danegirl88
In the Brooder
Hey guys!
I got my pullets on a sort of spur-of-the-moment and just picked up a random bag of chicken starter at Tractor Supply. Before I buy my next bag, however, I want to pick the feed that's they're going to be on for the rest of their lives. I had looked up a few "make your own" recipes, but the cost per pound is actually more than getting a bagged feed (plus dubious on getting the right nutrient balance), so I'm back to square one. I would prefer GMO free options, but am not necessarily demanding an organic feed. I do supplement with some kind of treat daily (cantaloupe seeds/melon chunks one day, corn on the cob another, meal worms, blueberries, yogurt, etc., whatever I have in the kitchen that I think they would enjoy). They're not free range as I live in the city, but working on building their new coop and 6x10 run, so they'll have a decent area to peck over and it's in the weedy section of my lawn. Also will probably be growing herbs to toss in at them even during the winter, thanks to my grow bulbs.
I'm somewhat looking at the Scratch and Peck Feed lines ( http://www.scratchandpeck.com/shop/soy-free-layer/# ), as I like the fact that all the grains are whole grains and you can see what you're feeding them. Plus, they have a lot of the cultures and vitamins and minerals already implemented into the feed. Has anyone used them and if so, what are your thoughts? Being the newbie I am, I'm opinion-gathering. What do you feed your chickens, why, and what do you average for egg production monthly?
On the fermenting line, I'm working on fermenting some of their starter crumbles, and they seem to enjoy that. Can you ferment a whole-grain formula? (Totally clueless over here, and not sure it's needed with the cultures and stuff in the line I shared above).
I got my pullets on a sort of spur-of-the-moment and just picked up a random bag of chicken starter at Tractor Supply. Before I buy my next bag, however, I want to pick the feed that's they're going to be on for the rest of their lives. I had looked up a few "make your own" recipes, but the cost per pound is actually more than getting a bagged feed (plus dubious on getting the right nutrient balance), so I'm back to square one. I would prefer GMO free options, but am not necessarily demanding an organic feed. I do supplement with some kind of treat daily (cantaloupe seeds/melon chunks one day, corn on the cob another, meal worms, blueberries, yogurt, etc., whatever I have in the kitchen that I think they would enjoy). They're not free range as I live in the city, but working on building their new coop and 6x10 run, so they'll have a decent area to peck over and it's in the weedy section of my lawn. Also will probably be growing herbs to toss in at them even during the winter, thanks to my grow bulbs.
I'm somewhat looking at the Scratch and Peck Feed lines ( http://www.scratchandpeck.com/shop/soy-free-layer/# ), as I like the fact that all the grains are whole grains and you can see what you're feeding them. Plus, they have a lot of the cultures and vitamins and minerals already implemented into the feed. Has anyone used them and if so, what are your thoughts? Being the newbie I am, I'm opinion-gathering. What do you feed your chickens, why, and what do you average for egg production monthly?
On the fermenting line, I'm working on fermenting some of their starter crumbles, and they seem to enjoy that. Can you ferment a whole-grain formula? (Totally clueless over here, and not sure it's needed with the cultures and stuff in the line I shared above).
