Purina Flock Raiser... What's the scoop?

[cupman]

I went to the feed store the other day and I wanted to pick up 4 bags of 50lb Purina Flock Raiser. I noticed they were out so I flagged down this girl who worked at the store.. she was real cute, fresh out of high school working there for the summer to tell everyone anything and everything they needed to know about birds, she was clearly passionate about poultry. I asked her about guinea fowl.. somewhat expecting her to be naive(they seem to be rare around here, Craigslist is always empty) but she was on top of it, I was impressed. She told me that she was not a big fan of flock raiser and advised that I get something else. The problem was the only other thing she offered was game bird feed and it's at least $5 more a bag($8-10 more/bag than layer feed). I'm not a cheap skate but I have a LOT of beaks to feed. I go through about 100lbs a week.

I had problems with feeding flock raiser to my young turkey poults.. they developed leg problems early on and never fully recovered(always read the fine print, I didn't, it clearly says it's meant for turkeys 10 weeks and older). They are alive still just gimpy little turkeys that like to take it easy. She told me she had her grain mixed together specially from a company she knew that is a couple hours away. I told her I would probably do the research and figure out a nice combination of food to sustain my flock of turkeys, guineas and chickens but I wanted to ask you guys first what you thought. I think the girl definitely knows her stuff but wondered if maybe she was a helicopter mom for birds.

Bonus question: I was planning on weaning them off of flock raiser(besides the turkeys) and giving my chickens and guineas both Purina layer feed pellets. I would wait until they were full grown before I switched feed. I have read in several places that you can give guineas identical feed to chickens but I have read a few posts here tonight that suggest otherwise.

Sorry for being long-winded. Thanks!

 

[MamaRudey]

Turkeys and Guineas need game bird feed or an equivalent that has the higher protein (at least 27%) that they need for good growth and sustained health.

 

[cupman]

I'm not disagreeing with you but what exactly happens if you don't feed them the game bird? I have seen the problems in turkeys and I am sure to get them game bird that I feed separately from my guineas(though they like to snack on the flock raiser). but my guineas seem healthy and happy. I guess I just want to know what problems I could face. Perhaps my guineas get their basic needs from the flock raiser and further sustain their protein needs through free ranging?

Flock raiser is 20% protein. I know this might sound silly but what if my guineas were just eating a little bit extra to accommodate for the 7% protein the flock raiser lacks?

 

[Darkjeweler]

What about pulverized cheap dog food? It normally has like 25% protien?

 

[PeepsCA]

When raised on lower protein feeds keets will grow and feather out slower, can develop nutritional deficiencies that can cause unhealthy organs plus leg/tendon/joint/cartilage issues (especially during their major growth spurts and numerous molts they go thru), they can have weaker immune systems, can be more susceptible to suffering heavy worm/parasite loads, and over all just aren't as hearty as they should be. They can also develop way too much fat on and around their internal organs to the point that their lifespan is way shorter than it should be and they won't ever be able to produce eggs and offspring to their full potential. Internally fatty birds have fertility/breeding issues, the Hens will lay smaller eggs, plus they are also more likely to become egg bound.

Unfortunately adult birds that aren't as hearty/healthy as they should be won't produce hearty/healthy keets either. Congenital defects, leg and toe issues, runts/failure to thrive etc are all way more common from their hatches. So IMO if they aren't started off right from the time they hatch they most likely won't live up to their full potential and can pass down all their issues/defects to their offspring. Well fed Guineas can live 12-15 yrs... and healthy Hens can lay eggs all the way up to the 8-10 yr mark. So for my wallet, it's more economical to pay extra for higher protein starter and grower feeds and raising hearty/healthy birds that will produce hearty/healthy keets and plenty of eating eggs for me/my family for more than just a few years.

As far as feeding Guineas the same feeds as chickens goes... A layer feed with at least 16% protein is fine for adult/sexually mature Guineas (12 weeks or older). The Hens especially need the higher calcium level in the layer feed plus free choice to crushed oyster shell starting at about 12 wks old since they can start laying eggs any time between 14 and 16 weeks of age (if they maturing during their typical Spring to Fall laying season, if not they will wait until the following Spring). If the young Hens don't have enough calcium in their diet when they start laying they will pull it from their bones/bodies, again causing the Hens to be less productive and less hearty than they should be. I only feed things like scratch and cracked corn in small amounts as treats, or mix some in with their layer and game bird feed in the winter months to help keep them warmer.

 

[Fluffychicky]

I just bought Flock raiser for my 13 week old roosters and hens, can I continue to feed them this for the rest of their lives? Is it the same thing as all flock, I looked for all flock but could not find it anywhere is it called by another name?