What do i feed SHOW BIRDS!!

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That's a good point. That said, if you were raising beef cattle for twenty years on corn and someone decided they liked grass fed beef better, would you switch the breed of cows or wean your herd of the corn?

I've seen these gorgeous Langshans over the years and it is no wonder they become so popular in Europe all those centuries ago and became the foundation of so many important breeds. If I were raising them, I'd put them on the same ration as the rest of my breeding stock and wouldn't be all that concerned with regionalism unless I were preparing the hen to deposit a whole clutch or if I were feeding chicks.

As for what would I feed chicks? I grind Ultrakibble and mix it into finch seed and grit. The mixture is 75% kibble to 25% finch/budgie seed. I also put out Farmers Helper babycakes every few weeks and an optimal foragecake once the birds are eight or nine weeks old.

Getting back to Langshans. I seem to remember reading that chicks with better air circulation ( that perch above the ground regulalry) tend to have superior air circulation and one consequence is that they develop their organs including their integument faster than those maintained on the ground.

The thing is that you don't want to "perch" large breeds when they are young IF you are going to show them. If you let them roost as chicks they have a tendency to have a dimple in there breast bone ( if the roost is too small) when they get older...

What chick starter are you recommending...


Chris
 
Another issue with large breeds, especially those with long legs, are that if you put the perch too high (maybe 2' off the ground) and they get spooked or leave the perch in a hurry, the legs can dislocate or a tendon can get injured. I've never had it happen, but it's always a concern.

On the beef issue, I would make the decision based on the quality of grass on my pasture land. If it's not sustainable and won't allow me to make a profit on the cattle, to the corn I go. If I get more meat from the corn, I will be feeding corn because that's where I'm looking to make a profit. To my knowledge, weight of the animal is still where the money comes from, so I would feed whatever made my animals grow larger to get more money. If that happened to be corn, so be it.

I believe I may be misunderstanding you on the perch issue. Do you mean raised on flats instead of on the ground, or are you talking about roosting for the night on a perch? If you are talking about flats, the air circulation could simply be that the birds are not exposed to high levels of cocci that could damage their digestive organs. Birds raised on the ground have a continual supply of cocci that are present at all times. You can clean the area, but cocci will still abound. By feeding the medicated starter from the beginning, you can combat the cocci that will build up in the birds' living quarters.

Some have luck raising on flats, I personally prefer the ground method. It's just simpler and the birds seem calmer and have less breast issues. I also then do not have to worry about drafts coming from underneath and chilling the birds.
 
rodriguez,
If you want to see them Langshans grow try this on a couple of them..
After there 3 months old--
Prepare a mixture of 1 qt of finely ground beef liver and mix with 7 qt cold water, stir water and liver mixture until you have it mixed well then use this mixture to make a wet mash with your feed..

Chris
 
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I have heard a lot of good things about Kent feed when it comes to exhibition poultry, whether it is about breeding or showing them. I just can't get it down here in Texas. It must be a northern or northeastern thing.

Bob

Yeah, we stitched from another brand this winter to Kent. I really liked a couple of the Kent products for my horses, and another breeder recommended it highly. The birds look better already. Fertility is good as well.

I've heard good things about Blue Seal, we tried to go to that, but it's only available in the South.
 
Quote:
I have heard a lot of good things about Kent feed when it comes to exhibition poultry, whether it is about breeding or showing them. I just can't get it down here in Texas. It must be a northern or northeastern thing.

Bob

Yeah, we stitched from another brand this winter to Kent. I really liked a couple of the Kent products for my horses, and another breeder recommended it highly. The birds look better already. Fertility is good as well.

I've heard good things about Blue Seal, we tried to go to that, but it's only available in the South.

Nor is it available in Arizona.
 
Couple of years ago on another list someone suggested adding some fish oil to silkie diets to improve feather quality. One lady started giving her birds a can of mackerel daily. When I saw them at a show several months later their feathers were VERY oily--way too oily. I think the mackeral was probably a good idea, but was carried to an extreme--once a week would be better, or only a very small bit per day.
 
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Is it better to feed BOSS as whole seeds or only the hearts? IOW, does the hull add anything?

If I am feeding dark color birds(Red, Black or Buff) I like to feed BOSS whole, If I am feeding light color birds (White or Splash) I feed the hearts.
I have found on some of the lighter color birds will take on a "dirty" color if fed Boss whole. Now colors like Black or Red will darken up some if fed BOSS whole...
Either way it is a good additive to add to your bird feed..

* 15 percent protein
* 28 percent fat
* 25 percent fiber
* Calcium
* B vitamins
* Iron
* Vitamin E
* Potassium
* Selenium
* Zinc

Chris
 
It was some time back I used a feed from Manna Pro that was a mixture of whole and cracked corn, clipped oats, wheat, BOSS and Calf Manna pellet it was a real good feed and I wish I could remember what they called it so that I could see if they still make it...

Chris
 
The outer hull of the BOSS has fiber in there that helps, there may also be some small amount of oil, but I can not attest to that. I know my horse gleans like a new penny about a month after feeding a cup a day to him.

Chris, I'll try that this next breeding season, I know that feeding them that now would only bring in MORE possums...
 

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