Is high quality feed worth the money?

[Silkie Princess]

I'm selling blue cockerels for $10 and POL pullets for $15.

I know I don't make a profit, but I do offset some of the costs.

(Unsold boys not chosen as flock roosters will be eaten).

The one I sold was white and non bearded

 

[3KillerBs]

The one I sold was white and non bearded

Mine aren't Silkies.

I wouldn't be able to sell cockerels at all if they weren't a fashionable breed/color.

 

[Papi chulo]

Yes if care for your pets you give them the best food you can afford. I breed some of cutest little fluffy silkies. Poor diet in hens can lead to birth defects and poor diet in chicks can lead to other problems. I have many return customers that drive 3 hrs one way to get my silkies because they know they will get healthy good Quality chicks. Sure would like try some of money saving ticks like making my own feed but if I get it wrong my chickens will suffer from mistakes. I know the feed I buy has all they need.

I go to a local feed mill to supplement feed. I give them about 40% from the Amish feed mill. Slightly cheaper too. Winter in Wisconsin I do give a store 17% protein for the other 60, blended with oyster shells

 

[RenataPorter]

When you say your Roos won’t make it last 20 weeks is that because of the feed you give them? I missed something there. I feed my crew layer pellets (from southern states) and all are well including the Roos.

I was right there with you Sara, I was thinking I needed to find a way to feed my roo something different. Thanks everyone for the clarification on butcher date. I just added a new roo to the flock....

 

[U_Stormcrow]

When you say your Roos won’t make it last 20 weeks is that because of the feed you give them? I missed something there. I feed my crew layer pellets (from southern states) and all are well including the Roos.

Sorry, I should have linked my culling project. I eat them! All but the designated breeders. They get up to a year as fathers, then I eat them too (sausage, or ground seasoned bird patties). @NatJ and @3KillerBs are among those following the project, and are familiar with my feed and management methods.

/edit I may start using them to make my own dog food as well - my mutts are getting on in age, have begun researching homebrew feeds for diabetic dogs. Hill's Science Diet Rx seems more expensive, pound per pound, than what I eat most days (admittedly, because I prepare and/or produce much of what I eat).

What brand is the 24% you use?

Its from a local mill, "Harrell Milling Company", out of Hartford Alabama. I have a local, family owned, farm store that moves tons of feed from them daily, and sell it cheaper than I could get it if I made the 30 mile trip to the mill. Which sort of outs my location - I'd appreciate no one doing the detective work to locate my little slice of nowhere. Its their "Game Bird Grower". They also have a 24% game bird "Breeder" - but its high calcium like a traditional layer - not for growing birds. I picked up three bags by accident a few months back (well, more not thinking than accident), and while I've not yet culled any of the birds raised on it, they are markedly smaller than siblings at similar ages. I suspect I may find some small lesions on the livers when I butcher. No fault of the feed, entirely the fault of the idiot feeding. Should it prove true, I'll be certain to photo and post on the relevant threads.

I have also used Tucker Milling's 18% non-GMO feed, which I was not pleased with, but there were so many other changes going on at the time with the flock that I can't attribute it, necessarily, to the feed. But as I don't value non-GMO, I only feed it when my largest egg purchaser is willing to pay the price premium for it. Tucker is also nearby-ish in Guntersville, AL, and readily available at another family owned small feed store with good volume. It adds less than $0.02/lb to my costs, but is lower protein, which is quite evident in my growing chicks.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

When you say your Roos won’t make it last 20 weeks is that because of the feed you give them? I missed something there. I feed my crew layer pellets (from southern states) and all are well including the Roos.

They eat them

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I'm not buying expensive stuff any more...I ordered small pet select 10 lb bag and paid over $30 for it n shipping and they refuse to eat it...after a while it smelled badly so not worth it.

 

[Cody19]

I buy Purina's Flock raiser at our local TSC's for $19.49 per 50 pounds, with fresh mill dates, and then get oyster shell in the 50 pound bags too.
Shipped feed from Chewie or Amazon will cost way more, and there's no way to see mill dates first.
We don't have a local mill here any more, so that's not an option. When one was operating, their feed was not at all better, only cheaper.
I compare labels, and mill dates, and this is what's best for me here.
Mary

I only use Purina which now ships to your home and where I live it is the same price as Tractor Supply. Good feed is worth the money for healthy chickens and great eggs.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I only use Purina which now ships to your home and where I live it is the same price as Tractor Supply. Good feed is worth the money for healthy chickens and great eggs.

Of the widely available commercial feeds, one could do much worse than Purina. For the typical backyard owner, of the typical backyard flock, with typical backyard management practices, "All Flock/Flock Raiser" with free choice oyster shell for all birds of all genders, at all ages is my recommend - even though I don't feed it myself. and if pushed, I will offer that I think Purina's Flock Raiser is (*slightly*) nutritionally superior to Nutrena's All Flock, and possibly cheaper too - likely cheaper if you compare with Nutrena's Naturewise line and its 40# bags...

 

[MysteryChicken]

I buy 4 bags of the 40lb bags of Nutrena 20% Naturewise All Flock Pellets. I usually spend between 45, to 55 bucks on feed. This is the total, plus tax.

I don't remember the price of the feed at the moment I was looking for a receipt, but couldn't find it.