What do you feed your breeding chickens?

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Red Cell as in the horse vitamin.. If so it has lots of iron in it so I would dilute the heck out of it if I would use it...

Too much Iron can wreck a chickens liver..


Chris

I agree with Chris. Red Cell is great stuff, but it should be mixed in their water to look like weak tea. Also, 20% is really high protein already, so Manna Pro and dog/cat food will only boost it farther. Excessive protein will promote a forced moult. Be carefull. I have been successful in my gamefowl breeding for decades feeding Purina Gamebird Blend at 14%. I use it as a maintainance feed also and experience large muscular breasts, bright red combs and lusterous plumage. Healthy chicks and great hatches are also part of it. For this reason, and others, I stay away from protien over 20%. Do whatcha wanna do, just an old mans opinion.........Pop

 

[cpartist]

Quote:
One of the reasons you may have had the soft shelled eggs is that your bird may have not been getting enough Vitamin D (D 3).
Vitamin D3 is needed for proper metabolism of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), and in the formation of normal skeleton, hard beaks and claws, and strong eggshells.
With out the added Vitamin D (D 3) your bird may not have been able to process the extra calcium (Ca) you were giving them by adding the free choice of oyster shell.

Chris

I think that was the point the feed manufacturer was trying to make, that GBB was not formulated for chickens
who have different requirements than game birds. They use nutritionists and experts to come up with their formulations.

Within two weeks after switching to layer, my one girl; who would lay an egg with hard, chalky deposits one day,
and a brittle thin shelled egg the next, was laying normal and more frequent eggs.

I know many feed the GBB and their birds do well on it. Everyone has to figure out what works best for their own flock.

In my case it's Layer, nutritious snacks and free range

.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Two months ago, I switched from regular layer pellets (16% protein) to gamebird/showbird breeder pellets (19% protein). The 2 closest feed stores only carry Manna Pro, so that's what I'm using. I raise only Bantam Cochins. Fertility has always been good, and I've never had problems with egg-shell quality. I switched only because I'm thinking of showing next year, and the switch was recommended by a couple of local showmen. With the switch, I really won't know if the fertility has been affected until next spring, as I am thru hatching for the season. I haven't yet noticed any decline in the egg-shell quality.

These are the main ingredients that Manna Pro lists on the labels. Could someone tell me what some of the equivalent Purina brands show as ingredients? I'm wondering if I need to find other feed stores and switch brands.
Manna Pro Egg Maker Pellets (16% Protein):
1) processed grain by-products
2) grain products
3) plant protein products
4) forage products
5) calcium carbonate (calcium content listed at 3.5% - 4.5%)

Manna Pro Gamebird/Showbird Breeder Pellets (19% Protein):
1) corn
2) corn distillers dried grains with solubles
3) soybean meal
4) wheat mill run
5) cane molasses
6) vegetable oil
7) calcium carbonate (calcium content listed at 2.5% - 3%)

 

[josh44]

I sometimes use game cock conditioner,
its about 18 % protine,
it has

calfmana,
Pigeon corn,
milo,
layer / breeder pellet,
oats, & sunflower seeds, &
Dog food. etc.
it has a little too much ingrediants for me to name off the top of my head.

but works great, I also feed layer crumbles, & allow mine to free range.

 

[Buns]

Quote:
The Red Cell that is designed for Horses is very high in Iron (at 300 mg. of chelated iron per ounce) and would not be the best thing to supplement you birds with.

Now there is a Poultry Cell ( Rooster Booster Poultry Cell) that is good for poultry..

Chris

Since I already have the equine version of Red Cell on hand, I decided to look up the concentration found in the Rooster Booster Poultry Cell so that I could compare and figure out how much I need to dilute the equine product I already have. Here is what I read on the Rooster Booster site regarding the ingredients found in Poultry Cell:

Rooster Booster Poultry Cell


Use Rooster Booster Poultry Cell for Your Champion Birds
Poultry Cell is a liquid bio-available iron-rich, vitamin, mineral, essential amino acid supplement. Formulated in a palatable base that your birds will love! Rooster Booster Poultry Cell is the new standard in blood builders. It provides vitamins A, D, E and essential B-vitamins, along with 400 mg. of bio-available iron and other necessary minerals per fluid ounce. For use as an oral vitamin supplement. Directions for use: (1 to 3 cc) per day. Poultry Cell may be mixed in feed or administered orally with a dose syringe.

Interesting.

 

[speckledhen]

Currently, am trying out the ADM Alliance Fancy Bird Show Pellets, which are 17% protein. Occasionally, they get a spritz from a spray bottle of RedCell mixed with Wheat germ oil on something I give them, like oatmeal, but more oil than Redcell due to the high iron content of that. Also, I add extra virgin olive oil on stuff they eat about once a week to help with circulation. They get some fish protein once a week or so. When many are molting heavily, I may run a bag of 22% layer through them, but don't keep them on that as a regular diet. Basically, I do give them good layer pellets with animal protein and only a few supplemental foods occasionally. Mine get to free range a few times a week. One of the best supplements is AviaCharge 2000, made specifically for birds. I may run some of that through a waterer occasionally or for birds who need some extra help in some way.

Their "scratch" is Knockout Game Bird Feed, an 11 grain mixture with 12% protein content. They love that and I have added a bag of mixed sunflower meats, pistachios, peanuts and pumpkin seed to the bag on occasion, even though it already contains sunflower seeds in the hulls.

 

[cybercat]

Well, earlier this year my favorite feed store closed so I had to search for new feed. Now I free range my birds but in winter they need feed. I look long and hard to find something that was Not Purnina. It turned out ADM is the only feed other than Purnina around here now and for that I have to travel 45 mins. I am feeding ADM Breeder Balancer which is 20%. They say to mix it with scratch but I do not unless it is real cold outside.

Plans are for next year to mix my own and raise mealworms for protien. That will be alot cheaper than buying a already mixed feed.

 

[speckledhen]

Here is the tag for the ADM feed I'm trying, on recommendation from a long time breeder:

 

[Mahonri]

My marans are getting gamebird finisher, mixed in with Egg Maker from Manna Pro.

I've had some great and some not so great test hatches here in the Valley of the Sun. One got 15 of 16 to hatch so you never know.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
Cynthia, may I ask what a bag of this costs down there?