Those who use an "All Flock" feed, PLEASE help me decide on a feed!

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Make sure you take away any extra treats when transitioning foods. Just like with children, when chickens are hungry they will eat what is put in front of them if they aren't given extra options.

Except if they figured out that if they act as a collective and boycott the food the human will panic and get something else. They don't like change towards something 'not quite' good enough (which happens when things are out of stock and you need to take the ' no-name' house brand. )

But... Try explaining a supply chain issue to a bunch of cranky spoiled girls!

Yes, if you stand your ground @HollowOfWisps is right... you can be strong ... if it is fresh and healthy... Stay firm, they will come around.

The other method is to transition over by putting out the new food in small quantities in a bowl appart from the prior food and gradually you increase the supply of the new food and reduce the supply of the old.

It depends on your parenting methods... Tough love? Negotiating change? Or marshmallow fluff? Since I see no downside to having spoiled pets, I am a marshmallow.

 

[RoyalChick]

Make sure you take away any extra treats when transitioning foods. Just like with children, when chickens are hungry they will eat what is put in front of them if they aren't given extra options.

Wise words. They are out and about at the moment so eating grass and they seem to have found some worms. But I won't give anything in addition to the feed.

 

[RoyalChick]

Except if they figured out that if they act as a collective and boycott the food the human will panic and get something else. They don't like change towards something 'not quite' good enough (which happens when things are out of stock and you need to take the ' no-name' house brand. )

But... Try explaining a supply chain issue to a bunch of cranky spoiled girls!

Yes, if you stand your ground @HollowOfWisps is right... you can be strong ... if it is fresh and healthy... Stay firm, they will come around.

The other method is to transition over by putting out the new food in small quantities in a bowl appart from the prior food and gradually you increase the supply of the new food and reduce the supply of the old.

It depends on your parenting methods... Tough love? Negotiating change? Or marshmallow fluff? Since I see no downside to having spoiled pets, I am a marshmallow.

Hilarious. I would love if they would finish up their 17% pellets before starting these because I just know they will be able to tell the difference and every 17% pellet will be flung aside for the mice to eat.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Hilarious. I would love if they would finish up their 17% pellets before starting these because I just know they will be able to tell the difference and every 17% pellet will be flung aside for the mice to eat.

Yes, they can taste higher protein feeds. I have a local place that 'makes their own' and it has 15% protein. My girls boycott when I bring that home. It only happens in n a real pinch, as a stop gap until I get something better. That said I have a full bucket that will be passed to someone I know who feeds wild birds. For them 15% is amazing, but for my babies it just won't do...

In fairness, hens make eggs and that takes a lot of protein, wild birds do not put so much of themselves into eggs so they are ok on whatever they find.

 

[Sally PB]

Someone else said that the numbers printed on the bag (in this case, 252 22) refer to when the bag itself was printed. That makes sense. They'd want the printed info on the bag to be current for what is going to go into it.

Then the closure strip on the bottom would have the pertinent info as to the contents.

 

[Sally PB]

Oh, was going to add, when I switched to Kalmbach, I mixed it and the old stuff together, changing the ratio to more Kalmbach/less old stuff of the course of a week. It helped that they were both crumbles, so they looked similar.

Kalmbach sure smelled better, though! I wanted to taste it. No, not really.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Someone else said that the numbers printed on the bag (in this case, 252 22) refer to when the bag itself was printed. That makes sense. They'd want the printed info on the bag to be current for what is going to go into it.

Then the closure strip on the bottom would have the pertinent info as to the contents.

I've worked in that kind of environment and the date is normally the date the bag is filled. They need to be able to find the bags if they realize something went wrong with a batch. It should be the machine that seals the bag that prints the date at the same time.

Same as the machine that seals the waxed cardboard milk container and prints the date at the same time.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Except if they figured out that if they act as a collective and boycott the food the human will panic and get something else. They don't like change towards something 'not quite' good enough (which happens when things are out of stock and you need to take the ' no-name' house brand. )

But... Try explaining a supply chain issue to a bunch of cranky spoiled girls!

Yes, if you stand your ground @HollowOfWisps is right... you can be strong ... if it is fresh and healthy... Stay firm, they will come around.

The other method is to transition over by putting out the new food in small quantities in a bowl appart from the prior food and gradually you increase the supply of the new food and reduce the supply of the old.

It depends on your parenting methods... Tough love? Negotiating change? Or marshmallow fluff? Since I see no downside to having spoiled pets, I am a marshmallow.

Oh, was going to add, when I switched to Kalmbach, I mixed it and the old stuff together, changing the ratio to more Kalmbach/less old stuff of the course of a week. It helped that they were both crumbles, so they looked similar.

Kalmbach sure smelled better, though! I wanted to taste it. No, not really.

Kalmbach does smell good! I think it smells like someone cooking a bunch of fresh herbs and homemade bread. I don't know how else to describe it, but that's how it smells to me I think everyone in the barn smells it too because even my dog tries to sneak a few nibbles of the Kalmbach, but won't touch other brands of feed.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Kalmbach does smell good! I think it smells like someone cooking a bunch of fresh herbs and homemade bread. I don't know how else to describe it, but that's how it smells to me I think everyone in the barn smells it too because even my dog tries to sneak a few nibbles of the Kalmbach, but won't touch other brands of feed.

Wow! Wish I could get that in my area. Also... Maybe they should make kitchen air freshener

 

[Ponyiqandhens2]

I know there are tons out there right now, but I *think* based on what I've read here so far I've narrowed it down to the following brands: Nutrina, Purina, Kalmbach and Scratch and Peck (but I am open to others).

I'm currently feeding Scratch and Peck Organic Starter Crumbles + Grub Protein (20.5% protein). It's quite expensive; I pay roughly $50 for a 25lb bag delivered and my flock goes through 50lbs a week (so roughly $100/week on feed). I haven't looked at the prices of the others, but I can't imagine them being nearly as expensive.

Other things to note:
*ages range from about 8-14 weeks right now, both pullets and cockerels.
*they free range
*I do not breed or show right now, but plan to in the future. Right now they're kind of my "pets". My daughter may want to participate in 4H.
*I am a creature of habit. I like to pick something and stick with it, if possible.
*I do not plan to use my birds for meat, just eggs at this time.
*I prefer having my feed delivered, though not entirely essential; I usually have an infant and 2 toddlers under 5 with me, so loading up bags of feed with them into my car sucks. Yes, you think people would be courteous and offer to help, but here in the bay area that has not been my experience.

Here's what I've looked at so far. PLEASE help me make a decision, or I will think about this for another month. Organic isn't essential. I just want a high quality food that I can feed to everyone. I've read that many recommend keeping mixed flocks on starter feed with sides of grit and calcium as well.

• Nutrina NatureWise All Flock 20% Crumble Poultry Feed

• Nutrina NatureWise Feather Fixer 18% Poultry Feed (I read a lot of good things about this one; not sure if it's a good "all flock" feed)​

• Purina® Flock Raiser® Crumbles (20% protein)​

• Purina® Organic Starter-Grower (18% protein)​

• Kalmbach 20% Organic Chick and Meatbird Starter Grower (Crumble)​

• Kalmbach 20% Flock Maker® (Crumble)
• Continue with current Scratch and Peck food.
• Any other recommendations?

In addition to a feed, which brands of grit and calcium do you feed? I've been using scratch and peck for everything, but willing to try others. I don't really need oyster shell right now, but want to be prepared. What grit does everyone use? Quality is just really important to me and since I haven't had as much time to do research since having my third baby, I sort of defaulted to Scratch and Peck.

I use Nutrena naturewise all flock 20% pellet ( i take a rolling pen to it for littles) 23.95 for 40lbs
I have standard chickens ,bantams , chicks etc through almost a year old.. mine free range i put calcium out as well as chick and poultry grit..i go through about 3 bags per month for 30 chickens