Purina feed problem******UPDATE Page 4****** Sunday, 07/11

[EweSheep]

I put all my birds on Flock Raiser and add oyster shells in another bowl so they can pick what they want. Never had an issue. I find that chicks do well on Flock Raiser so they can have it from chick to old chicken, not a problem. Just remember to give oyster shells for the laying hens. Grits available at all times for everybody.

With the rapid die offs on some folks' birds, is the feed stale and old? Moldy? Weevils? If so, the feed store manager should know better to rotate feed out for the freshest possible feed you can get.

I've never ever lost birds on any kind of feed except one time I had mold issues that came out of my leaking garbage container that I stored feed in. Botilism poisoning....but lucky my birds bounced back quickly within a few days. Always check your feed everytime you open the bags. Look at the expiration date when it was bagged or processed.

No matter what feed you decide to use, just use your BEST judgement in what it is best for your birds. Not all birds are created equal. I bet if someone do an experiment....flock one on Purina is doing well and flock two was doing well on Kent feeds. The flock came from the same hatchery and it was a split order of chicks.

I think it all boils down on how the feed was manufactured, when it was processed, when it was delivered, when it was stored, how long it was stored, temps wise (if too hot, some of the nuturients would be gone or very little of it). "Dust" in feed usually are harmless, it was how it was processed into like meal like texture, easy for hen to eat but yes, it can be wasteful. I find that Flock Raiser is a bit more coarser than Layena. Layena and Start n Grow are much finer in texture.

thank you, I'll stick with Purina or Purina brand names. I've been using Purina for a very long time and find that it is better than most feeds around here.

 

[seminolewind]

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I would , I've never had a problem with it. Nice healthy chicks.

 

[seminolewind]

I have been buying Purina these last few years because it came from a busy feed store-high product turnover.

Ewe, or anyone, what is the difference with Flock Raiser? Better ingredients?

 

[awesomefowl]

I use chick and layer mash which is locally made because it is a LOT cheaper.

 

[EweSheep]

higher protein content than Layena, and NO yellow marigold to make your eggs look yellow but you can substitute with "yellow making" ingredients like corn or marigold (not the poisonous ones), and NO or very little calcium for laying hens (you have to add that).

To me, it makes sense. Why let the girls deplete their protein and minerals while laying when they do need their best ? Just add oyster shells and I've got hens that their feathers are really glossy, faster molt time, recovery time is much faster, and not as cranky. They also get table scraps for extra protein so they ARE happy. One thing I do notice is when one starts getting layer feed, sometimes egg eating starts up and then when I switched back to Flock Raiser, it stopped. It may not work for everyone but works well for me.

You get what you pay for. Sometimes cheap feed are "fillers" and the hens will suffer in the long run, or meat birds would be slower to gain. Like show horses, give the best you can and they will perform the best for you!

 

[riftnreef]

Local feed mills are great, but not everyone has such a thing around. I've tried specialty feeds, small producers, and in the end the results are about the same. I often think its as much the seller as the producer. i.e...I've bought the same brand of feed from two different sources...problems with one, but not the other. Both feeds from the same mill, and produced around the same time, so my theory is this...the lesser of the feed stores allowed the feed bags to get wet, which in turn created moldy feed at the bottom of the bag. Nearly killed my flock by the time I figured it out! This was early on, and I have since learned to listen to my nose and eyes when I open every single bag of feed. If the feed has become damp at some point, you will know it by the smell as soon as you open the bag. If feeding crumbles, the feed should look brightly colored, almost yellow...if it's started to grey out, or is overly dusty, then proceed with extreem caution.

Currently I feed purina pellets to my layers, and have very good results. I feed the purina honor show chow for my kids' 4-h birds and have had excellent results. My show birds get a mix of purina flock raiser and mana-pro which has done great for me. One small dealer I can recomend if you are in the mid-west is Buckely Brothers...I've used thier feed and had some great results as an alternative to purina, but I'm not sure about availability outside of our market area. I stopped using it solely because the distributor for their feed in our area is very unreliable.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I agree with Ewe, I tried giving my chickens layena and went back to FR because I noticed a difference in the over all look of my flock. I think Purina makes high quality feed, and will stay with FR till I see a change for the worse. I also give Oyster shell on the side. never had a problem with soft shells matter of fact my duck eggs are so tuff you just about need a hammer to crack one. and never had an egg eater or feather picker. I think the higher protein helps.

 

[seminolewind]

Well I went and did it. I went shopping for a feed that had animal product (protein) in it. I live in Florida, north of Tampa.
What I found was Country Acres "Home grown starter grower 20%). The top 10 ingredients are:

grain products
plant protein products
processed grain by-products
animal protein products (ruminent and bone free)
molasses products
forage products
calcium carbonate
animal fat preserved
salt
methionine


protein 20%
lysine .95
methionine .35
fat 2.5
fiber 5
ca+ .75-1.25
phosphorus .6
salt .25-.75

I guess this will do til I find something better, or maybe this is good enough. I'll just have to get alot of extra calcium.

I am just trying to figure out why 10% of my chickens over the past year have died of starvation-one necropsy on the last one showed impaction of the gizzard (not crop). Some of the others are overeating-crops the size of baseballs.
I'm just seeing if they are not getting something they need from the feed. Time will tell. Right now my rooster is skin and bones, otherwise energetic and acts healthy. I have one other hen whose crop is near empty each night.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am sorry to hear that SW, I hope you can figure it out. Do your chickens free range?

 

[CoyoteMagic]

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it's all I've ever fed my chickens. (I do start the chicks off with 1 bag of medicated Start &Grow) I've got beautiful birds no problems with any health issues.