The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks @mlowen That's very interesting!

What brand are you using?


ETA: Now you'll have to keep watching and see if it changes anything else... Feather quality, egg production, etc.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I switched last fall to an all flock and my birds molted quickly and began laying in December. I will never feed layer again.

Forgot add, thanks mlowen for running the experiment, I was wanting to do that too, but never got around to it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I wanted to report on an 'experiment' I've been conducting. There were conversations about layer feed vs all-flock with higher protein, the value of giving the chickens a choice, if possible, AND that feather eating and bullying might be related to not enough protein (I do give meat, sometimes.)  So, I decided to use one of my free-feeders for layer feed and the other with "grower" or all-flock. Since the day I poured the higher protein feed into the feeder, they have not eaten ONE layer pellet. They are vacuuming down the higher protein feed!
I found the all-flock made my fermented feed too "sticky" in the troughs, and to encourage some more calcium intake, I make the fermented feed with layer pellets (and wheat, oats, & barley, with a dash of sunflower seeds. I give them their shells crushed and also have a container of oyster shell available, so I'm sure they are getting everything they need.
The layer feed will last me another 6 months at least--just using it for fermented. I'm so glad I tried this. (So are the girls!)

 

[slordaz]

we'll be seeing chicks again any time now, can hear them chirping in their eggs

All I have ever feed is start n grow non medicated along with a little scratch grain and melee worms to my chicks the first week then they had free choice of start n grow non medicated and FF I feed the main flock

 

[lazy gardener]

My birds have always shown preference for the higher protein feeds. Sometimes I buy layer, simply because it is cheaper. If I wasn't so stingy with my wallet, I'd never bring home a bag of layer.

 

[slordaz]

the older flock between free ranging and when garden is up don't pay attention to any of it other than the fermented feed,

but then again there's plenty of bugs and some of the hens fish in the pond for minnows and frogs thanks to the drake teaching them

 

[16 paws]

the older flock between free ranging and when garden is up don't pay attention to any of it other than the fermented feed,

but then again there's plenty of bugs and some of the hens fish in the pond for minnows and frogs thanks to the drake teaching them

That is so cool that your hens fish! I absolutely love it. Any pictures of that? I need to show my husband so we can get a pond lol

 

[slordaz]

That is so cool that your hens fish! I absolutely love it. Any pictures of that? I need to show my husband so we can get a pond lol

I will try to get some here shortly, been busy building and hatching and getting ready to plant, they do it due to the main flock was raised with a drake from the brooder and no older hens to tell them any different

 

[mlowen]

Thanks @mlowen That's very interesting!

What brand are you using?


ETA: Now you'll have to keep watching and see if it changes anything else... Feather quality, egg production, etc.

each is organic. I go between a Blue Seal brand and one from another local feed store. I haven't noticed any major changes in feathers or eggs--but I started after feathers had been eaten, so they look scruffy, anyway. The eater is my white leghorn--she always has done. Maybe the feather piking won't stop until she's gone to heaven.

 

[slordaz]

well first hatched last night second on this morning, got one of the ameracuanas to hatch this time lol only 19 more to go