What do you feed your birds used for breeding?

[DFCottage]

This is a transitional year for me: I'm raising up chicks of the breeds I've really wanted to concentrate on for years, slowly filtering out my mixed layers, and hope to be raising up some really nice birds to work on type and quality. I've got a lot invested in this program so far and I want to do the best I can, so I'm curious: what is your preference for feeding your breeders? I noticed Blue Seal now carries a feed specifically for breeding birds, but do you feed a regular layer crumble pellet? Get a custom mixed feed? Add supplements?


Thanks for any input!

 

[Arielle]

Thanks OP for asking this! I have meant to--I do think breeders can benefit from an increased plane of nutrition, just haven't been able to find the specifics.

 

[Chris09]

I feed a mix of Buckeye Nutrition's Layer/ Breeder, Big 4 and a Pigeon Grain. It comes out to being about a 18 - 20% protein.
http://www.buckeyenutrition.com/media/137689/18_pct_layer breeder pellets.pdf
http://www.buckeyenutrition.com/media/137494/big 4 pellets.pdf

Chris

 

[chikincrazee]

Hi I breed silkies/nankins and ameraucanas and have found the best hatchability with a mix of 50 pounds of 16% layer crumbles with 50 pounds of Kent Poultry Home Fresh which is 27%...it gives me 21.5% in protein...also make sure you have some type of animal protein ..Kent has fish meal and the US layer has porcine....I also add wheat germ oil, red cell and a little kelp. The birds also get some scratch I mix and hand feed to them...rolled oats/rolled barley/milo/wheat and calf manna and when i can get them sunflower chips..girls also get free choice oyster shell and grit.

 

[wren]

Kent multiflock mini pellets.