ONTARIO, CANADA - where to find feed?

[TropBeaucoup]

Hello! We are first time homesteaders and will be bringing home chicks soon. I am doing some research into the best feed for them - they will be laying hens.

-Where in Ontario or possibly Quebec can I find high quality chicken feed? We live in Curran (Alfred-Plantagenet)
-What about Organic feed?

I am open to also making our own ...but would need some guidance as to how to do this. I have not heard good reviews about the quality of food sold at TSC Stores. I am not speaking from my own experience though.


Thank you!

 

[jwood]

I'm interested in the answer as well! TSC is the easiest place to get feed but if its not good quality i would love to find somewhere else!

 

[pdirt]

If you don't get any answers here, start calling small independent feed stores. Ask if they carry any organic feeds. If they don't, ask them if they know anyone who does. Not that you necessarily need organic feed, but if they don't carry any then there is a good chance they don't carry feed any better than TSC. While our feed store carries two brands of organic chx feed, they also carry a high quality non-organic feed for much less $ than the organic ones.

 

[pdirt]

It might also help folks here answer your question by defining what you mean as "the best feed". What does this mean to you? Organic? No soy, etc?

 

[TropBeaucoup]

If you don't get any answers here, start calling small independent feed stores. Ask if they carry any organic feeds. If they don't, ask them if they know anyone who does. Not that you necessarily need organic feed, but if they don't carry any then there is a good chance they don't carry feed any better than TSC. While our feed store carries two brands of organic chx feed, they also carry a high quality non-organic feed for much less $ than the organic ones.

Thank you for the advice. I will do more research into the feed stores in the area. Everywhere I ask they tell me TSC so I am not familiar with the independent stores that may be around.

 

[TropBeaucoup]

I should probably also mention that they will have a lot of access to grass and worms and bugs We have 1.5 acres. We are building a tractor coop which we will move around the grass and on occasion they will be able to completely free range (under my supervision).

So I am not sure if that affects how much or what we should feed them.

It might also help folks here answer your question by defining what you mean as "the best feed". What does this mean to you? Organic? No soy, etc?

Yes I would prefer organic and no soy but I would prefer high quality over organic if that makes sense? I just want them to have the best diet - I don't mind paying a little more for it. These are going to be hobby chickens and we won't have too many so we aren't looking for a bang for a buck.

I am not completely opposed to giving them a little bit of medicated feed or a booster as very small chicks though to help them get strong but I would not keep them on any anti-biotic.

I should probably also mention that they will have a lot of access to grass and worms and bugs We have 1.5 acres. We are building a tractor coop which we will move around the grass and on occasion they will be able to completely free range (under my supervision). And they will have loads of fresh water from our well (which is amazingly clean).

So I am not sure if access to grass affects how much or what we should feed them.

 

[TropBeaucoup]

I'm interested in the answer as well! TSC is the easiest place to get feed but if its not good quality i would love to find somewhere else!

Hi jwood just so you know I am not speaking from experience - I was just told that TSC may not carry the best. But everyone does have a different opinion of what the best is!

 

[pdirt]

I should probably also mention that they will have a lot of access to grass and worms and bugs We have 1.5 acres. We are building a tractor coop which we will move around the grass and on occasion they will be able to completely free range (under my supervision).

So I am not sure if that affects how much or what we should feed them.
Yes I would prefer organic and no soy but I would prefer high quality over organic if that makes sense? I just want them to have the best diet - I don't mind paying a little more for it. These are going to be hobby chickens and we won't have too many so we aren't looking for a bang for a buck.

I am not completely opposed to giving them a little bit of medicated feed or a booster as very small chicks though to help them get strong but I would not keep them on any anti-biotic.

I should probably also mention that they will have a lot of access to grass and worms and bugs We have 1.5 acres. We are building a tractor coop which we will move around the grass and on occasion they will be able to completely free range (under my supervision). And they will have loads of fresh water from our well (which is amazingly clean).

So I am not sure if access to grass affects how much or what we should feed them.

Pasture is always great! Yes, lots of worms and bugs! What we do usually is feed them an amount they can eat within an hour or two and then let them free range and possibly feed some more in the late afternoon. If you're not growing meat birds this works well, otherwise you need to separate the meat birds to keep them from hogging all the feed. I know some folks withhold feed all day to encourage them to free range (they'll be hungrier to find their own food!) and then draw them into the coop by offering some feed in the early evening. I also know at least one person who doesn't feed any chicken feed at all, but they thrive upon 100% free ranging...I understand this works only if you have enough land for them to forage off of...ie, not too many chickens per square foot or acre. I'm not sure what that ratio is since we don't do it that way.

The more and more I learn about GMO's, I am more concerned about them than the pesticides and herbicides. Fortunately, you can find GMO-free foods that aren't certified organic and therefore these will be less expensive. But it maybe harder to find chicken feed that fits that criteria. The certified organic labels automatically exclude GMO's so if you do go organic, no need to worry about GMO's.

 

[TropBeaucoup]

Pasture is always great! Yes, lots of worms and bugs! What we do usually is feed them an amount they can eat within an hour or two and then let them free range and possibly feed some more in the late afternoon. If you're not growing meat birds this works well, otherwise you need to separate the meat birds to keep them from hogging all the feed. I know some folks withhold feed all day to encourage them to free range (they'll be hungrier to find their own food!) and then draw them into the coop by offering some feed in the early evening. I also know at least one person who doesn't feed any chicken feed at all, but they thrive upon 100% free ranging...I understand this works only if you have enough land for them to forage off of...ie, not too many chickens per square foot or acre. I'm not sure what that ratio is since we don't do it that way.

The more and more I learn about GMO's, I am more concerned about them than the pesticides and herbicides. Fortunately, you can find GMO-free foods that aren't certified organic and therefore these will be less expensive. But it maybe harder to find chicken feed that fits that criteria. The certified organic labels automatically exclude GMO's so if you do go organic, no need to worry about GMO's.

Ha i just noticed I repeated the same thing twice. In any case - nope, no meat birds. Just laying hens

 

[TropBeaucoup]

Just heard of a place called Homestead Organics in Berwick. Anyone use this food and have reviews? http://www.homesteadorganics.ca/default_fr.aspx