Informal Survey - What do you feed and why?

[DaveOmak]

Layena pellets.... Purina scratch.... Roasted egg shells.... Oyster shells..... (free feed)....... Vegetable scraps.... Water treated with 1-2% Bragg ACV continually... I found egg production dropped off when the ACV was cut to every 2 weeks or so....

 

[Nambroth]

My feeding schedule is as follows:
During laying months, and a few weeks before and after (since not all of my girls are on a schedule) I give Countryside Organic Layer. During the off months when no one is laying, and everyone is molting, I give Countryside Organic Grower, as they don't need the extra calcium but can use the extra protein. These feeds are organic (thus required to be non-GMO) and soy free.
I supplement with a small amount (less than 10%) of Farmer's Helper Ultrakibble year round, and up the amount of ultrakibble when they are molting for extra protein. Ultrakibble is soy free, but it is not certified organic. For what it's worth, I do find that it does what it claims to; my birds seem to fill up more easily and it stretches my expensive organic feed much further than if I don't use it, and it does not seem to compromise on nutrition. This is only my experience.

Scratch? Sometimes a little milo/millet seed when they are ranging, to help lure them to where they need to be.
Table scraps? Healthy meat scraps and produce items (which are essentially our only scraps anyhow). Tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash are a hit when my garden starts to go downhill in the fall.
Oyster shell? Small amounts during laying periods if a hen seems to develop thinner shells.

My birds also get a fair amount of natural forage from April-November. During the winter months when forage and insects are not available, I sprout seed mixes for them and put them into a suet feeder in the coop to help occupy them and give them some fresh greens.

 

[perchie.girl]

My feeding schedule is as follows:
During laying months, and a few weeks before and after (since not all of my girls are on a schedule) I give Countryside Organic Layer. During the off months when no one is laying, and everyone is molting, I give Countryside Organic Grower, as they don't need the extra calcium but can use the extra protein. These feeds are organic (thus required to be non-GMO) and soy free.
I supplement with a small amount (less than 10%) of Farmer's Helper Ultrakibble year round, and up the amount of ultrakibble when they are molting for extra protein. Ultrakibble is soy free, but it is not certified organic. For what it's worth, I do find that it does what it claims to; my birds seem to fill up more easily and it stretches my expensive organic feed much further than if I don't use it, and it does not seem to compromise on nutrition. This is only my experience.

Scratch? Sometimes a little milo/millet seed when they are ranging, to help lure them to where they need to be.
Table scraps? Healthy meat scraps and produce items (which are essentially our only scraps anyhow). Tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash are a hit when my garden starts to go downhill in the fall.
Oyster shell? Small amounts during laying periods if a hen seems to develop thinner shells.

My birds also get a fair amount of natural forage from April-November. During the winter months when forage and insects are not available, I sprout seed mixes for them and put them into a suet feeder in the coop to help occupy them and give them some fresh greens.

I tried getting Ultra Kibble when i was starting out with Guinea Fowl.... I wanted to mix it with the feed at 5 percent.... A 50 lb bag was prohibitive.... The shipping was three times the cost of the bag...

.

deb

 

[Nambroth]

I tried getting Ultra Kibble when i was starting out with Guinea Fowl.... I wanted to mix it with the feed at 5 percent.... A 50 lb bag was prohibitive.... The shipping was three times the cost of the bag...

.

deb

I don't think they make 50lb bags (anymore?). I have only seen it in 15lb bags. One bag lasts me 2-3 months but I only have 8 chickens. You can find reasonable shipping rates if you search around online. Some feed stores also carry it.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
When I was looking the best shipping deal was to invest in a pallets worth. 2000 lbs. As I would never have enough birds to need that much I passed....

You do know the founder of Ultra Kibble is a regular contributor here on Backyard Chickens. Hes a scientist that worked as an adviser to Zoos on enclosures and feeding programs. Hes a very interesting read. And advocates a different kind of housing for chickens.... Called a Cote.

sorry I digress but quickly this is a link to one of his threads.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-coops-cotes-shacks-and-shanties#post_5266575

deb

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Quote:

Amazon has it with Prime shipping!

 

[Bine]

Layer Crumble with Herbs and Garlic by a lokal coop ( they say it helps to prevent red mites, don't know, never had red mites ),
Grain mix with shells
Sprouts, cooked rice or pasta with lots of oregano and thyme once a week
Curd with cucumber in summer or pumkin or/and carrots in winter once a week
millet and sunfower seets (fresh from the plant) as availible in late summer.
cat food,(if my toms are late for breakfast the chickens help themselfs...)
20 Bantams (most tiny d'anvers) free range on 1800 m²

 

[Bine]

Oh,,, and they drink herbal teas. At the moment they love fennel and chamonile luke warm with a little cider vinegar.

 

[draye]

For the roosters and hens I feed:
Cumberland Molls 16% Layer Pellets:
Crude Protein (min). 16%
Lysine (min.). 0.70%
Methionine (min.). 0.25%
Crude Fat (min.). 3%
Crude Fiber (max.). 6.5%
Calcium (min.). 3%. (max.) 4%
Phosphorus (min.) 0.60%
Salt (min.). 0.23% (max.) 0.70%

Ingredients:
Processed Grain By-Products, Grain Products, Calcium Carbonate, Plant Protein Products, Molasses Products, Proplonic
Acid, Salt, Calcium Phosphate, Chorine Chloride, dl-Methlonine, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, c-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Menoadione Sodium, Bisulfite Complex, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Thiamin Mononitrate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Cobain Carbonate.

I've gone back to this one. I had switched feeds they were made by the same company that made this one but the hens just about quit laying with it. Came back to this one. Still aren't laying like they should. I feed them a bunch of red pepper like I was advised, worked for a day or too then back to not so good.
I am paying $10.99 for a 50# bag s d it lasts about a week.
I also rotate runs with table scraps and old left overs. They also get eggs shells baked and fed back to them, I have some small containers screwed to the wall and it is filled up when I have a almost 4 quart bucket full if them.
In addition to the layer pellets once a week they ( each run) gets about a 3 quarts of a mix if feed from our gamers co-op called Hicks Mix. Basically it is what is left over from the other feeds that are milled there. They add molasses to it. Sell it for cattle feed, but since free range chickens follow cows and pick through the pies left behind then I figure this can't be bad for the chickens as a treat.
It has Crude Protein , Min 8%
Crude Fat, Min. 1%
Crude Fiber, Min. 49%
This is $5.99 a 50# bag.

This is not always in stock so if not available I feed a 10% Sweet Feds called Farmers Choice this $9.50 50# bag. It has smaller pellets in it and milled for horses. Occasionally I will mix chops with the Farmers delight. Chops are 7.50 50# bag.

From hatch to 17/18 weeks old I feed them Game Bird and Flight Conditioner non-medicated. 20% Protein. I'm not going to list everything like I did the layer pellets. This game bird feed is $17.50 a 50# bag. Yeah it's high I know but I can buy a bag of 18% chick starter @ $16.95 a bag. So I figure for another 2% protein for less than a dollar more it is probably a little more economical.

I usually begin a few table scraps for tge babies at about 8 to 1@ weeks starting out with old bread crumbs or cornbread. Then build up to the cooked veggies.

ETA: I also on occasion get an egg ( finally figured out which hen it was) that is wrinkled and very thin shelled on the pointy end if the egg and it is broken when I pick it up, so I scramble that up with any eggs I get that I mess up and somehow crack it, and add to the scrap bucket.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

What I used to feed:
split peas
wheat
oats
millet
black oil sunflower seeds
corn
barley
peanuts
thistle seed
pumpkin seeds
Then the price of feed went up. up. up.

What I feed now because of cost:
unmedicated chick starter
millet
black oil sun. seeds (birdseed is millet and BOSS)
corn- whole or cracked
wheat
oats when I have them

I try to aim for 15% or so range for protein. They self-regulate and I try to keep both the chick starter pile going and the grains/seeds pile going.


Layer pellets- occasionally I will buy a bag and mix it slowly in for variety.

Table scraps. Oyster shell free choice. Grit offered periodically. They are on grass most of the day.