How much feed?

[rizq]

Quote:
LOL

isn't that the unfortunate truth!

 

[CovenantCreek]

I don't know of any sources for oyster shell in bulk. You can get aragonite "flour" in bulk, but my girls never really ate it. I don't blame them, it's very much like flour. I just pick up a 5 lb bag of oyster shell whenever I think of it, that way I'm always finding some around the barn or garage.

I have separate dishes for each of the supplements. I have a large 2-bowl unit that I hung on the wall, and 2 smaller dishes that hang off the sides of the first. The big bowls have the oyster shell and kelp meal. The small bowls hold the fish meal and flax seed. Things get mixed around a bit, but for my flock of 13 it works. The fish meal sees the most action.

One of my neighbors used to raise game birds -- had a lot of them staked out to barrel-type shelters when I bought my property. He'd probably have lots of advice to give me if I asked. Not necessarily good advice, but.........

Back to the oyster shell -- I just googled it and found that it's available from EggCartons.com. I guess I have one more thing to add to my shopping list for them.

 

[CovenantCreek]

I also just found oyster shells at Countryside Naturals , though they don't indicate that it's crushed (but do say it's for feeding to chickens). The price is under $10, which adds to my questioning whether it's ready to feed to the girls or not.

EDIT: Countryside Naturals sells 50# bags of oyster shell for $8.90 plus shipping -- this is "normal" oyster shell for chickens that you can pay over $1 a pound for at feed stores!

 

[rizq]

I'll have to do some checking around and see what I can find. I know they love it when I get them scratch or wild bird seed for something different (treats in addition to their regular ration, of course). I know that our hamburg flock could use some oyster shells, one or two of the older hens (at least I assume it's the old ones) lay some pathetically shelled eggs once in awhile. Certainly wouldn't hurt any of them.

I may have to try ordering some from eggcartons ... $30 for 50 lbs is a heck of a lot better than $6.29 for 5 pounds!! That's about half the cost. If freight isn't too bad, I can see doing that.

I'll have to look into fish meal and see what I can find for flaxseed. The wild bird seed I get in bulk has flaxseed in it. Maybe I'll feed that more often.

 

[Akane]

Mine eat a heck of a lot less when given a little black oil sunflower seeds. I have 5 bantams, 8 4month old large standards, and 3 5 month old standard EE that empty their 3lb feeder about daily. They eat around a pound less for every few cups of sunflower seeds I give them. The scoop in the sunflower seed bag probably equals 2cups and if I throw down 1-2 scoops the feeder is up to 1/3rd still full the next day. When I ran out of sunflower seeds for a few weeks the feeder was completely empty every morning and they ate a bunch of the straw and emptied their grit container.

To accurately figure how many pounds they need you'd have to take the numbers off the bag, possibly figure in temps if it's really cold, the weight of the birds, and their activity level. Lots of variables and it doesn't seem entirely worth it since everyone says they've never heard of a chicken over eating.

 

[rizq]

lol, Akane ... good point about their being too many variables. The wild bird seed mix I give as a treat also has black oil sunseeds along with the flax and several other seeds that I don't know what they are.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

ANY feed store should be able to order you a 50 lb bag of oyster shell

If you put up some large hanging feeders, and keep them filled all the time, the chickens will eat what they need, and you wont have to feed them every day

And no matter HOW FULL they are, they will act starved when you walk out there because they think youll give them a treat

 

[rizq]

Quote:
That's for sure!

I have had no success getting our co-op to order anything (even though they carry calf manna ... a manna pro product ... they would not order me manna pro rabbit food because it is not a co-op brand ... go figure). I will ask at TSC. I can usually get them to order things, but it can take awhile for it to get in as they seem to forget to order things quite frequently. They are still the best bet, however ... no other feed stores in town. If they won't do it, I'll get some off eggcartons if their freight isn't outrageous.

 

[briteday]

I have 6 RIR hens and they go through about 10 pounds of pellets per week. I prefer the pellets because I find they waste less. When I tried the crumbles or mash they just spread it around everywhere.

When I did the math it seems to me that your 150 pounds per week is not unreasonable comared to my feed requirements. I have the food in a hanging feeder that is available to the girls 24/7.

Also with regards to those telling you that you feed way too much...I have the same thing around here with the ranchers..."Just turn 'um out in the yard and throw some table scraps at them once in a while, they'll be fine! I never buy anything other than a rare bac of scratch grains!" Yea, and I guess that's why they're buying 25 chicks every spring to produce enough eggs for a family of four... In the long run, I think feeding the hens a quality diet is cheaper than feeding freeloading chicks every year for 4 months before ever seeing an egg.

To each his own...but my girls get their pellets, oyster shell (the feed stores here, ranch stores, sell it for 20 cents per pound...no idea what it would cost in bulk), greens from the new organic food store in town (they save the trimmings in the produce dept for me), and a bit of grain if the night temps are going to be in the teens or lower.

 

[skeeter]

try buying whole corn by the ton in bulk with that many birds it is going to cost to feed them,some will argue the corn but you can supplement this with the good stuff,the last time I checked I could get corn for 165 a ton,