Official BYC Poll: What Factors Affect Your Chicken Feed Buying Decisions?

[Lynn Borich]

Is corn good for chickens.

 

[Chickassan]

It looks so nice, but they don't post to the states.

Here's the link if anyone wanted kore info. My chickens love it- and the important bit is that they're kept healthy... Which they are
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Copdock-...KG-kf7xuY6xdqYO62Aa_RKmry8fQkFNBoCaWsQAvD_BwE

 

[Chickassan]

Not really, it is mostly empty calories like candy.

Is corn good for chickens.

 

[K0k0shka]

Is medicated feed bad?

Of course not. Unless you're anti-science. Medicated feed is fed only to newly hatched chicks to protect them from coccidiosis, which can be serious and even lethal. Once they build up their immunity (which the medicated feed helps do), they don't need it anymore. So it's only fed short term, but the benefits last a lifetime. And it's a preventative measure, not a cure. Better safe than sorry kind of thing. Your chicks might be fine without it, or they might not. Depends on whether you want to take the risk. I don't like taking unnecessary risks and risking preventable diseases, so I feed my chicks medicated feed when they are young.

 

[Kennas_Kritters]

I use unmedicated feed most the time but I occasionally give them medicated. I usually try to get a cheaper feed since I add so much yummy stuff to it myself. I add bugs, fruit, veggies ect.

 

[Folly's place]

Corn is a very good ingredient in many feeds, of course not meant to be fed exclusively. As part of a balanced diet, it's just fine.
And fresh corn on the cob is delicious!!!
Mary

 

[ImAussie]

Other: Availability.

I get the layer feed from our local produce store (or starter/grower when there's younger ones). There's not really options to different brands, just the choice of pellet and scratch.

I mostly buy pellet which is in a feeder so there's less chance of them picking and choosing the bits they want to eat and potentially missing out on nutrients. I occasionally buy bag of the scratch which I scatter around the ground. This gives them something to forage for, and because they do a great job of turning the soil over and fertilising it, when it rains the uneaten grains have grown into green shoots like grass (their run is a fixed enclosure and not safe for them to free-range here, so no grass has grown in there since before we bought this house).

 

[GrAnnie624]

Since corn generates heat, corn free feed is better during the long Texas summers. I also like to use more locally sourced feed (supporting local farmers) if it's possible to do that and get what I want.

 

[Duchess of Quah]

I chose: corn-free, soy-free, organic, unmedicated, and other.

One big factor in choosing feed is the form of the feed itself. Our girls prefer Scratch and Peck's 16% layer feed, so long as it's the grain and not the pellets. The pellets are too big for most of them to eat.

Another factor: while we normally stick to our feed of choice, we like Nature's Best organic starter/grower feed until they're ready for laying. And we'll use Nutrena's feather fixer when they're molting.

 

[Bella Dominique]

The easiest and most economical for me to get is Purina, I buy omega layer. I use a more expensive organic no corn no soy layer feed for treats. It’s a regular feed but the chickens love it.