What should I try to avoid?

[igorsMistress]

I feel it's fine in moderation. But some people seem to think that a cup or two a day for a tiny backyard flock is just fine, so the birds aren't getting a balanced diet like they should be eating.

That's what I saw my friend do when I was at her place. 2 cups for 6 chickens! They were thin, and sneezy...

 

[123RedBeard]

What are some of the things that I should try to avoid when purchasing chicken feed or scratch?
What name will antibiotics be under?
Anything else?

OK, here is the famous "it depends" answer ...

Depends on many things ...

1. Age?

2. Layers or meaties?

3. Are they confined 100% of time?
3a. If yes, is it a tiny dirt only run?
3b. Or an acre? (For four chickens)

4. Are they allowed "free range"?
4a. If yes, how long?
4b. How big an area?
4c. How diverse of forage available?

5. Are you trying to market their eggs or meat to a particular group of people?

You probably get the idea ... but I'll add ... avoid - licorice, chocolate covered mints, and lollipops!


Probably should add expresso too!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Is flock raiser also good for broilers?

I personally don't use medicated feed for any age of my birds and feel that not over crowding and keeping conditions dry with waters poo free is sufficient majority of the time. Medicated is fine if that's what you choose.

All the feed names are confusing terms and different brands use different words that all mean the same basic thing. The MAIN difference in ANY of them is protein and calcium regardless of what they call it.

Flock raiser is fine for broilers. Starter would be better because it has more protein in theory.. the mana pro is only 18% while others are about 22%. I noticed the "broiler feed" I used several years back was 25% protein. Seems like they have backed that way down now which I believe is to help combat the extreme growth that causes so much leg problems. To be honest... I start some of my chick (all breeds.. dual purpose, layers, bantams) on 30% protein turkey starter! or 28% gamebird starter... or even mix them down to where I want to be. I breed and hatch.. and in studies 22% protein was shown to give the best hatch rate and vitality.. which to me says more nutrients going into my family. But not all proteins are created equal. For example.. chickens NEED some amino acids that can ONLY be derived from animal sources. The vegetarian feeds so many of us use have these added in.

For broilers.. I would be comfortable between 20-25% protein with about 1% calcium... lower protein if I wanted slower growth. But yes... even if I was feeding the same food would still house separately... though I have considered attempting to raise some with a broody.

 

[Shadrach]

A couple of things.
What you feed and what you can control depends on how you keep your chickens.
If you free range then obviously your chickens are going to eat a lot of other things that may account for all, or differing proportions of their diet.
So, for chickens confined to a coop and run the recommendations for feed around 18% protein and 1% calcium will be fine but a source of calcium made available in a separate container is advisable for laying hens. In theory at least, if you have chicks, cockerels and non laying or infrequent laying hens, they wont eat the extra calcium.

If you free range, even if it’s only for a few hours a day this ideal feed concept falls apart.
I’ve found the easiest way to ensure the chickens here who free range get to eat a larger proportion of feed than forage is to feed them with a 20% protein, 1% calcium feed in the morning. I make a mash by adding enough water so the small particles get taken up and not just the bits they like.
I don’t leave feed down, everything else that ‘free ranges’, free loads on the commercial feed, rats and wild birds in particular.
I feed them again mid afternoon; same routine, I don’t leave the food down.
In the evening I put the commercial feed down for them again but I feed them their treat food at this time.
Treat food; it could be lots of things but chickens are omnivorous so I tend to give them a small quantity of fish or meat in the evenings. They probably don’t need it because they will have eaten bugs, worms etc when foraging during the day.
If your chickens are confined in a run, I think giving them some fish or meat just before roosting time will not only give them a better balanced diet but will also give you a way of encouraging your chickens to be by their coops at roost time and not trying to climb trees or reach the highest spots they can in the run if there are any.
Yes, it’s a bit of trouble, but not as much trouble as having chickens with nutrition problems.
So, the chickens here don’t get scratch and treat food is at least nutritious.

 

[SueT]

Avoid feed that is old, get the freshest possible as it is perishable. Someone already mentioned ideally less than 6 weeks old, I have had to take some that is 2 months old . All brands have the date somewhere on the bag or attached to it. Purina puts it on the white sew-on tape at bottom of bag.
Purina puts the year first. So the 9 is for 2019 in this case. This was bagged last month, on Jan 15th. The SGF stands for Springfield, where this bag was produced. They have several mills. You will see different codes for different locations.

Here is a tag from scratch feed made by Country Lane, also made last month. They sew a paper tag on the bottom of bag, with the date written on it, day first, month, then year.
Some companies print it right on the bag. If you have any questions, call the manufacturer. I have seen bags on the shelf that are 2 years old! Do not buy those!

My chickens only get scratch feed at the end of day after they have eaten their regular feed.
Too many treats (like scratch) dilute the nutrition needed for egg production.

 

[Tinkey71]

I’m lucky to live close to an actual feed store ( I live in a farming community) I pay less than half for their feed that has almost the exact same ingredients as commercial feed. Sometimes these places aren’t obvious , google feed store and see if any are near, people here drive from a ways to go there

 

[LulaBell]

In the winter I feed a meat bird feed that his higher protein. When spring comes and there is more to forage I will switch back to a regular layer feed. I give scratch, but only as a treat. Not a part of their regular diet.

 

[JenniferKrull]

Why do people think scratch is bad? If use sparingly, it's great for them..... I sometimes mix them with regular feed and they love it.

I use scratch as a treat. I let my chickens out to free range for a few hours during the day, and a handful of scratch gets them running back to the enclosed run when I want to put them away. I save the scratch for the late afternoon after they've had plenty of time to eat the layer feed and peck the ground.

 

[Chickenheadmate]

I use scratch as a treat. I let my chickens out to free range for a few hours during the day, and a handful of scratch gets them running back to the enclosed run when I want to put them away. I save the scratch for the late afternoon after they've had plenty of time to eat the layer feed and peck the ground.

Good idea.

 

[FiddleChics]

Good idea.

Exactly... I put a little bit of scratch in a coffee can - & at the end of the day - as I'm walking out to the coop - I shake the can... and they come RUNNING as fast as they can! Makes me happy... & makes THEM happy - and it's a nice ending to the day!