What feed?

[CKfarm22]

Hey y’all, i’m planning on switching my laying hens from 16% layer feed to 20%. The only ones i could find at tractor supply are these. What kind of 20% layer feed does people have their hens on?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

The 1st bag doesn't say how much protein is in it in the image. The 2nd is absolutely not layer feed. The 3rd is still just 16%

Honestly you're likely to not find any layer feed more than 16%. If you want higher protien, you'll have to suppliment calcium

 

[DobieLover]

Bag two if they don't offer Flock Raiser or All Flock.
You have to supplement calcium with a container or two of oyster shell. I keep two, one next to the feed trough and one next to the door to their pen where they are always parading by so it's in their face.

 

[NatJ]

Bag 2 is Chick Starter, not layer feed, but it's the only one with 20% protein (I looked up the other two on Purina's website, and they are both 16% protein).

Chick Starter is fine for laying hens, but you need to provide extra calcium (usually oyster shell in a separate dish, so each hens can choose how much to eat. They are usually good about eating the right amount of it.)

Laying hens need more calcium than other chickens laying hens, so layer feed has the extra calcium mixed in because that's convenient for the people, but giving other feed with separate calcium usually works fine too.

So if you want 20% protein, and those are your options, then the chick starter is really the only choice. Just put out the oyster shell too, and your chickens should be fine.

(Edited to fix an error.)

 

[U_Stormcrow]

As others have said, only the second bag is a 20% protein feed, and would need suppliment with free choice oyster shell so that your layers could get adequate calcium in whatever amounts they needed. All Flock/Flock Raiser + free choice oyster shell is the overwhelming recommendation of the avctive posters here for the typical backyard owner with typical feed and management needs - it checks all the boxes with the least fuss, the fewest potential problems, and reasonable expense.

From the brands there, it looks like you are shopping at TSC. Nutrena's Naturewise All Flock and Purina's Flock Raiser tend to have better reputation in the community than the Dumor products, though there is some small increase in price (particularly as the Nutrena is a 40, not 50, pound bag!) Whatever you choose, be sure to look at milling dates. Optimally (and admittedly, somewhat arbitrarily) you want your flock to finish the bag before the feed is three months from its mill date for freshness, as some nutrients degrade with time (and the chances of spoliation or infestation grow). One can never be certain how long the grains sat at the mill before being processed and bagged (particularly in current events), either.

Powdery feed is one of the most common complaints about the Dumor - not crumble, powder - though its a complaint raised against all the feeds from time to time. Handling and storage seems to be the root cause, rather than any particular defect i n manufacture. Easiest way to address it is to serve the feed as a wet mash of oatmeal like consistency. Be wary of feathery mildew growth on the powder, once it falls apart and reveals all that surface area, it seems prone to mildew when the moisture content of the air climbs.

and if you have to sub, a Chick Grower/Starter is often nutritionally very close to an All Flock/Flock Raiser, though often more expensive, for being sold in smaller bags. Shortages being what they are, we've all had to make substitutions from time to time. Be aware that Nutrena also has a "Feather Fixer" - mostly that's advertising, its an 18% protein layer feed, look at the calcium content. If you have molting birds, or evidence of feather picking in your flock, better to stick with the higher protein All Flock/Flock Raiser and free choice oyster than to downgrade to "feather fixer" for the duration.

Hope that helps.

 

[CKfarm22]

As others have said, only the second bag is a 20% protein feed, and would need suppliment with free choice oyster shell so that your layers could get adequate calcium in whatever amounts they needed. All Flock/Flock Raiser + free choice oyster shell is the overwhelming recommendation of the avctive posters here for the typical backyard owner with typical feed and management needs - it checks all the boxes with the least fuss, the fewest potential problems, and reasonable expense.

From the brands there, it looks like you are shopping at TSC. Nutrena's Naturewise All Flock and Purina's Flock Raiser tend to have better reputation in the community than the Dumor products, though there is some small increase in price (particularly as the Nutrena is a 40, not 50, pound bag!) Whatever you choose, be sure to look at milling dates. Optimally (and admittedly, somewhat arbitrarily) you want your flock to finish the bag before the feed is three months from its mill date for freshness, as some nutrients degrade with time (and the chances of spoliation or infestation grow). One can never be certain how long the grains sat at the mill before being processed and bagged (particularly in current events), either.

Powdery feed is one of the most common complaints about the Dumor - not crumble, powder - though its a complaint raised against all the feeds from time to time. Handling and storage seems to be the root cause, rather than any particular defect i n manufacture. Easiest way to address it is to serve the feed as a wet mash of oatmeal like consistency. Be wary of feathery mildew growth on the powder, once it falls apart and reveals all that surface area, it seems prone to mildew when the moisture content of the air climbs.

and if you have to sub, a Chick Grower/Starter is often nutritionally very close to an All Flock/Flock Raiser, though often more expensive, for being sold in smaller bags. Shortages being what they are, we've all had to make substitutions from time to time. Be aware that Nutrena also has a "Feather Fixer" - mostly that's advertising, its an 18% protein layer feed, look at the calcium content. If you have molting birds, or evidence of feather picking in your flock, better to stick with the higher protein All Flock/Flock Raiser and free choice oyster than to downgrade to "feather fixer" for the duration.

Hope that helps.

Can i keep them on the 16% and give them the oyster shells as the “extra calcium”?

 

[DobieLover]

Can i keep them on the 16% and give them the oyster shells as the “extra protein”?

Oyster shell offers 0% protein.
It's a calcium supplement that is REQUIRED for active layers not being fed a layer mix.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Can i keep them on the 16% and give them the oyster shells as the “extra protein”?

Oyster shells is calcium, not protein

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Can i keep them on the 16% and give them the oyster shells as the “extra protein”?

NO. Oyster Shells are Calcium. They contain no protein whartsoever.

Most "All FLock/Flock Raiser/Grower/Starter"-type feeds are relatively high protein, with calcium around 1% - because too much calcium causes a host of trouble for males, for developing chicks of both species, and over the long term for non laying hens, as well as those who are infrequent and/or layers of small eggs. A bird that pops out a small to medium egg every third day has calcium needs nothing like a Comet popping out a large, XL, or Jumbo egg four days out of five, and since chickens can't easily excrete calcium, it builds up in the tissues and organs, causing damage and ultimately may prove fatal - the dosage is the poison.

Protein, otoh, is expensive - which is why you don't usually see high protein amounts in "layer" feeds - they've been engineered to be as cheap as possible to support the needs of commercial layers in commercial conditions with a commercial productive lifespan - which is nothing like the typical backyard flock or management method. "Cheapest" as in the price below which the value of birds and production lost to malnutrition exceeds the savings of cheaper feed. Based on old studies (and leghorns or commercial sex link crosses, mostly), that's around 16% protein, 4% calcium. Our friends across the pond make due on less protein, by supplimenting with certain additional amino acids, artificially produced, such as hydroxyproline, nitroarginine, and methionine sulfoxide.

 

[CKfarm22]

Oyster shells is calcium, not protein

I meant calcium!