Grower feed

[la dee da]

The chick feed is whole grain (Kalmbach Chickhouse Reserve), served mainly in fermented form but also free choice dry.

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That looks like some nice stuff! I could get something a little like that here for cheap, but my chickens wasted so much of it, I got a huge mouse problem. I need pellets or they make a mess, even with a feeder that’s supposed to prevent it. I love them anyway, haha.

 

[la dee da]

I feed my adults a 20% protein all-flock crumble, so as soon as the chicks join the flock, somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks normally, that's what they're eating. I keep oyster shell available in the coop next to a dish of grit so both are constantly available. I see no need to go to a lower protein layer feed. The birds molt faster and just generally do well on it at every stage.

That’s awesome! I had a lot of problems with soft and non-existent shells with my first chickens, which has made me a little paranoid about calcium. I’ve heard good things about using a higher protein food, but I’ve also heard that it can cause organ failure (I think in the kidneys?). At what point is it too much protein, do you know?

 

[rosemarythyme]

That’s awesome! I had a lot of problems with soft and non-existent shells with my first chickens, which has made me a little paranoid about calcium. I’ve heard good things about using a higher protein food, but I’ve also heard that it can cause organ failure (I think in the kidneys?). At what point is it too much protein, do you know?

Excess calcium is what causes kidney problems. Excess protein can cause gout but we're talking about somewhere around 30% or more protein, which conventional chicken feed will not have.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

That looks like some nice stuff! I could get something a little like that here for cheap, but my chickens wasted so much of it, I got a huge mouse problem. I need pellets or they make a mess, even with a feeder that’s supposed to prevent it. I love them anyway, haha.

Yeah, I hear you on the wastage, which is one reason why most of what they get is fermented. (Other reason is that fermentation increases bioavailability for some nutrients.)