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How do you feed your Rooster(s)?

It has never caused any problems with my adult ducks, roosters or drakes. But then they also foraged for insects and slugs and ate the grass so maybe it formed a smaller proportion of their overall diet?

I don't keep ducks atm but when I did they lived in a mixed flock with the chickens so there was no way I could keep their food separate.
I’m feeding the ducks ducks pellet feed and the chickens all flock raiser but the ducks eat the chickens feed and the chickens the ducks. Go figures. I can’t win. I’m not sure if I could jut feed them all flock and if that enough for the ducks and I wouldn’t have to supplement the ducks diet
 
I switched to a low-priced layer feed and had my very first egg bound hen. She died in my arms :hit
Very sorry for your loss. :hugs

Egg binding for me has been a new or returning layer from brooding.. accidental double + yolkers. I have lost at least one Swedish Flower Hen to egg binding.. that was not feed related. It was an awful feeling, not being able to help. The largest chicken egg I got was around 104 grams and it always makes me cringe now. :hmm

Hope your simplified feed routine works out well and your birds like the new feed. Many breeds listed in your signature line should thrive much more than they would with "layer".

But this is one of those areas.. if you had to actually order it.. then using another brand with similar nutrient values MIGHT be a better option.

I’m not sure if I could jut feed them all flock and if that enough for the ducks and I wouldn’t have to supplement the ducks diet
Purina Flock Raiser is sufficient for both ducks and chickens.. providing 55 mg/kg of niacin.. I called the company as niacin is not required to be listed on the guaranteed analysis doesn't mean it isn't there. 55mg/kg niacin is enough for MOST duck and ALL of mine did just fine when I fed it with NO supplementation. JUMBO Pekin however require closer to 70 mg/kg of niacin. Call the company that makes your "all flock" and inquire or see if it's listed on the fed comparisons thread link posted previously. It should say on the bag the age and species the feed is appropriate for BY LAW.

My personal thought on feeding a bird their own eggs to replace anything missing from the diet.. uhh.. it might be missing (or deficient) in their eggs too! :confused:
 
Very sorry for your loss. :hugs

Egg binding for me has been a new or returning layer from brooding.. accidental double + yolkers. I have lost at least one Swedish Flower Hen to egg binding.. that was not feed related. It was an awful feeling, not being able to help. The largest chicken egg I got was around 104 grams and it always makes me cringe now. :hmm

Hope your simplified feed routine works out well and your birds like the new feed. Many breeds listed in your signature line should thrive much more than they would with "layer".

But this is one of those areas.. if you had to actually order it.. then using another brand with similar nutrient values MIGHT be a better option.


Purina Flock Raiser is sufficient for both ducks and chickens.. providing 55 mg/kg of niacin.. I called the company as niacin is not required to be listed on the guaranteed analysis doesn't mean it isn't there. 55mg/kg niacin is enough for MOST duck and ALL of mine did just fine when I fed it with NO supplementation. JUMBO Pekin however require closer to 70 mg/kg of niacin. Call the company that makes your "all flock" and inquire or see if it's listed on the fed comparisons thread link posted previously. It should say on the bag the age and species the feed is appropriate for BY LAW.

My personal thought on feeding a bird their own eggs to replace anything missing from the diet.. uhh.. it might be missing (or deficient) in their eggs too! :confused:
They are super giant Peking that I rescued. I feed purina duck pellets and the chickens nutrana naturewise pellets.
 
Very sorry for your loss. :hugs

Egg binding for me has been a new or returning layer from brooding.. accidental double + yolkers. I have lost at least one Swedish Flower Hen to egg binding.. that was not feed related. It was an awful feeling, not being able to help. The largest chicken egg I got was around 104 grams and it always makes me cringe now. :hmm

Hope your simplified feed routine works out well and your birds like the new feed. Many breeds listed in your signature line should thrive much more than they would with "layer".

But this is one of those areas.. if you had to actually order it.. then using another brand with similar nutrient values MIGHT be a better option.


Purina Flock Raiser is sufficient for both ducks and chickens.. providing 55 mg/kg of niacin.. I called the company as niacin is not required to be listed on the guaranteed analysis doesn't mean it isn't there. 55mg/kg niacin is enough for MOST duck and ALL of mine did just fine when I fed it with NO supplementation. JUMBO Pekin however require closer to 70 mg/kg of niacin. Call the company that makes your "all flock" and inquire or see if it's listed on the fed comparisons thread link posted previously. It should say on the bag the age and species the feed is appropriate for BY LAW.

My personal thought on feeding a bird their own eggs to replace anything missing from the diet.. uhh.. it might be missing (or deficient) in their eggs too! :confused:
I knew someone more knowledgeable would come along!

I can only speak from my own experience and I'm sure I've done things less than perfectly.

I meant feeding chicken eggs to the ducks, but plenty of other niacin food sources are available. As well as foraging and cropping the grass, mine always got table scraps and fruit/veg treats too so I guess they just got all they needed from that variety. Layer pellets were the staple though. I was lucky as I never got a sick duck in all the years I had them. Much hardier than the chickens, I observed. But then I've had elderly chickens too!
 
Very sorry for your loss. :hugs

Egg binding for me has been a new or returning layer from brooding.. accidental double + yolkers. I have lost at least one Swedish Flower Hen to egg binding.. that was not feed related. It was an awful feeling, not being able to help. The largest chicken egg I got was around 104 grams and it always makes me cringe now. :hmm

Hope your simplified feed routine works out well and your birds like the new feed. Many breeds listed in your signature line should thrive much more than they would with "layer".

But this is one of those areas.. if you had to actually order it.. then using another brand with similar nutrient values MIGHT be a better option.

So sorry for your loss. :( That's a beautiful breed. I don't know for certain if my hen suffered due to my choice of feed. It could have been a coincidence but this thread is very timely as this has been a worry for me since it happened. Thank you again for your help. My feed store orders just about everything because they keep a low inventory. It's their business model, I guess. If I don't order ahead, I risk them not having the product on hand.
 
I knew someone more knowledgeable would come along!

I can only speak from my own experience and I'm sure I've done things less than perfectly.

I meant feeding chicken eggs to the ducks, but plenty of other niacin food sources are available. As well as foraging and cropping the grass, mine always got table scraps and fruit/veg treats too so I guess they just got all they needed from that variety. Layer pellets were the staple though. I was lucky as I never got a sick duck in all the years I had them. Much hardier than the chickens, I observed. But then I've had elderly chickens too!
I’m not so lucky even though I’m feeding the ducks purina duck pellets and they are having some legs issues all of a sudden. They free range and eat grass a bus but I guess it’s not enough for this very big Perkins. There’s one that’s having trouble going around. She’s a little better after I started to give her niacin pills. The right one. No time release. And brewers yeast. And vitamin b complex 😫
 
I use Purina Flock Raiser because I can get it consistently with fresh mill dates in my location for about $18/50# bag.

Purina actually own Nature Wise and makes the feed for Dumor.. in addition to many other brands I probably know nothing about. They are a multi conglomerate who I have zero brand loyalty to and if available might choose something made by Kalmbach instead.. that feed smelled SO good! But it is a regional feed I found on Amazon once and not available to me on a regular basis. Have you already checked out or seen the feed comparisons brought by @Kiki? If you don't see the one you're using, consider sending her the info.. The offerings I get with satisfactory turnover to keep mill dates fresh are very limited really. Back when I started my hunt and spent hours upon hours in feed store after feed store this wealth of information hadn't yet been so diligently brought together in one location..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/➡-feed-comparison-spreadsheet.1275920/#post-20524932

I wonder if she's got them set up for other countries than the US? :confused:

I avoid Purina dog food like Benefuls and other as I don't find them to be acceptable...

No matter the company name.. they all make cruddy cheaper products, that serve the purpose of some folks well enough, and I have been one of them. Now at this point in my life, I'm a label reader.. ingredients, nutritional analysis, etc. Even then... I'm buying what is a happy medium for my current budget, my animal needs, current location availability, etc. and not my dream perfection. While I don't buy ALL the hype about non gmo OR organic, I do find some validity in the cleanest most chemical free life possible, and figuring out what the natives knew.. recognizing that I'm not keeping a natural amount of birds in my space.. what some folks are calling self sustaining is really just self propagating and when crud hits the fan and feed isn't available (like for some during Covid), watch our flock sizes and types and consumption change.. you don't see fat fluffy birds in regions that are less developed and truly relying on their land a bit more. Not judging, just saying.



I have seen them online up to 22% protein (shown in some studies to give the best hatch rates) and still 4%+ calcium.. the added calcium is what makes it "layer" feed. I have not YET seen layer feed above 16% available at any of the feed stores in MY location.

But you are correct.. "layer" is just a term indicating who it is meant for and not indicative of the actual nutritional analysis. If one wants to know they must read the labels.

I'm sure I've said it before but not all protein is created equal.

@Jackiebjackie once your getting eggs, will try and remember to report back whether you find any fishy taste.. thinking fish was an ingredient in your feed and that had been one drawback mentioned.. as a possibility.
This is the second time I heard about Kalmbach on this site. Someone mentioned it in a different thread. Can you tell me why you or the hens like it so much? I used to feed purina all flock and they used to love it but I can’t find it anywhere near me. I had to switched to nutrena all flick and they hate it and are losing weight and not laying as much. I do supply OS on the side. Thank!
 
It smells delicious!
I know I wasn't asked but I give mine Kalmbach and the only answer I can give you is their formula just looks and smells good and apparently the birds can tell.
Seriously it smells like a good cereal or a nice muffin mix.:)
This is the second time I heard about Kalmbach on this site. Someone mentioned it in a different thread. Can you tell me why you or the hens like it so much? I used to feed purina all flock and they used to love it but I can’t find it anywhere near me. I had to switched to nutrena all flick and they hate it and are losing weight and not laying as much. I do supply OS on the side. Thank!
 
they hate it and are losing weight and not laying as much.
The Kalmbach feed that I got was at a good price and it smelled so good, maybe like fresh bread baking.. it's possible it was wheat based instead of (yellow) corn based. (I can't remember as it's been a very long time). which could diminish yellow pigment in the yolk for laying hens despite having no relevance to end nutrient formulation, IF that were the case. But ya, it smelled so good I could have poured myself a bowl. :drool I'm SURE not all of their formulations are created equal, but if you find one you like, give it a try. I have tried some feeds that you could really smell the soy content.. which isn't one of my personal favorite things to eat.

Hating that feed might be a separate issue from losing weight and not laying as much.. could be age or light related.. as both effect reproduction rate and day light is currently diminishing in the northern hemisphere. Hard to say without details, but highly suspect as to POSSIBLE reasons.
 

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