Mixed Chicks are not okay???

[CuzChickens]

The next thing I'd look at is diet in your flock.  What are you feeding them?  What time last year did you set eggs, compared to this year?  When I'm anticipating setting eggs, I pay extra attention to their diet, even giving them vitamins.  My theory is this:  while layer gives the flock the minimum nutrition needed to keep them fairly healthy, and produce eggs, it can be old, and the manufacturer is certainly not going to put more nutrient in the feed than to meet that minimum.  And, after mill date, those nutrients begin an immediate down hill spiral in their quality.  A well known poultry feed expert states that 42 days is the point when feed is  transitioning from good feed to becoming rancid feed.  Fermenting your feed actually produces some extra vitamins, though nothing can redeem a bag of rancid feed.

So, this might be a tad off topic, but is it a bad idea to buy in bulk such as in ton bags if it will last more than 6 weeks?

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: I would not do so. You're not going to save much money by doing so, and it's a false economy if you end up feeding rancid feed to your flock. I have 16 - 40 birds depending on time of year, and never buy more than 2 bags at a time. If I buy 2 bags, I can usually time it so that I can use a discount coupon from either one of the 2 feed store competitors in my area.

 

[CuzChickens]

I would save $113.00. And I'm currently going through 75 lbs a week with 55 chickens.

 

[lazy gardener]

I would save $113.00. And I'm currently going through 75 lbs a week with 55 chickens.

So that 1000# would last you 13 weeks. That is a window in which by the end of that amount of feed, you are feeding rancid feed. IMO, that is a false economy. I've looked at your feed rate, and it's .194/bird/day. Are you fermenting your feed? If not, that would cut your feed bill even further.

 

[CuzChickens]

So that 1000# would last you 13 weeks.  That is a window in which by the end of that amount of feed, you are feeding rancid feed.  IMO, that is a false economy.   I've looked at your feed rate, and it's .194/bird/day.   Are you fermenting your feed?  If not, that would cut your feed bill even further.  

No, is fermenting easy? Do you mind explaining, perhaps?

 

[lazy gardener]

You will find everything you need to learn in the last article in my signature. If you ferment, your feed will last even longer, so I recommend that you start buying your feed in smaller quantities.

 

[CuzChickens]

I'm on a tablet, so I can't see your sig in the mobile version.

Honestly, my mom is the one that decided to go the whole bulk feed route, and even though I pay for my own feed, she has a say in how I spend my money so she'd probably think I was stupid if I stopped buying bulk..

 

[lazy gardener]

You need to educate her.

 

[CuzChickens]

Haha, and I get educated for telling my mom what I think is a good idea with a nice long afternoon in my room.

 

[chickenLover197]

You may have some babies with bantam breed mixed. They have what you called "jacked up" feet.