Out of feed for two days... Help!

[Ebony Rose]

My feed store has literally run out of ALL feed for birds (chickens, quail, turkey... all of them) in the past, but I live in a third world nation... I expect more from a feed store in the USA! I learned though. I have half of a 40kg bag of feed in a plastic tote in my chest freezer.

 

[Beccazon]

Our walmart has nothing for farm pets. We are a farm area so many farm and feed stores so box stores don't stock that stuff. And a feed store should not run out of ALL feed. That is just ridiculous.

You can feed ANY chicken feed for 2 days. And like others have said, oatmeal, rice, eggs (hardboiled or scrambled). Almost anything really. Plus if they freerange they are finding food. They won't starve in 2 days. Add scratch grains or cracked corn, dry oats sprinkled in the yard.

As long as they have fresh water and are free-ranging, relax, they will be ok.

 

[Tatuana]

My local feed store's shipment got delayed. They're the only one within a 45 minute drive so it emptied out fast. Sheesh!

They're free ranging in the yard so they get lots and lots of sandy/clay dirt. I've also been tossing out old dinner that's gone bad outside for them. (It's SUPPOSED to be for my cats, but chickens are greedy). They love greens, sour cream (Which was terrifying to find out it was in the chicken I threw them), they love meat, and noodles. I just want to make sure they get their nutrition and such as well. Even if it's only a day they're missing it.

They were supposed to be going to their new home yesterday, so I didn't think to buy new food. But the lady who was going to pick them up had a family emergency and couldn't get here. I checked my feed store, nothing. Called around everywhere, nothing. My car isn't working or I'd go down to the one down south. We're in a very urban area where chickens aren't super common.

 

[Tatuana]

I found a guy who sold me some! Whew. Thanks all!

 

[Ebony Rose]

 

[ChickNanny13]

My feed store has literally run out of ALL feed for birds (chickens, quail, turkey... all of them) in the past, but I live in a third world nation... I expect more from a feed store in the USA! I learned though. I have half of a 40kg bag of feed in a plastic tote in my chest freezer.

Yup, I freeze my bag of feed after several times finding feed mites in the feed. It get hot, warm & HUMID here so it happens I got the idea of freezing my 50lb bag (can't get FR in smaller bags) ... I break it down into 2gal freezer ziplocks into another freezer bag, pull out & defrost overnight with the bag open in the house to eliminate condensation. I ferment the feed and so far haven't had any issues.

I'd prefer fresh feed but .... we work with what we got. Shipping is another issue we deal with here, due to ocean conditions we have to deal with empty shelves. Keeping a stock in the freezer helps.

 

[Ebony Rose]

My weather is much like yours. Hot and humid 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I know all about the grain mites **growls** They must taste awful too, because my chickens would no more gobble one down than I'd eat hominy. The thought of hominy makes me gag. I know the woes of only being able to get a certain size bag of feed too. Absolute smallest quail feed available is 40kg (88 pounds). Accounting for waste (read that as messy eaters), that's still over 1400 meals for quail!

 

[ChickNanny13]

My weather is much like yours. Hot and humid 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I know all about the grain mites **growls** They must taste awful too, because my chickens would no more gobble one down than I'd eat hominy. The thought of hominy makes me gag. I know the woes of only being able to get a certain size bag of feed too. Absolute smallest quail feed available is 40kg (88 pounds). Accounting for waste (read that as messy eaters), that's still over 1400 meals for quail!

Wow, that's alot of feed. Freezing's you best way to keep it "fresh". Have you read the thread on fermenting feed? Alot less waste

 

[Ebony Rose]

I used to ferment for my chickens, haven't fermented for my quail. They weigh considerably less, don't wanna get them drunk

 

[ChickNanny13]

Fermenting feed isn't "alcohol", it smells more like sour dough and like pickling.