⠀ Purina flock raiser

[TheMayor14]

Is Purina flock raiser a good choice?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Is Purina flock raiser a good choice?

It is a feed many (myself included) choose to use. Whether it is a good choice for you/your birds will depend on what you are feeding and what your goals are for those birds. I like it because it is able to be used from "cradle to grave" as a good, all-around feed for all of my birds with no need to worry about who is laying/not laying, what age everyone is or what gender everyone is - set out a little calcium for the actively laying females and it makes for a nice, simple feed program.

 

[Folly's place]

x2

 

[cstronks]

If you have turkeys or meat birds then it is a good feed. For laying hens you'll want to look into feeds specifically engineered towards layers that have higher levels of calcium for eggs. Purina Layena is one choice, or Tractor Supply's Dumor is another, slightly cheaper alternative (which I believe is bagged by Purina for TSC). Local feed stores may also have a combo of scratch grains that is like Flock Raiser. I would stick to whatever is most affordable and best for your flock, but Flock Raiser is a good option.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

If you have turkeys or meat birds then it is a good feed. For laying hens you'll want to look into feeds specifically engineered towards layers that have higher levels of calcium for eggs. Purina Layena is one choice, or Tractor Supply's Dumor is another, slightly cheaper alternative (which I believe is bagged by Purina for TSC). Local feed stores may also have a combo of scratch grains that is like Flock Raiser. I would stick to whatever is most affordable and best for your flock, but Flock Raiser is a good option.

It's a very good choice for laying flocks as well - the calcium that is added to layer feed is easily provided separate from the feed and the advantage to Flock Raiser/other grower rations is that you are providing a better protein level to your laying flock since *most* layer rations tend to run on the very bottom of the range of suggested protein percentage.

 

[bigt447]

Another vote for FlockRaiser for all with crushed oyster shells available at all times for layers.

 

[DrPatrickBiggs]

As a Poultry Nutritionist for Purina, I agree that Purina Flock Raiser is a well researched feed designed to be fed from hatch to first egg to a broad range of poultry including chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys (turkeys should be started on a Game Bird or Turkey starter and then switched to Flock Raiser at 8 weeks.). At the sign of the first egg, birds should be switched to a layer feed that contains higher levels of calcium, Vitamin D and manganese to support egg production. Purina Layena Premium Poultry Feed would meet those requirements and can be fed as a laying diet for all species mentioned.

 

[MeepMeeps]

I unfortunately cannot find Purina Flock Raiser at any of the 3 local feed stores by me and I wanted to try it. The Feed Store employees kept advising me to buy layer feed for my 5 Pullets + 1 Rooster, but upon reading on BYC it is better to not feed layer feed to the Rooster. So I am on a different brand "flock" type of feed, supplementing with free choice Oyster shell. They are doing well. Are there other supplements you recommend for my flock since I am not using layer feed?

 

[DrPatrickBiggs]

You could also feed Purina Start & Grow with Oyster Shell. This may be a good option.
You may also consider feeding a vitamin supplement in the drinking water that contains Vitamin D.