Hog Feed for Chickens??? What do ya'll think............Miss Prissy?

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
omg.......what did she do for them........did they die?

She took them off of it and put them on Purina and it took several weeks to get them back up and laying and the swelling in the feet to go down.

 

[lotzahenz]

I have fed my chickens hog feed, a 14% protein grower ration for over two years. It was made of ground corn and soybean-based pellets (the protein). It is a bit fine for them, but they ate it well and we had no ill side-effects. They are 100% free-range and the only sick chicken I've had in years had mites on his legs. I also know that in Europe, where my DH is from, they feed their chickens plain ole corn.

I wouldn't worry about it hurting them.

Lotzahenz

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

I was wondering about that too. Because if you feed them the hog feed, but then they free range, and then you give them scraps from the kitchen...wouldn't that sort of diversify it enough?

 

[AnthonyT]

Um, hog feed is often suplimented with added amino acids. They are monogastric just like a chicken and they can't synthesize amino acids either. Hog feed almost always has added lysine, and sometimes methionine. Read and compare the labels of a good chicken feed and a good hog grower and they will be almost the same. Calcium and phosphorus may be off a little.

 

[corancher]

Just thought I would add that we have hog feed that we have the feed mill makes for us. We get 12% protein for older hogs and 18% protein for younger hogs. We have been giving the chickens some of the 18% and it seems to work just fine, however there is waste with the chickens since it is ground fine. As AnthonyT said the feed is formuled pretty close for hogs and chickens.

We are working on seeing if we can get a better bulk mixture just for the chickens that is not ground. We have too many birds now to continue buying bagged feed since the price has doubled in the last three years. Will post to let everyone know how this works out.

Our birds do free range during summer months and take turns free ranging once they go back into breeding pens. They also get whatever vegetable/fruit scraps we have and can get whatever hay that the cows leave behind. We also give the birds black oil sunflower seeds and oyster shell. We rarely have a sick bird.

We do feed game bird starter to the new hatched birds. We use the game bird since we generally will have some turkeys, guineas, or waterfowl hatching with the chicks and it gets hard to remember which bin has which feed. Getting old I guess.

 

[yotetrapper]

My chickens eat a mixture of 50% cracked corn, 25% oats and 25% layer feed. They also get oyster shell. I think a lot of us tend to overthink chicken food. This is just my humble opinion, I am by no means a chicken nutrionist LOL.

 

[mtnhomechick]

I think I'm going to give them layer crumbles in the morning. Then they free range for a couple of hours and then I will give them the hog feed in the late afternoon.

They also get snack in between. Table scraps and such.

Hope it works because chicken feed is expensive.

Been thinking about how my grandma might have done it on the farm years ago. Probably wouldn't have been this scientific ........

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
I'm Sorry PurpleChicken, but this is false. Hog feeds are most definitely supplemented with Synthetic Amino Acids specifically Lysine, Methionine, Threonine, Tryptophan. The Amino Acid Ratios are different between chickens and hogs though which makes hog feeds not appropriate for the most efficient growth or production. The other major concern with using hog feed for chickens, especially layers, is the lack of enough Calcium.

Jim

 

[mtnhomechick]

So Jim.........as long as I add the oyster shell......which I have from day 1....it would be ok then?

And our well water down here is so full of calcium and Lyme I probably don't even need the shell but I do it anyway.

Some of my egg customers always remark at how hard it is to crack the shell.

I assume hog feed 1 time a day is ok then.

I so appreciate your input.

Thanks Jim

 

[MissPrissy]

I have heard of many farmers feeding chickens hog feed. I never have. I don't keep hogs year round and only do keep them when I can get piglets.

As far as the feed I have read in many places where the hog feed is similar to chicken feed. I would just have to question the calcium as well as double checking any mineral content % that might differ.

If I could get it at the price you pay I would probably cut it by half with with regular laying ration and give them plenty of free choice calcium plus some dailt scratch ration. With free ranging they will eat less feed daily anyway.

I know alot of people balk at giving chickens things that are not manufactured for poultry because it might make them too fat, or cause this problem or that.

The one thing I keep in focus - I raise chickens for my own purposes. I need eggs and I need them every day. When I want meat on the table a rooster is removed from the grow pen.

I do not feed chickens in order for those chicken - roo and hen alike - to live here for 10 years. Their time is short. 2 - 4 years at best for the layers.

Also remember what you put into them is also equal to what you get out of them.