I bought gamecock food for my flock and have questions

[SusanH]

I have 8 pullets and 3 cockerels. I was reading a while back that feeding game bird feed was good for their development because of the increased protein. They are almost 6 months old and laying regularly.

So, last week I bought a bag of gamecock food. It has a lot of corn, some peas, wheat, black oil sunflower seeds and assorted other things. They love it!

Well, they love most of it. The flock is emptying my 7 pound plastic feeder ever day, but lots of it is scattered on the ground. I guess they are looking for the good stuff and leaving the rest. There is a single layer on the ground all around the feeder.

I'm giving free oyster shell as well as hydrated alfalfa pellets every day this week mainly because I'm recuperating from surgery and can't spend lots of time outside with them. They also get the assorted things like yogurt and cabbage and whatever I might have around...today spaghetti squash.

Did I do the right thing by buying this gamecock food? They have almost gone through a 50 pound bag since last Saturday. Should I mix it with the layer pellets?

I want them to have the best nutrition because, they are after all, my pets.

Any advice? The gamecock food is not a name brand, but made in a mill in NC I think. Homestead Mills maybe? It's dark and I don't want to go out to the shed to look.

For those of you who do feed game bird feed, how do you do/mix it and what brand do you like and why? Any advice would REALLY be appreciated!

Thank you in advance.
Susa

 

[farmin'chick]

Hi. I'm not sure game cock feed is the same as the gamebird starter and flight developer that I use. The protein percentage on gamebird starter that I get is 28%, and it looks like chick starter. The developer is also like crumbles.

Just check the protein percentage on what you're feeding -- it sounds like it may be made to help them have pretty feather colors, like parakeet color food, but it may also have plenty of protein to create stamina.

 

[txchickie]

Gamecock feed is usually great for chickens. I feed gamebird starter to all of my chickens & guineas, from chicks to laying hens to roosters. The gamebird starter looks just like chick crumbles, and I've never seen the feed in the bag of gamecock feed, but it sounds great.

Just check your nutritional label on the bag and read the ingredients, I'm sure it's just fine!

 

[speckledhen]

What you got was a scratch type feed for roosters. I use Knockout Game Cock Feed as my scratch, has 11 grains in it. You need Game Bird Breeder/Layena type feed or Game Bird Flight Conditioner, which is a grower feed.

This is my scratch--is yours similar? Mine has 13% protein.

 

[SusanH]

Thanks Speckled Hen. I think it was some of your posts that led me to try game bird food, but I really didn't know there were so many kinds.

Do those you mentioned come in brand names? The feed store I bought this from (first time there) had Nutrena and Purina as well. Do you have a brand you recommend?

If it's a scratch, it may not have as much nutrition and that is why they are eating SO much of it?


Thanks,
Susan

ETA Oh, I just saw the pics you attached. Yes it looks like that but has much more whole corn in it. That is what they seem to throw out. I wondered if it was too large for them. And yes, I think the protein content was no more than the Dumor layer pellets I had been feeding...in fact maybe slightly less.

 

[SusanH]

And this scratch would be a treat, not a main food source, is that correct?
Mine are pretty healthy now, and I don't want to compromise that going into fall and winter.