Recommend a Poultry Feed

[I Love Lucy]

What poultry feed would you recommend for adults chickens?​

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Layer pellets. Whatever is local and cheapest.

 

[mikecnorthwest]

Purina, Albers, and Nutrena. I personally feed Purina Layena because the local Wilco store sells it. But honestly I think they're all just fine and it will really just depend on what's available and the price per pound. Some package in 50 lb. bags while others are in 40 lb. bags so you need to account for that when comparing.

Of course you can always go organic but that would cost more.

 

[I Love Lucy]

It seems like it would be bad on a hen to make them lay more? Maybe that's just silly thinking... But my chickens are pets, so I want them to live a long, healthy life, not really interested in tons of eggs.

What about an older hen that no longer lays? Does she still get layer pellets?

 

[cafarmgirl]

It seems like it would be bad on a hen to make them lay more? Maybe that's just silly thinking... But my chickens are pets, so I want them to live a long, healthy life, not really interested in tons of eggs.

What about an older hen that no longer lays? Does she still get layer pellets?

Layer feed does not MAKE a hen lay more eggs. It simply contains all the nutrients and necessary vitamins and minerals to support her body while she is laying eggs and is generally easy to find locally and feed.

 

[bwalden]

Yeah I would feed layer pellets or crumbles. you can add chopped or "scratch" feed as a sort of treet. I think cafarmgirl is right about the lay pellets. They don't "make" them lay more just more nutritionally complete.


Also I just feed the brand my local stores carry. One of them has Farmland brand the other store is Anderson's. I know Purina and Nutrena are good brands but usually a little more expensive. Just look at the ingredients tag. Should be 15-18% protein with a good amount of vitamins and minerals as well.

 

[I Love Lucy]

I recently started feeding my hens laying pellets (as they're coming "of age" and started laying), and they seem to lay more with it? I even quit for a few days, as I was concerned for them overlaying, and they stopped laying "as much." With the pellets, they lay every day; without it, they lay about every other day. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't too much on them, but I know pretty much everyone uses it. I guess it's just my hens are still young. Anyway, thanks!

 

[Tivona]

I agree with the others on feeding layer pellets now. That is what their bodies need to make those eggs and still allow them to grow if they still need to. I know that my birds started laying before they were really filled out. I would be concerned that they are not getting the correct nutrient balance without the layer feed. I don't know what breed yours are but many breeds have been bred specifically to lay very well and even those that were bred for meat still have the hormones and body to lay a lot at least during spring and summer. Just the way they are, and nature wants them laying as our days are getting longer.

The other option is to feed layer pellets in one container and the regular food in another and let them figure out what they need. That is what I do currently as I now have ducks (laying like crazy) , and a drake, as well as some geese (not laying) and I want them to balance their own intake. I do provide unlimited amounts of each pretty much all day. Only time they don't get any is at night to prevent rodents from becoming a problem. I did this back when I had chickens and it worked well then too. From what I have seen the laying ones eat the layers pellets and the others eat from the other feed. It does take two containers of food every day though.

If you don't care about eggs then you could also feed them the layer pellets during the times they lay and then switch to a regular flock type feed after you have noticed them not laying for a week or so when fall/ winter gets them to stop. Also, light hours per day is a big part in them wanting to lay so don't provide extra hours of light just let them go to bed and rise with the natural sun. Particularly in winter the extra light will affect them. Anyway that is my two cents worth of knowledge...

 

[cabinonalake]

I plan on using Blue Seal layer feed once our gals are here and of age. So far it's not only the cheapest I've found in our area but it's also a VERY good brand of feed! The price in our area is 7.99 for a 25 lb bag, and I will only be needing about 50 lbs of feed per month. We will also be supplimenting with table scraps, and them having acess to the outdoors and being able to scratch for what they want.

 

[SmokinChick]

When the girls started to lay I bought a bag of Blue Seal. The next bag was Purina Layena. They started to bill out huge amounts of feed. The ground was tan!
Went back to Blue seal and the billing stopped. Both were crumbles. A buck fifty more per 50 lbs. But no waste.
Just my ancedotal story. Take it for what its worth.