Homesteaders

[rancher hicks]

Hey everybody.

I'm new to the game so I need some input/advice on feed. I'm feeding a "mash" ground feed from my local elevator. It hangs up in my pvc feeder because it packs so tight in the tube. What are you feeding and why? I am assuming that crumbles or pellets would flow much better. Your experienced input is appreciated.

Thanks, Dave

I prefer to feed pellets because it reduces the waste. Pellets that hit the ground can be eaten. Not so with crumbles.

I only feed crumbles to chicks. When I feed crumbles I add it to water to make it less dusty and to reduce the waste. As a rule I feed crumbles only to chicks that are old enough to handle the mush.

I will be buying "Feather Fixer" that only comes in crumbles. I will add water to that too. Larger birds can handle the mush.

Here I feed Dumor chick starter 20%. To the grown ups I feed Egg Producer Pellets 21%. Non commercial layers do better for me on the higher protein. Generally I don't get a bad molt. Though Big Delores has molted bad this year and last she didn't do so well either. I wonder if it's because she's older. (4-5) She still lays for me.

Do others feed the 16% feed and how does that work out for you? It is cheaper by about a dollar I think?

I wish you well,

Rancher

 

[rancher hicks]

I don't care what form my feed is in: any thing from mash to pellets. (what ever is cheapest at the time.) All my feed is fermented. Cuts feed bill, improves nutrient uptake, zero waste, more rodent proof, gives guts healthy load of probiotics. My flock lays earlier and more than birds of my friends who's birds are sourced from same location, and of same age.

Do you have pics of your fermenting set up? I'd like to try it.

 

[CLSranch]

Dave what if you took the short pieces of pipe off after the 45s or slanted them so the chickens could pull it out as they eat. Far enough to get to it, or is it clogging up before the Tee?

 

[cordless]

Dave what if you took the short pieces of pipe off after the 45s or slanted them so the chickens could pull it out as they eat. Far enough to get to it, or is it clogging up before the Tee?

Yes .... it's compacting in the vertical pipe.

 

[lazy gardener]

Do you have pics of your fermenting set up? I'd like to try it.

My FF set up consists of a 3 gallon bucket. Simply fill bucket about 1/2 full of water. Add feed till it's the consistency of thick oatmeal. Let it set till it bubbles. (2 - 4 days depending on temp.) Stir 1 - 2 x/day for the first ferment. When it bubbles, it's ready to feed. I hold back about a cup full (very non specific amount: as much as 1/2 bucket full and as little as the scrapings left in the bucket) to get the next ferment going. Following ferments will mature in as little as 12 - 24 hours. Simply feed and refill. When my flock size is bigger, I rotate 2 buckets. Right now, with all the free ranging, one bucket does well for 17 birds, and even then, they eat less than 1/2 bucket/day.

 

[CLSranch]

Free ranging sure helps the feed bill. All my grown chickens free range until I integrate some new chicks after they've gotten old enough or get new stock. Then I leave them cooped up for a couple of days and boy does it take a lot more feed.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
I feed the 16% layer mash ground at the local mill....costs $10 and change for a 50# bag. Works wonderful for me....I free range, so the feed is merely a supplement and I also ferment it, so that ups the total nutritive value of it. Chickens in the middle of their molt right now and I'm getting the best egg production I've had all year and that's after my flock was reduced by 3 layers recently.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I feed grow and show and everyone looks great and is very healthy. The entire flock free ranges all day so even with 150 birds I only use 100lbs of feed a month. The meaties eat a lot more though. There is 22 of them and they eat 100lbs a month.

 

[wyoDreamer]

@cordless I wonder if mixing in something coarser would help your situation with the auto feeder. At least to let you use up the feed you have on hand. I am thinking something like oats or sunflower seeds.

I feed crumbles, but mix in some cracked corn, oats and sunflower seeds. Dried mealworms occasionally. The "treats" are always eaten first - my girls love their grains. They get all the weeds that I pull and get free-range time whenever I get a chance to be out with them. My chickens are healthy and active and laying 10 to 12 eggs a day - for 12 hens that is better than I had hoped for. I think my friends and family are getting sick of hearing me say "Anybody need any eggs?" lol! My brother-in-law borrowed our trailer the other day - I stuck a dozen eggs into the truck without even asking him. I did text him after he left to make sure my sister gets them... I feel like the gardener with too many zucchini.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:

I've had the same situation with PVC feeder and layer mash from the mill and also tried that solution already....it didn't work. The layer mash from the mill isn't like layer crumbles...it already has large chunk and whole grains in it besides what one would add, but the problem is the VERY fine ground ingredients outnumber all the chunkier pieces and they draw the ambient humidity, caking up and compacting inside that PVC like crazy, not letting new feed drop down as the birds eat. No matter the angle I tried or the addition of more whole grains seemed to stop that unless I did more whole grains than layer ration...which is basically feeding scratch with a little mash.

That's when I finally moved to open trough feeding with 2x3 welded wire stretched over the top of the trough....easy to fill, no way for them to flip feed out of it, and no problems when feeding mash be it wet or dry.