I have 40-ish chickens, ranging from 6 months to 8 years of age. We have always fed flock raiser, nearly two bags a week, plus a little scratch in the afternoons. They free range, so get all the bugs and frogs they can catch.
For the past month or so, I have been wetting down the flock raiser. I take a bucket (one gallon) and fill it half to 3/4 of the way with flock raiser. I then mix in water until it's full to the brim, making a nice mush. I pour this into two feeding troughs in the mornings and then let the chickens out. During the course of the day, they eat every bit of the mash. They don't scratch it out of the troughs like they used to do with the dry version, so there's next to no waste.
I immediately noticed I'm using just under one bag a week of feed now, so my feed bill is almost cut in half.
The next thing I noticed was my crippled cockerel. When he was in the brooder, I thought he had a slipped tendon. He was unable to fully use one leg and walked on one leg and one "elbow." Within a week after feeding the mash, he started to come up on his bad leg! Now, about four weeks later, he is walking totally upright with hardly a limp. Is this a coincidence?
I have also noticed my chickens aren't crowding the front door any more. They don't come stampeding me when I go outside. I actually think they are getting full on the mash.
My chickens have always been of good weight and seemed healthy. Egg production is about the same, so maybe it's just my imagination, but I'm not imaging the saving of $$$.
You can barely see the two feeding troughs through the chickens.
For the past month or so, I have been wetting down the flock raiser. I take a bucket (one gallon) and fill it half to 3/4 of the way with flock raiser. I then mix in water until it's full to the brim, making a nice mush. I pour this into two feeding troughs in the mornings and then let the chickens out. During the course of the day, they eat every bit of the mash. They don't scratch it out of the troughs like they used to do with the dry version, so there's next to no waste.
I immediately noticed I'm using just under one bag a week of feed now, so my feed bill is almost cut in half.
The next thing I noticed was my crippled cockerel. When he was in the brooder, I thought he had a slipped tendon. He was unable to fully use one leg and walked on one leg and one "elbow." Within a week after feeding the mash, he started to come up on his bad leg! Now, about four weeks later, he is walking totally upright with hardly a limp. Is this a coincidence?
I have also noticed my chickens aren't crowding the front door any more. They don't come stampeding me when I go outside. I actually think they are getting full on the mash.
My chickens have always been of good weight and seemed healthy. Egg production is about the same, so maybe it's just my imagination, but I'm not imaging the saving of $$$.
You can barely see the two feeding troughs through the chickens.
