What is game bird feed?

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Totally disagree. Since I have quail I buy game bird feed and the ducks and quail both get the game bird feed. No instances of angel wing through 3 generations and counting, better feathering, larger size, and better meat from the game bird fed ducks. A friend and I just recently butchered a whole bunch of drakes, some from my birds and some from a friend who fed flock raiser. My birds were consistently larger, stronger, had better feather development, and richer meat. I will continue to use game bird feed with no reservation.

what is the difference in price, my feed store will order it but they don't carry it? in Fr pellets and Purina Game bird feed?

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
Southern states has a pelleted maintenance game bird food it is only 12% protein however if you have really mild winters it might be alright , but if you have any kind of winter they will starve to death eating it

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Yes, that is how we feed it. I will add game bird when molting is happening. Like right now the calls and mandarin ducks are feathering back in as are the Sebastopol geese. So they all get a small amount of game bird to help the feathers come back in quicker and in good shape.

I use an empty coffee can as my scoop, it is a can rated at 1lb 15 oz, I scoop twice from the all flock, and add half game bird and half scratch. Mix it in the bucket and then feed all of the breeding pens and flight pen. The call ducks so far don't like the oats so they don't get them mixed in.

Then I refill the bucket with two scoops all flock, half oats, and half BOSS. This blend feeds the geese and large fowl ducks. About once a week right now I add half a scoop of game bird.

Everyone has access to grit and oyster shell. Everyone free ranges daily except the Calls and Mandarin ducks. We give chopped dark greens, fresh fruits a few times a week to those in pens. Everyone who free ranges get treats at least once a week.

Peas are freely given bribes to all.

Shellie

PS
The peafowl and chickens all like the all flock too, nice small pellet.

Quote:
So is this the Nutrena All Flock and can it be fed to ALL ages (babies 7 weeks old to adults)? That's not bad at all. So only about a couple of months of Starter feed for the babies then on the the All Flock. I will have to find if anyone feeds it in my area.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/6612_all_flock.jpg

 

[zchryjmsbnntt]

Game bird feed is too high protein for ducks.  I use it to start ducklings for the first 2 weeks.  After that, they don't get any more.

So I know this from like 5 years ago BUT I was just curious, what do you give your ducklings after the first two weeks?

I will be getting my first ducklings in a couple weeks and am attempting to get everything prepared. I just bought a small 5-pound bag of gamebird feed which, based on my calculations, should get me through first two weeks. After that, they will be switched to something else. Was curious what you do after those initial weeks?

 

[TLWR]

game bird feed is really too high in protein for ducklings.
I'd look for a flock raiser (Purina makes one) and you can use that from the time you get them until the point of lay.

 

[zchryjmsbnntt]

game bird feed is really too high in protein for ducklings.
I'd look for a flock raiser (Purina makes one) and you can use that from the time you get them until the point of lay.

Hmm. Well now I'm confused lol. The gamebird feed I bought has a 21% protein. From what I've read ducklings need 20% for the first two weeks. Then 18% from weeks 3-5. Then 16% from 6+

The purina flock raiser has a 20% protein level and they should be eating that from 1-18 weeks of age (based on their website)?

I might be reading TOO much into this. But these will be my first ducklings so I'm just trying to do things "right"

 

[TLWR]

If it is only 21%, that should be fine. The gamebird feed I've seen is 30%.

 

[zchryjmsbnntt]

If it is only 21%, that should be fine. The gamebird feed I've seen is 30%.

Oh no i wouldn't have bought it lol. Being my first ducklings, I read, reread, analyzed, and broke down every label in the feed store. They come in two weeks so in just getting prepared.

Just curious, do you feed your ducks the flock raiser?

 

[TLWR]

I used Purina flock raiser for my ducklings, then went to layer when they started to lay. Then back to grower when I added more ducklings once they were all eating from the same place, then back to layer. Then I added chickens and used chick starter for them, then back to flock raiser when integrating and layer when laying.

We are now back to flock raiser since I have 12 week old chicks out there and then 1 month old ones that will be in the pen in a while as well.

I just wish somebody would make a flock raiser pellet instead of crumble.

 

[zchryjmsbnntt]

I used Purina flock raiser for my ducklings, then went to layer when they started to lay. Then back to grower when I added more ducklings once they were all eating from the same place, then back to layer. Then I added chickens and used chick starter for them, then back to flock raiser when integrating and layer when laying.

We are now back to flock raiser since I have 12 week old chicks out there and then 1 month old ones that will be in the pen in a while as well.

I just wish somebody would make a flock raiser pellet instead of crumble.

According to my online research, nutrients makes an all flock that in pellet form. I'm going to call my feed store tomorrow and see if this is something they can order. The gamebird feed I bought was nutrena so I'm sure they can.

http://m.nutrenaworld.com/products/poultry/country-feeds-poultry/country-feeds-all-flock/index.jsp