabbits, and I had it with ducks twice.