Is This True???

[Crunchie]

Quote:
Mine comes smashed up into pieces ranging from about the size of a dime to nearly powder. I just put a feed tub out and let them pick through it. I'm sure there's some waste--I don't think they eat theh very large pieces. But it seems to work out ok. I don't know about your ducks. With the chickens, they don't eat it unless they need it...so I wonder if your ducks would be the same? I imagine they wouldn't even bother with them.

 

[TurtleFeathers]

Quote:
Ya know, this has always concerned me, too - about the roos getting all that extra calcium in a layer feed. People (feed store staff, old school farmers, etc...) keep telling me it doesn't matter, but in MY mind, it should. Does anyone else feel that way? Is there any evidence that supports this theory? Or is it really a non-issue with roos?

 

[Bluemoon420]

I use flockraiser, and leave oyster shells out as free choice. I notice my roosters eat the oyster shells once in awhile. Not nearly as much as the hens, but they do eat them. It doesn't seem to have any negative effect on them, but maybe they are just eating only what they need.

Bluemoon

 

[cybercat]

Yes, you can feed Flock raiser to all birds BUT if you need certain things like cocci meds you will have to add it or like more calcium you need to add it. It is great if you buy Purina for the larger breed of chickens that full weight is over 7lbs. Duel purpose, lage asains ect. For thos having laying issues it will bump up egg production after a moult or slow time like winter. But then any 20% chicken feed will do this.

I do not feed it as i can something locla made at 20%. Check your local Yellow pages for feed store or feed mill. You can usually find more options alot cheaper than TSC. Also go to the manufacter sites like Blue Seal, AMD Kent ects and look up local dealers.

 

[hinkjc]

One of my concerns with Flockraiser is our store only carries medicated crumbles. I don't know if crumbles come in non-medicated or not for sure, but they don't here. My hens do not do well with pellet, so I don't want to feed my layers the medicated crumbles which rules out Flockraiser for us. It does work well as a chick starter for various species and especially for meat birds, as we've had great success with them on it. We also had problems with our turkeys on it during lay season and had to switch them to gamebird layena for better all around nutrition.

 

[Bluemoon420]

Quote:
They come in non medicated crumbles, that's what I buy. That is strange that is only what they sell where you are. You can't find the medicated where we are. lol I was looking for the medicated version when I had young chicks. I ended up just buying a smaller bag of start and grow, and switched them over to flockraiser when they got a little older.

Bluemoon

 

[CityChicker]

My opinion on Flock Raiser is this- no single food can optimally meet the needs of all types of birds. They may do adequately or even good, but that does not equal optimal. If a person has a mixed flock that is housed together or can't find other feeds, Flock Raiser is probably great. I think a lot of people, especially with large numbers of more than one species, can do better though. I have used it continuously since last Spring, but will probably phase out using it even though my birds did good on it.

There is nothing new under the sun. These "triple duty" type feeds have been done off and on for many years. If a person has to add other things to it to keep their different types of birds in their best condition, then it sort of defeats the whole purpose in my mind. In my opinion, Flock Raiser has excess protein for waterfowl and possibly inadequate niacin (the niacin is admittedly conjecture on my part so take it for what it is worth). If you peruse the waterfowl forums, most people are adding a grain (I use oats) and often something like Brewer's yeast to it.

It probably also has too little calcium to be optimal for laying hens, hence people are supplementing it in that regards. It also has less protein than most of the feeds formulated as turkey/gamebird, but I don't raise either so I am not sure what difference that makes. It basically attempts to be adequate for several species by sort of being in a middle ground between all the other more species specific feeds. Again, for a lot of people- that might be just fine or even good. For me personally, I think it defeats the whole purpose if I have to tweak it to make it work for different types of birds. Why not just buy different feeds? It seems just as easy to do that if you have access to different types of feeds and enough birds to mess with it.

 

[Tala]

I like Purina Flock Raiser. That's what I started my current chicks on (got them around 2 weeks old, dunno what they ate before) and they are doing so well on it, and my adult birds gobble it up too so I'm just not buying anymore Layena when it runs out. I like the simplicity of it AND my birds are doing very well on it, so I think it's gonna work out great for us.

Everyone free ranges, and I offer oyster shells anyway, so I'm certain that they will meet their individual requirements.