What do you feed your layers?

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

That's great! Yeah I think you're right that the calcium in the oyster shells is the main thing they would not be getting in the starter, and the 20% protein is better for them. I think that's why a lot of people use a 20% all flock. But I'm not sure if there any other reason nutritionally not to keep feeding the chick starter. @U_Stormcrow[/USE
[QUOTE="Chipmunk Chicks, post: 26531399, member: 644418"]
Lmao Right!????

But, but, but.... 😔 No worries, we'll be right here... Waiting...
[/QUOTE]
lmao
R]
[/QUOTE]

 

[Aunt Angus]

I see you attached U-stormcrow to the

waiting patiently, lol

Lmao Right!????

But, but, but.... No worries, we'll be right here... Waiting...

Y'all know that's what the notifications are for. Don't just sit here all day.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Y'all know that's what the notifications are for. Don't just sit here all day.

No, I'll still just be obsessively checking all day for random updates to injured birds, hatches and whatnot lol

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

oh, my, lol. I actually had BYC open on my cell phone & PC at same time. Things got weird, lol. My intended statement, was, if i have a specific, well thought out question, or concern about NUTRITION, I ask U-Storm, and have decided to fully trust that smarty pants.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Y'all know that's what the notifications are for. Don't just sit here all day.

Lol Auntie!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Lol Auntie!

Tee hee! I know what y'all mean, though. I really appreciate @U_Stormcrow's knowledge, too.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You DO realize that my ego DOES NOT need the boost, right???

So, Market Segmentation and Branding.

This is how manufacturers turn one product into many and advertise to the (generally ignorant/easily influenced) in an effort to convince buyers that theirs is the best (or only) product specific to the purchaser's needs.

We here on BYC are better educated than that, or can be. The words used to define segmentation "Layer", "Maintenance", "Starter", "Grower", "Starter/Grower", "All Flock/Flock Raiser", "Super Layer/Feather Fixer" are suggestive, but nothing more than that. If you want a guarantee? Read the nutritional label.

I feed a "Game Bird Grower". It happens to be 24% protein, 1% calcium +/-. I've seen "Game Bird Grower" feeds north of 30% protein! I've also seen "Meat Bird Feed" that looks, nutritionally, much like mine.

"Starter" feed is often medicated (usually Amprolium, in the US), but its certainly not always medicated. Other feeds generally aren't - though the big makers produce medicated versions of some of their other feeds. I've purchased medicated layer before, and even a medicated All Flock!

The important thing is that you first determine what your birds likely need, then go out and find a feed that is A) Fresh, B) at a price you are willing to pay, that C) meets your desired nutritional targets.
There are other market segments which are nutritionally meaningless (with Oregano, Marigolds, Corn free, Soy free, nonGmo, "all natural", Organic, Vegan) that may be valuable to you - they are not valuable to me. Like feeding medicated, that's a very personal and situationally dependent decision I can't and won't make for you. Some of those words are warnings to me - not because they are inherently bad, but because they reduce the number of potential ingredients, which makes production of a nutritionally complete feed that much harder - and because the usual ways of doing so involve trade-offs I generally prefer not to make (i.e. "soy free" usually means higher price, lower methionine, and higher fat. NOT ALWAYS. But often.) Read the label.

tl;dr? It doesn't really matter what its called. What matters is that its fresh, and meets the nutritional needs of your birds at a price you are willing to pay.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

You DO realize that my ego DOES NOT need the boost, right???

So, Market Segmentation and Branding.

This is how manufacturers turn one product into many and advertise to the (generally ignorant/easily influenced) in an effort to convince buyers that theirs is the best (or only) product specific to the purchaser's needs.

We here on BYC are better educated than that, or can be. The words used to define segmentation "Layer", "Maintenance", "Starter", "Grower", "Starter/Grower", "All Flock/Flock Raiser", "Super Layer/Feather Fixer" are suggestive, but nothing more than that. If you want a guarantee? Read the nutritional label.

I feed a "Game Bird Grower". It happens to be 24% protein, 1% calcium +/-. I've seen "Game Bird Grower" feeds north of 30% protein! I've also seen "Meat Bird Feed" that looks, nutritionally, much like mine.

"Starter" feed is often medicated (usually Amprolium, in the US), but its certainly not always medicated. Other feeds generally aren't - though the big makers produce medicated versions of some of their other feeds. I've purchased medicated layer before, and even a medicated All Flock!

The important thing is that you first determine what your birds likely need, then go out and find a feed that is A) Fresh, B) at a price you are willing to pay, that C) meets your desired nutritional targets.
There are other market segments which are nutritionally meaningless (with Oregano, Marigolds, Corn free, Soy free, nonGmo, "all natural", Organic, Vegan) that may be valuable to you - they are not valuable to me. Like feeding medicated, that's a very personal and situationally dependent decision I can't and won't make for you. Some of those words are warnings to me - not because they are inherently bad, but because they reduce the number of potential ingredients, which makes production of a nutritionally complete feed that much harder - and because the usual ways of doing so involve trade-offs I generally prefer not to make (i.e. "soy free" usually means higher price, lower methionine, and higher fat. NOT ALWAYS. But often.) Read the label.

tl;dr? It doesn't really matter what its called. What matters is that its fresh, and meets the nutritional needs of your birds at a price you are willing to pay.

Mic drop.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

oh, my, lol. I actually had BYC open on my cell phone & PC at same time. Things got weird, lol. My intended statement, was, if i have a specific, well thought out question, or concern about NUTRITION, I ask U-Storm, and have decided to fully trust that smarty pants.

I'm just an anonymous voice on the internet, don't trust me so much, I'm perfectly capable of error, and have no real expertise. At best, I approach competence.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I'm just an anonymous voice on the internet, don't trust me so much, I'm perfectly capable of error, and have no real expertise. At best, I approach competence.

ahhh, humble to boot.