Roo feed?

[Emptywagon2]

Is it ok to feed the roos layer pellets? I'm new to chicken raising and didn't know if it would harm them. Thanks for any help you give.

 

[GoldenSparrow]

I have always done it, but I would like to know if its ok to feed too??

 

[stilldeb]

They can eat what your layer hens eat.

 

[Erica]

A lot of people feed roosters layer pellets. I suppose it could result in kidney damage over time, but I'm not sure if this actually occurs.

In any case, to get around this potential problem, some people feed 'flock raiser', which doesn't contain the extra calcium. At the same time the hens are given ad lib access to shell grit.

cheers
Erica

 

[Emptywagon2]

Thanks for the info...I thought that most people fed them the same feed as hens but didn't know if it would cause illness..like feeding younger chicks laying food. My roo was a surprise...was supposed to be a pullet. I have realized that this happens a lot to people. I just don't want to hurt him by feeding him wrong. Thanks again.

 

[Yonaton]

'Roo' feed you might be able to find from Purina, they seem to be the folks who make feed for just about any animal there is on the planet. Maybe the forum has people from Australia who can answer what to feed roo's. I would imagine hay and probably even some kind of sweet feed used for horses would work fine.

The chickens, hens and roosters, can eat layer feed all their lives and be just fine, this includes if one has only roosters. The layer feed will *NOT* harm *ANY* chickens in their lifetime and is a well balanced feed for them all (except chicks of course, who would eat it but not get enough protein to grow their first few months as well as they could/should).

 

[gritsar]

Since I have hens, pullets, cockerels, roos and chicks, I just feed everybody a flockraiser-type feed called Allway Kernels. The hens get oyster shell on the side to meet their calcium requirements.

I don't use traditional scratch for treats. Instead I use another feed called Black Rooster. It's a gamebird feed that has 7 different grains and seeds.

 

[Chris09]

Most people around here either feed Buckeye Big 4, Gamebird feed or Gamefowl feed to there roosters. (Purina doesn't sell well around here, too many feed mills that have better feed)

I don't feed roosters layer at all, and they do a lot better when not fed a feed designed for laying hens.

Chris

 

[Gypsi]

Quote:
I tried to get Black Rooster at my feed store but they didn't have it. Where do you get it?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I tried to get Black Rooster at my feed store but they didn't have it. Where do you get it?

The company that mills Black Rooster is a semi-local company called Big V Feeds based in McAlister, Oklahoma. They just opened a feed store near us that carries Big V feeds exclusively.
I know they ship to some places in Texas, but not all at all sure just where.

You might contact them to find out. http://bigvfeeds.com/index.cfm?show=10&mid=8

The ingredients in Black Rooster are:

Corn, Grain Sorghum, Oats, Wheat, Wheat Middlings, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Whey, Dried Skimmed Milk, Casein, Yeast Culture, Fish Meal, Cane Molasses, Animal Fat, Calcium Carbonate, Defluorinated Phosphate, Vitamin A Supplement, D-Activated Animal Sterol (Source of Vitamin D3), Vitamin E Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin, Vitamin B12, Riboflavin Supplement, Choline Chloride, Manganese Sulfate, Iron Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Carbonate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Oxide, Magnesium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate, Zinc Sulfate, D-Alphatocoporal Acetate, Soybean Meal, Wheat Bran, Rice Mill By-Product, Vitamin A Palmitate, Popcorn, Salt and Black Oil Sunflower. Natural and artificial flavors added.