Switching off Layers Feed: What to Feed Instead?

[Happy hen lover]

I supplement with floating fish food ..they LOVE IT. That protein is 38% so a little goes a long way . But it is fairly cheap 50 pounds for 14.00 when I bought it.

 

[McChooky]

The biggest reason people don't like using layer feed is because they have a mixed flock of birds that aren't layers. Not only do these other birds not need extra calcium it can hurt them.I only have a flock of layers the same age with no roosters so this isn't a concern.

 

[McChooky]

I supplement with floating fish food ..they LOVE IT. That protein is 38% so a little goes a long way . But it is fairly cheap 50 pounds for 14.00 when I bought it.

Brilliant idea!

 

[clumberfam]

Brand new to chickens and our hens are eating layer feed with oyster shell on the side. They get raw and cooked veggies occasionally and cracked corn supplemental in the cold weather. We get lots of eggs from them and the eggs seem of good quality. Should I be feeding them something else??

 

[Robeenop]

Switch to whole deer corn, more wholesome then the depleted cracked corn, also the cheapest white fortified white bread. I use Kroger's.. amount depends on the size of your flock. I have 69 so mine is 4 torn up slices, and about 5 good handfuls of whole corn. Once a week I clean out my fridge. Any leftovers, that are not unidentifiable (lol) veggies, meat, yes leftover chicken. Omnivores eat anything. No raw potatoes,. French fries from air fryer are ok. No sweets at all. No cheese. They gobble spaghetti, noodles and all. (My grandfather was a poultry farmer.)..not in excess though.any raw veggies for my ducks etc. I buy pumpkins in the fall, watermelons and other melons in the hot summers.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thanks so much! Would 21% protein be too much for 16 week old chicks?

No. I routinely feed the birds in my culling project 24% protein thru week 9 or 10 before dropping to a 20% mix. I do so for reasons of cost, not health, as the most critical time for a bird to ensure its protein (an indirect analogue for amino acids) needs are met is early development. 24% ensures I have very good early development of my mutts, which aids in selecting the most promising birds for future breeding.

I don't feed over 24%, because very high protein levels are associated with increased incidence of "Angel Wing" in ducks and other waterfowl - and I also raise ducks.

The benefits of feeding 20%, as compared to 16%, are very low (though measurable) in the first year for your layers, yet I still recommend it for the long term health of your birds, and to aid in ensuring that they grow to full potential - a bird with a mildly deficient diet in early life will likely *appear* healthy, it may even be healthy - but it will never be what it potentially could have been. The benefits of avoiding excess calcium for your hatchlings, juveniles, adolescents, and males of all ages is far greater.

Above 20%, the cost differential becomes quite significant, while the benefits continue to diminish.

The above is based on my reading, research, and limited experience. You may find that the calculation is slightly different for your own needs, resources, and management style.

 

[FoxySonia]

I feed my chickens Scratch and Peck Organic 18% protein Layer Feed, Grubbly Farms Little Pecks and Grubbly Farms 19% protein Little Pecks Starter/Grower Feed, and Grubbly Farms 16% protein Layer Crumble, mixed with some Grub Terra BSFL grubs, sunflower seed chips, and 5-grain scratch.

 

[NatJ]

Brand new to chickens and our hens are eating layer feed with oyster shell on the side. They get raw and cooked veggies occasionally and cracked corn supplemental in the cold weather. We get lots of eggs from them and the eggs seem of good quality. Should I be feeding them something else??

No need to change anything. They should continue to do fine on that.

IF you want to change anything, or if the store runs out of your usual food, here are some options:

--You could choose to use some other feed instead of the layer feed (All Flock or Flock Raiser or chick starter or similar).

--You could skip the cracked corn, and they will naturally eat more layer feed in cold weather to get the extra calories they need. You could also use whole corn or scratch grains (a mixture of grains) instead of the cracked corn.

--You could skip the veggies, or continue feeding them. It is also safe to feed other kinds of food scraps to chickens. Meat & eggs are good protein sources for chickens, just like they are for people.