What brand of feed do you give your chickens?

[buck-wild-chick]

I always buy

2 bags of 50 #purina layer pellets
3 bags of 50# purina scratch
1 bag of 25# purina chick starter

 

[notsooldmcdonald]

Quote:
But are chickens ruminants? I thought only mammals with multiple stomachs were ruminants. Is this data appropriate to apply to poultry?
-C

 

[chickenzoo]

I use my local mill were I can get layer for $15-17 for 100#bag, more you buy the better price you get, normally buy 10 bags. I use Southern States starter because it has small bits that are easy for the seramas to eat. I also add Flock Raiser, and some bird seed. Most free range and also eat the sweet feed the horses drop.

 

[SarahBeth9394]

May I add to the question please? Could you also add how many chickens you have and how long the feed lasts you? As well as how often you give treats? I'm looking to build a coop in say Feb. But I do want to go into this with eyes wide open as to the expense.

 

[RW19290]

Quote:
I have 25 chicks. I give them treats about once every 3 days.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I currently have 18 girls with 24 more on the way. I go through about 50#'s per 6 weeks. I keep 2 feeders full, available to my birds 24/7. My birds do free range. There isn't probably too much for them right now this time of the year as far as the free ranging as I see them in the coops more right now in their feeders. I give treats every morning. I work the graveyard shift. When my girls see me drive up in the morning they come running and squawking like they're telling me "ok now it's treat time". When they were younger, I gave them treats at night in their coop to encourage them to go in at night as they weren’t so keen to go into the coop, so I had to put them in every night until I started the treats in the coop. Now they go in like clockwork every evening a little before dark. I do keep a small red light on in their coop 24/7.

When you get ready to build your coop check out the BYC coop page. It's great with alot of great ideas.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html

 

[farmgirlie1031]

I buy Kent but it is pretty expensive so I have switched to a local Amish owned feed store where they grind their own grain. I still start the chicks on Kent medicated starter to get them off to a good start. We have about 40 chickens at the moment and at $18 a bag for Kent it only lasted a week.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I give my chicks Purina Start and Grow, medicated. The girls get agway layer, purina layena, or dumor layer. They also get some corn and wheat.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Purina Start & Grow and Purina Flockraiser

Ditto​

 

[jonny_v]

Hi All,

I wish I would have found BYC sooner! I did not want to start a new thread, and I hope this is relevant to the topic.

We are feeding our hens Agway layer crumbles, reading the posts made me look into the label which says:


“Feed as the sole ration starting at 18 weeks of age.

If desired, grit can be fed free choice. Do not feed any scratch grain with this feed.
Provide adequate feeder space and plenty of fresh, clean water at all times”


We have been giving scratch as a treat in the run, was this wrong? Why would it say that? And what problem could result?

The 6 ladies seem just fine. We got them at 18 weeks, they turned 21 weeks last Saturday, and we have gotten 5 eggs since Saturday morning. They were on the small side, but perfect shape, color, shell strength, and tasty! Any advice on why they can’t have scratch is appreciated. Thanks for reading my first post!