Layer feed not for roosters!?! What should I feed?

[3KillerBs]

My favorite all-flock feed was discontinued and the price on the other one went up so much that I'm now feeding gamebird grower.

The extra protein (22%) is probably good for my growing young birds, but later in the summer I might start cutting it with some scratch, which I don't normally feed.

 

[Brooks_]

The extra protein (22%) is probably good for my growing young birds, but later in the summer I might start cutting it with some scratch, which I don't normally feed.

You may not need to "cut" it. The issue with 22% and older birds is only that you won't get the same benefit to cost ratio as with growing birds. If your price point is acceptable, I'd say to just roll with it. However, with meat scraps upping the protein (how much, how often?) a little dilution may be in order. I'm sure you'll carefully look at your unique situation.

 

[3KillerBs]

You may not need to "cut" it. The issue with 22% and older birds is only that you won't get the same benefit to cost ratio as with growing birds. If your price point is acceptable, I'd say to just roll with it. However, with meat scraps upping the protein (how much, how often?) a little dilution may be in order. I'm sure you'll carefully look at your unique situation.

Food scraps vary wildly from week to week depending on what we've been eating -- which depends on the sales in the grocery store.

 

[Brooks_]

Food scraps vary wildly from week to week depending on what we've been eating -- which depends on the sales in the grocery store.

I'm sure you'll consider another lower protein feed as a cutting agent should you feel it's necessary. I'm more comfortable with that as it maintains other nutrients.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm sure you'll consider another lower protein feed as a cutting agent should you feel it's necessary. I'm more comfortable with that as it maintains other nutrients.

The problem with any lower-protein feed is that it's inevitably layer feed with the increased levels of calcium that my males and grow-outs don't need.

It's a perpetual cost vs nutrition vs availability vs suitability balancing act.

It would help if I could free-range, but for various reasons I can't.

 

[Sussex19]

I feed 18% protein pullet grower, as I can't get all flock.

 

[Maddcatter]

I have a local place that sells whole grain chicken feed. I grind it ( I have ducks along with my chickens, they're not fans of whole black eyed peas) and put fertell nutri-balancer in there. Oyster shells are free-feed next to the feeder.

When I can't grind food, I get flock raiser.

 

[Brooks_]

The problem with any lower-protein feed is that it's inevitably layer feed with the increased levels of calcium that my males and grow-outs don't need.

It's a perpetual cost vs nutrition vs availability vs suitability balancing act.

It would help if I could free-range, but for various reasons I can't.

Ts has a 17% all flock.

Don't forget the freshness balance.

 

[3KillerBs]

Ts has a 17% all flock.

Don't forget the freshness balance.

I'm in a rural, agricultural area.

And have had to negotiate supply shortages.

Freshness hasn't been an issue for me -- though it definitely is for some people.

 

[EuroChook]

You people are blessed overall. My uncle in Australia is always cursing a blue streak, saying that you just can not get any decent anything. They claim this feed is for this and that, at the various stores, and overall it is all wrong. So he has been pressing his own pellets. He needs to enterprise and get out there and sell to folk the mixes he has.