Restricting food

[Cindy in PA]

Oh ok thank you I’ve never even heard of Calranch so I guess we don’t have any here and I’ve never even seen that high of layer around here anywhere. You have convinced me to switch to higher protein but now I’m worried I can’t find it lol. We’re going to we if the bill feed can make or get anything thank you!

You should have Poulin Grain out your way & hopefully Kalmbach. They both have 20-21% layer feeds I believe.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

So you feed a 21% layer usually?

Oh! I would be delighted if I had a 21% layer feed. Gosh I would be loyal.

In my case anything over 17% is chick feed. The layer feeds are between 15% and (I kid you not) 16.61% which is sometimes labeled 17% on the label until you read the fine print and see 16.61%

Unfortunately we have what we have.

 

[Phillyndilly]

A couple of decades of looking after free range chickens.
More seriously...
The chickens ancestors the jungle fowl lay claim to approximately one acre of jungle per breeding pair according to the few studies there are on the subject.
Bear in mind the Jungle fowl are smaller and may only lay 20 eggs a year. Generally due to the diversity of the vegitaton jungle forage is likely to be of better quality than most cultivated land.
Todays appropriately chosen free range breeds may lay one hundred and fifty to two hundred eggs a year. That's a large increase in nutrition demand and consequently a larger area is likelyneeded to support them.
The tribes I looked after in Catalonia occupied roughly an acre per tribe and as a new tribe became established their territory increased by an about an acre. These tribes did get fed commercial feed twice a day and in the spring and summer months the impact on how much commercial feed they consumed was roughly measurable.
Differing keeping arrangements will have an impact on these estimated areas even with free range chickens (technically yours are not free range if they are fenced)
So, as an estimate to make a noticable impact on commercial feed consumption I think half an acre per breeding pair is a reasonable estimate.

Thanks very interesting. I hear different things about free ranging I don’t feel it is free ranging either since it’s fenced but some have told me it is. I just like to say they roam around.
Oh wow made this comments before I read all the comments after see that’s my experience people have so many definitions for it. Personally I categorize free ranging as not fenced but I guess the last few people I spoke to said my birds are free- range so that’s why I mentioned that in the original question.

 

[Phillyndilly]

Phytoestrogens.

Yes, soy has lots of phytoestrogens.

So does:
Flax, sesame, wheat, oats, barley and most beans.

But if you have a medical condition sensative to it, then yes, you should make the diet adjustment in consultations w/ your Dr - a diet that should not stop at simply eliminating soy. Unlike your chickens, you can economically switch to a diet that gets your needed Met levels from animal proteins.

Yes agreed I actually do not eat any of those things personally but we sell most of our eggs and I don’t think I am that sensitive. My reaction was when soy milk first came out and I was chugging cups at a time so I also don’t see a huge problem with the chickens eating it.

 

[Phillyndilly]

Oh! I would be delighted if I had a 21% layer feed. Gosh I would be loyal.

In my case anything over 17% is chick feed. The layer feeds are between 15% and (I kid you not) 16.61% which is sometimes labeled 17% on the label until you read the fine print and see 16.61%

Unfortunately we have what we have.

Haha oh ok I was thinking wow I’ve never seen a 21 percent layer! It’s funny because this young man we got hay from- a dairy farmer said he makes feed and he can make me a 20% or any I want but I asked what he would do about the “layer” portion and I believe he just said he’s mix oyster shells in so I’m not quite sure that would meet the requirements?
A little weary of just letting someone mix up a feed.

 

[Phillyndilly]

Youre welcome, I'm happy to help. Tractor supply might be able to order in Nutrena Egg Producer, which is great but my local one stopped carrying it or Purina game bird layer, theory website usually lists what can be shipped to store if you look up specific items

Thank you I’ll look into that! That shipping is what really gets ya I’ve found some good feeds online but it’s 500 dollars to ship lol so nevermind!

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Haha oh ok I was thinking wow I’ve never seen a 21 percent layer! It’s funny because this young man we got hay from- a dairy farmer said he makes feed and he can make me a 20% or any I want but I asked what he would do about the “layer” portion and I believe he just said he’s mix oyster shells in so I’m not quite sure that would meet the requirements?
A little weary of just letting someone mix up a feed.

Gosh I would thank him and then change the subject. No, it is too much to figure out for someone who is not a veterinary nutritionist (I may have invented that term). It is more than just about calcium. Also, there are different kinds of calcium, so maybe oyster shells are the wrong calcium for food.

 

[Phillyndilly]

I should have included that as additional reference, it’s a great point. My flock has about 2 acres of pasture, and three more of underbrushed upland forest to range, they sometimes go beyond that, by going over the gates at the electric fence. Eventually, I plan to clear 5 acres of pasture with another 10 acre of forest "buffer" between me and the neighbors. Then figure out what to do with the other half the property.

Ugh ya fencing the bane of my existence. What type do you have electric netting?

You should have Poulin Grain out your way & hopefully Kalmbach. They both have 20-21% layer feeds I believe.

Yep we have some places that carry Poulin I haven’t heard of Kalmbach. The feed stores that do have Poulin don’t ever have a high protein layer in stock though id have to see if they could order.
Just checked it out and most I’m seeing on Poulin is an egg production plus 18% layer. Still an improvement though.

 

[nuthatched]

Oh! I would be delighted if I had a 21% layer feed. Gosh I would be loyal.

In my case anything over 17% is chick feed. The layer feeds are between 15% and (I kid you not) 16.61% which is sometimes labeled 17% on the label until you read the fine print and see 16.61%

Unfortunately we have what we have.

Can you get gamebird or turkey layer?

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Can you get gamebird or turkey layer?

I get the turkey feed, but not all of them all year. At this time i can get baby-turkey feed, but in crumble form, which is a lot of spoilage. In a few weeks I will be able to buy the growth-turkey feed. Buy never the mature-turkey feed. I assume someone is raising turkeys and I am riding their coat-tails. I get the growth turkey when available. I have tried ordering it, just a few weeks early seems such a small ask, but I couldn't get it.

I have never seen turkey-layer, which seems crazy, what to they feed the one making the eggs that become those chicks to whom they feed the baby food?

There are no options for game feed. I guess no one is raising them in my region.