I use Nutrena, what do YOU use?

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Hi there, I've seen many different members using many different feed products, let me just tell you my secret recipe:

Nutrena 18% All Flock (I have been using this 8 years +)

Then add:

Calf Manna
Purina ONE Kitten Food
Sunflower Seeds (not shelled)
Oyster Shell
Grit
Race Horse Oats

~~Several Mixing's later~~

Ta-da! Happy and healthy chickens. The kitten food and sunflower seeds really improved their feathers strength and sheen.



I've also used Purina, Layena, layer crumbles then add the special mix.

 

[7 Biddies]

Countryside Organic Feed

 

[ChickChickChicky]

For my laying girls I use 2 parts Nutrena Layer Crumbles to one part Nutrena Meatbird crumbles. They also get ALOT of various kitchen scraps, greens daily, and scratch (wheat, cracked corn and BOSS in approximately equal proportions) which I throw into the coop every week (so they'll keep the shaving stirred up).

I feed my "babies" (4 Black Copper Marans almost 4 months old, and 2 Welsummers almost 3 months old) a little differently, they are in a seperate coop & run from the layers. The Welsummers are quite a bit smaller than the Marans so I have a "creep" where they can get away from the Marans if needed. In the main area of that pen I feed 2 parts Purina Flock Raiser crumbles to one part Nutrena Meatbird crumbles, and inside the creep I feed straight Meatbird crumbles. I'll probably continue the straight Meatbird crumbles for another couple weeks, thereafter they'll all be eating the same. The Marans were a little slow on the uptake... I couldn't get them to touch any kind of treats besides cantaloupe, until the Welsummers came along. The Welsummers are much more adventurous food-wise, and have been demonstrating to the Marans that treats are not evil hands waiting to reach out and grab them... so the Marans have slowly been coming around to treats of various kinds. I also throw scratch intro the babies coop to keep the shavings stirred up, but only the Marans roost there... the Welsummers prefer to sleep outside in the run on top of their creep.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

I remember using local organic feed, it was just dust mainly. But the Countryside was good.

 

[Ilovechicken]

Interesting I'm going to subscribe to this, as I'm interested to know what feed others use.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

There are only a handful of national poultry feed brands and they are all likely to be in the upper price range so I expect most folks will use a local or regional brand.

I used Purina for years until they priced themselves out of my market. Wasn't too keen on purely vegetarian feed either.

Now I use Flint River Mills (FRM) a regional mill out of Banebridge, Georgia. Four parts of their layer crumble to one part of their gamebird starter. The feather picking went away and hatchability went up. And it's three dollars a bag cheaper than Purina.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Hmm, I know feedstores around here don't carry the kind of food you guys are mentioning, and I'd like to give it a try.

Around here, well the lowest feed will get is 18$-20$, the Purina feed store lets their feed sit in the sun, so I stopped buying it.

The highest price of chicken feed I saw was 25$, I need to sell more eggs...