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Rest up and pamper yourself for a while, chicka...you certainly deserve it. Maddy and I wish you a speedy recovery. Y'all have all become members of our extended family and we like having you around.
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For those flocks that aren't all laying, a grower or finisher feed works well. If the protein is too high in your opinion, you can cut that with a low protein grain like corn or buckwheat.
Barley, wheat, oats and rye are about 12%; Corn, millet, milo and buckwheat are about 9%; rice is about 7%.
If you have a less expensive source of whole grain, it can reduce your overall feed cost.
Trouble is, a significant price break doesn't come unless you buy by the ton.
I have a source of 16% organic grower which one flock is getting. The rest are getting a 15% finisher and supplementing the protein for younger birds with fishmeal and sprouted flax, sunflower, wheat and field peas.

One won't know what the sudden death was unless they did a necropsy.
Gout causes sudden death and unless it is investigated, one could easily overlook nutrition as the cause.
This 2011 study at the University of Arkansas showed that rooster broiler breeders died at nearly 4 times the rate of hens in the breeder flock. The whole flock was fed a 3.25% Ca and 0.4% P ration.
Necropsies indicated the excess Ca was responsible for 44% to have asymmetrical kidneys and 7% visible kidney stones. These birds had only been on the diet less than a year.
http://www.pjbs.org/ijps/fin1947.pdf
Other studies show that not all breeds or lines of chickens are affected the same way.

My birds are extremely rare. One would be hard pressed to find even one Black Penedesenca rooster to buy anywhere in the US let alone one without flaws. I'm not inclined to take chances with such a small gene pool.
 
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chickensnewtome said:
Chika I hope you get to feeling better. It will definitely be an upper watching your chickens however you can. I will be praying for you!



I feed all of my chickens and Ducks layer feed. I guess I should stop, In this small town I live in all the choices you have are grower, layer pellets, and scratch feed. Which is better?
Click to expand...

Ducks need higher protein and bugs so if they can't get bugs, you will probably want to give them grower, calf mana and free choice calcium.

Chickens do not need as much protein, so 20% grower with free choice calcium for them. If you do not have Roosters, Layer is fine for Hens.
 
superchemicalgirl said:
Not scratch. I pretty much feed everyone grower in the feeders, with a bag of layer for their "breakfast bowl" each morning mixed with leftovers or flax seeds. I like the higher protein for my birds.

That being said, I have also fed young ones and roos layer pellets (if I'm noticing a lot of soft eggs I switch everyone to layer for a few weeks) and had no problems.
Click to expand...

Yes! When they are older((16 weeks or so) Layer for a while does not hurt them. If layer is the only feed, Some Roosters will suddenly die sometime after 1 year old.

It is not a Terribly potent poison to them and it is actually good for Roos and Molting hens to have calcium. Just not enough to damage their kidneys.
 
ChickenCanoe said:
For those flocks that aren't all laying, a grower or finisher feed works well. If the protein is too high in your opinion, you can cut that with a low protein grain like corn or buckwheat.
Barley, wheat, oats and rye are about 12%; Corn, millet, milo and buckwheat are about 9%; rice is about 7%.
If you have a less expensive source of whole grain, it can reduce your overall feed cost.
Trouble is, a significant price break doesn't come unless you buy by the ton.
I have a source of 16% organic grower which one flock is getting. The rest are getting a 15% finisher and supplementing the protein for younger birds with fishmeal and sprouted flax, sunflower, wheat and field peas.

One won't know what the sudden death was unless they did a necropsy.
Gout causes sudden death and unless it is investigated, one could easily overlook nutrition as the cause.
This 2011 study at the University of Arkansas showed that rooster broiler breeders died at nearly 4 times the rate of hens in the breeder flock. The whole flock was fed a 3.25% Ca and 0.4% P ration.
Necropsies indicated the excess Ca was responsible for 44% to have asymmetrical kidneys and 7% visible kidney stones. These birds had only been on the diet less than a year.
http://www.pjbs.org/ijps/fin1947.pdf
Other studies show that not all breeds or lines of chickens are affected the same way.

My birds are extremely rare. One would be hard pressed to find even one Black Penedesenca rooster to buy anywhere in the US let alone one without flaws. I'm not inclined to take chances with such a small gene pool.
Click to expand...

Jason(@Hangtown Farms has a nice Black Pene Cockerel! I hope he is able to get a flock going with them. They are very pretty.
 
chickensnewtome said:
I don't think I have shown yall many photos of me and my family so I thought that while I had the time I would share some.


This is my oldest and his BB gun he got for Christmas last year

Here is my youngest little princess

and my middle son Wyatt.


I know this is off subject but I talk to ya'll constantly and see plenty of yall's photos so I thought I would share to while I had the time.
Click to expand...

I LOVE family shared photos! Darling family! That young man looks like he's going to be a great help in hunting some day. :)
 

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