Poults And Medicated Feed???

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I've always fed 28% because that's the highest medicated feed I can get. 30% is fine for them, I bet they do well on it. Around here the 28% price goes up every year and some people are going to lower protien. You can see the difference in the poults when they are fed a lower level. From using 28% and seeing poults fed less I wouldn't go less than 28.

Steve

 

[vtgirls]

As we have a small (hobby) farm, I am only raising a coulple dozen turkeys and a few dozen meaties. My goal is to try to feed bought grain as little as possible. Any protien upping suggestions that don't come from the mill? Right now they get a ton of sunflower seed and pumpkin seed as diet supplement - thats what's held over winter.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Thank you Steve. I appreciate your input. I guess I will continue with their 30% protein.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Hard boiled eggs fed back is a good source of protien.

Steve

 

[jasonm11]

Quote:
Based on a layer feed of 18% and supplementing with eggs twice a week would you say this is high enough or would they be better if I just go with the 28% feed?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Based on a layer feed of 18% and supplementing with eggs twice a week would you say this is high enough or would they be better if I just go with the 28% feed?

Since I have no way to test the protien content of the mix I would go with 28% myself. I was just tossing out an idea for vtgirls. I don't cut corners on feeding, I have been raising poultry long enough to know the end result.

Steve

 

[vtgirls]

I dont cut corners on feed either - just wanted to throw that out there. The turkeys have feed store organic poultry pellets from the local mill just in town - they have a minimum 26% protien on starter and 22% on finisher. They have a feeder they can access anytime to eat as much as they'd like. However, I strive to provide as much free food access to naturally occuring foods (what they forage themselves) and extras that we grow here. Do the protien amounts seems too low?

 

[riftnreef]

Call around to your local feed stores and see if any of them can order in Purina Honor Show Chow....30% turkey starter...great stuff for gettin' big quick!...of course I use it on my kids' broad breasted whites for fair, so it may be overkill for pet birds...

 

[ShadyHoller]

Quote:
here's a good article (chicken specific) on whole-grain ingredients for a complete ration:

http://www.mofga.org/Publications/M...r/Summer2003/Chickens/tabid/1481/Default.aspx

Here's a reprint of an old-school extension circular, back when people formulated their own rations:

http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/poultry/bba01s12.html

Finally, here's a very non-scientific thread I started a while ago, talking about protein supplement. I learned a lot from this process:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=433257&p=1

We feed factory-milled starter rations to chicks and poults, but for our adult birds, we are going more and more to growing our own feed or buying whole grains directly from a local farmer.

 

[vtgirls]

ShadyHoller - thanks so much for the information!