i Buy my poultry Feed at TSC

[Mogli]

can anyone tell me wat Brand & wat kind of Feed i can buy there to feed my New Rooster i just got my 1 year old Rooster this past Saturday but i dont know wat to feed him

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Do you just have the one chicken? If so, you can give him something like unmedicated chick starter or grower. Also some scratch- he will like that. The feed will only keep for 3-4 months if kept cool and dry, so don't buy too much if you just have the one rooster (or keep the feed in the freezer and remove a little at a time).

Layer feed is bad for roosters.

If you prefer pellets you can buy Flock Raiser. But this has a lot of protein...I would be sure to give him some scratch too.

 

[Mogli]

I have 10 Hens & I got 1 Rooster I got him a few days ago my very 1st Rooster never had 1 B4 So wich feed should I buy for him the unmediated chick feed or should I get the Flock Raiser?

 

[Rockythgr81]

Do you just have the one chicken? If so, you can give him something like unmedicated chick starter or grower. Also some scratch- he will like that. The feed will only keep for 3-4 months if kept cool and dry, so don't buy too much if you just have the one rooster (or keep the feed in the freezer and remove a little at a time).

Layer feed is bad for roosters.

If you prefer pellets you can buy Flock Raiser. But this has a lot of protein...I would be sure to give him some scratch too.

This brings up another question for me. If Layer feed is bad for roosters and I have roosters in with my hens, how do I feed to the hens while keeping it away from the roosters. Serious question here.

 

[Kinmera]

If your rooster is running with your hens, feed him what you feed the hens. The only way to separate their feed is to only feed them at certain times and only in specific separate locations.

I have never heard that layer feed is bad for roos -- what is the theory behind that?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have 10 Hens & I got 1 Rooster I got him a few days ago my very 1st Rooster never had 1 B4 So wich feed should I buy for him the unmediated chick feed or should I get the Flock Raiser?

If the hens are old enough to be laying then you can feed layer feed to everyone (which is bad for the rooster but good for the hens).

Or you can give oyster shell on the side or mixed in (flemingoutdoors.com has recommendations for mixing the oyster shell in on their oyster shell page) to the other feeds that don't have enough calcium for layers, such as the Flock Raiser or unmedicated chick starter or grower.

If you are trying to take very good care of your rooster (i.e. breeding or showing) and want him to live a very long time then I would not feed him layer feed. But a lot of people (I used to do this too) just feed layer feed to everyone since the rooster isn't considered very valuable.

Quote: It would not be possible to feed the rooster a different feed if he is in with hens. He will eat what they eat. A lot of folks feed layer to roosters. I have gone to mixing my feed using org. chick starter as a base with grains/seeds mixed in, and just a few layer pellets mixed in too for variety for the hens. The roosters can avoid the pellets if they want. I have oyster shell on the side or mixed in, depending on the strength of the eggshells at the time.

If your rooster is running with your hens, feed him what you feed the hens. The only way to separate their feed is to only feed them at certain times and only in specific separate locations.

I have never heard that layer feed is bad for roos -- what is the theory behind that?

The layer feed contains enough calcium to replace the calcium used by one eggshell a day being formed. So it is very bad for the kidneys of a chicken who isn't laying. But a lot of people just don't worry about it.

Since I thought the OP might only have the one rooster to feed, I was going to tell him/her to buy the best feed for a rooster.

 

[Rockythgr81]

Okay, so to be clear, I shouldn't worry about my roosters eating the layer feed then? It is only if you have a rooster alone that you feed them different? Am I understanding that correctly? I got worried when someone said it "is bad for roosters" that it meant they would die from it.

 

[Chicnextdoor84]

I would go with flock raiser and put a dish of oystershell out for the hens, then everyone will be happy and healthy. The layer feed is bad for roosters because of the calcium. If you love him and want him to not have kidney problems then I would stick with an all flock feed. I have 2 dishes out in the coop with oyster shell and grit. They know what they need and will not over do it. Good luck with your new man!! I have several roos silkie, ee, and a bachelor pad with 2 Cochin Roos lol they can be just as sweet as the hens