The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Lauravonsmurf]

Standard-bred Rhode Island reds, rose and single comb : their practical qualities, the standard requirements, how to judge them, how to mate and breed for best results​

circa 1911

https://archive.org/stream/standardbredrhod00hale/standardbredrhod00hale_djvu.txt

 

[787junglist]

I'm in east TN and had the same problem. Have you considered making your own. I mix and grid my own. It is easy to do, much easier to find the ingredients I want, and easy to balance different rations according to management groups. I use non-gmo corn, oats and field peas for my grains. Field peas are a great source of protein and the chickens love em. I add nutri-balancer to each batch and then add limestone and fish meal as needed (less limestone for chicks and more fish meal when i need higher protein). I balance each week according to the amount of BSFL I estimate I will have each week. I keep a batch of layer mixed up all the time and then a separate batch when I'm raising chicks and/or meat.
Being in SC it would be extremely easy to raise your own BSFL as they are native there. I am currently working on doubling my BSFL population to freeze and/or dehydrate enough to feed in the winter also. HUGE money savings.
Just some thoughts I'd share after years of experimenting to provide a good quality feed at a low cost. We've been pleased with the results.
Sheri
www.red-ridge-farm.com

I give starter and grower 14% protein(animal origin), powdered protein supplement,I breed my own mealworms too so they have animal protein added,they are penned in tractors that get rotated constantly around my urban family farm...I give all the crop cuttings and kitchen scraps,fresh moringa leaves, spinach, amaranth leaves,wild daisy flowers stems and leaves,oregano and Mexican sunflower leaves stems and flowers...3 times a week I add electrolytes and vitamin/mineral powder in the water...2 times a month I give red cell iron supplement for horses in the water too...and add a bowl of oyster shell grit to the active layer pen

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

My daughter says her neighbor is breeding RIR and she says they look like real proper RIR… she is going to see if he will part with some hatching eggs. I hope so… I am willing to pay for the eggs no problem.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Kansas Farmer 1914

Lots of good old school tips in this…

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I give starter and grower 14% protein(animal origin), powdered protein supplement,I breed my own mealworms too so they have animal protein added,they are penned in tractors that get rotated constantly around my urban family farm...I give all the crop cuttings and kitchen scraps,fresh moringa leaves, spinach, amaranth leaves,wild daisy flowers stems and leaves,oregano and Mexican sunflower leaves stems and flowers...3 times a week I add electrolytes and vitamin/mineral powder in the water...2 times a month I give red cell iron supplement for horses in the water too...and add a bowl of oyster shell grit to the active layer pen

I had to mix my own before finding a premixed brand we liked… several birds in my flock are from a breed that sometimes can not tolerate corn (too much grey and green jungle fowl in the strain I have, changes what they can digest) so the whole flock is on no corn.

It was a serious hunt to find ingredients out here bulk… just nuts, and still had to read labels very carefully. I actually want to mix my own again, but need to build a feed shed… to set up space for multiple big bags.

My current feed is unprocessed wheat, barley, peas, milo, oats and sunflower seeds, 18% protein

The seed in it is viable, I have successfully germinated it and grown my birds sprouts. I am thinking about setting apart a small growing area in the garden and plant the mixed seed… I also need to get bigger tubs to grow my sprouts in.

 

[787junglist]

I had to mix my own before finding a premixed brand we liked… several birds in my flock are from a breed that sometimes can not tolerate corn (too much grey and green jungle fowl in the strain I have, changes what they can digest) so the whole flock is on no corn.

It was a serious hunt to find ingredients out here bulk… just nuts, and still had to read labels very carefully. I actually want to mix my own again, but need to build a feed shed… to set up space for multiple big bags.

My current feed is unprocessed wheat, barley, peas, milo, oats and sunflower seeds, 18% protein

The seed in it is viable, I have successfully germinated it and grown my birds sprouts. I am thinking about setting apart a small growing area in the garden and plant the mixed seed… I also need to get bigger tubs to grow my sprouts in.

Ive done the same but the feed sometimes it is not the better Seed to plant and get a harvest...now I'm getting heirloom varieties of sorghum,wheat,barley,oat, sunflower etc to start doing the same on a patch in the farm and cut the feed bill.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Oh yes, heirloom varieties is a good idea. Make sure you get Avian friendly milo.

I’ve also been looking up feeding recipes prior to the availability of premixed feed. Found a few all very interesting.

 

[787junglist]

You started to read the thread recently or were you active on it since the beginning? I've been reading for 3 months,right now by page 425 and a thousand screenshots and a million new tabs open

 

[787junglist]

This is gold. And there are a few secondary threads linked to this one...

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I have not been here since the beginning but have read lots of the various threads over the years… this being one, I stupidly did not take notes, so going back through BYC and jotting things down now… as I am trying to get more specific on goals.

I’ve learned a lot on BYC, just reading this thread or that. Asking questions, getting advice… the Game Fowl folks here helped save the life of a badly savaged hen, that a lot of folks would have given up on and even suggested I kill, she went on to live many years, and lay me lots of bright blue eggs… she is the lighter hen in my profile picture.