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

[docdubz]

What kind of health problems?

I've never worried about what brand I was buying and have never had any issues switching from one to another.

They were more prone to illness.

 

[3KillerBs]

They were more prone to illness.

Interesting.

I've never had any kind of illness in my flock so I guess any difference made by the feed wouldn't have shown up.

 

[docdubz]

Interesting.

I've never had any kind of illness in my flock so I guess any difference made by the feed wouldn't have shown up.

Unfortunately all of my neighbors chickens prefer my land over theirs and they dont keep healthy animals.

 

[Sablehaven]

My "other" factor is whether our local, small feed store carries it. We've been trying to make sure they stick around since they opened two years ago.

 

[cmom]

I have a lot of birds so I buy my feed by the pallet. The closest mill is around a two hour drive away. The feed store down the road from me used to order the feed I wanted but they sold and are now under new owners. At first they said they would continue to order my feed but then decided not to. Now TSC orders All Flock for me which is 20% protein. Some times I pick it up and sometimes they deliver it. I like it because I can feed all of the birds the same feed. Currently they have started molting so the protein is good since their feathers are made of mostly protein.

 

[jaybyrdsfarm]

All flock ( cant have too much calcium for my rooster) and formulation. My kids do NOT like pellets. They make a biggest mess throwing those around then they ever did with crumbles! I try to stay with Kalmbach because they seem to make less of a mess (which i think means they eat it more efficiently) but Purina or Nutrena if I have to.

 

[TomZilla43]

I have a local feed store close by, so I get fresh feed and they're actually a little less expensive than TSC. There is a TSC about to open in my town so I'm concerned that might be the death knell for my little local spot(I sure hope not though)

 

[cmom]

I think it pretty much depends on where you live and what is available and cost too. I don't look for cheap feed but good feed that suits me and my birds needs. I have a lot of birds so I like that I can feed the same feed to all of the birds.

 

[cmom]

I have a local feed store close by, so I get fresh feed and they're actually a little less expensive than TSC. There is a TSC about to open in my town so I'm concerned that might be the death knell for my little local spot(I sure hope not though)

I'm sure you and others will still support your local store. Before the store down the road was sold I bought all of my feed there but when the new owners took over they are now selling a feed I never heard of before. I do not like to change feeds. TSC does give me a discount since I buy so much feed. TSC is the next closest feed store to me.

 

[Heres2U_MrsR]

I really wanted to feed organic and non-gmo when we began raising chickens. Two factors have me using Nutrena Hearty Hen plus fermented organic oats. I also supplement with raw sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and fruit and vegetables.

1) As I’ve added to my flock the costs became high, and my chickens really don’t like what I can get locally(organic).

2) Two of my hens have to have soy free. Their eggs repeatedly smelled awful and tasted funny. The Hearty Hen has fixed that problem.