Nutrition makes a BIG difference!! - PICS ADDED 09/02

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I have never used only corn as sole feed, I mix 50lbs of 7way with 100lbs. of flock raiser and also add oatmeal to this mix, flax seeds. and have been using brewers yeast on my ducklings feed. I've always fed this way and never had any health issues. But alot of 'old school chicken people' in our area feed nothing but scratch and what the birds froage for and swear by it.

 

[MIKE555444]

Just an update:

The pullets that were strictly corn fed still have not layed the first egg. They are currently 21 weeks old.

In comparison I started getting eggs from my personal flock over 4 weeks ago and yesterday I gathered 41 eggs from my 45 ISA browns pullets. Looks like these are gonna be laying machines...

 

[so lucky]

You know, when Grandma threw out the kitchen scraps to the chickens 60 years ago, they were getting natural, mostly organic, unadulterated food. Think what many modern diets are today: white bread, cheese flavored white flour macaroni, "chicken" nuggets, french fries cooked in safflower oil. Processed, processed, processed. If the chickens have to survive on this kind of table scraps, and scratch, it's a wonder they ever lay!

 

[MIKE555444]

Updated PIC of the "Corn fed pullets"

Looks like they are coming out of it but still no eggs. I can tell they are starting to mature by just from looking at them. I am hopeful this will just be a delay and they will be good layers like all of mine.

 

[cva34]

Corn is a good thing (just not all).The thing I noticed is Comb development,differance in the two flocks.Feathers/size/and leaner look.It was a interesting read and hopefully we all learned something...cva34

 

[MIKE555444]

Good new....! My friends pullets are starting to lay

Here is a current comparison both being almost 24 weeks old:

His pullets

My Pullets

 

[DanEP]

I have the same situation as op , hatched some black orps and gave a couple to a friend. I fed mine well and he fed corn with the same results. As it turned out I only had one pullet and a hawk got her, so I worked out a deal to get a couple of girls back. I was really suprised at how small they were. I have had them on grower for 2 months now and their coming along ok but I don,t think that they will ever be as big as my first pullet was at four months
Now my question is will they be worth breeding? They look fine now just small, black orps from hinkjc should be big ole girls. The cockerals sure are big, a lot bigger than my white rock roo at 6 1/2 months. I just wonder if the genetics are still there or if the poor feed has hurt that too.

 

[MIKE555444]

Looks like the "corn fed" hens have begin to lay ... I'll try to evaluate how consistent there laying will be after having the delay.

 

[Oregon Blues]

[[[[......will they be worth breeding? .....]]]]]

The size of their chicks will come from their genetics, not their stunted size. So whatever their genetics programed them to be with good food, that's the size you'll get from their chicks if you feed them well.

Like, you can't dye a hen purple and get purple chicks from her. The chicks will be whatever color her genetics all for.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
I appreciate every single post by Oregon Blues but this particular one just really hit me as so clever and so simple at the same time. Thank you!