Which of these feeds is best?

[Chocobo]

I have two feed stores in my area that sell two different basic feeds. I am new to this so I have no idea which is the "better" brand and can't find any threads using the search feature.
If anyone has experience with either of these or can tell me some good rules of thumb for finding quality feed I would appreciate it.
The first one is a brand called Full O Pep. Here is a link to the nutritional info and ingredients:
http://www.fulopep.com/tags/poultry/20Egg Producer Krums2020.pdf

The second is a brand called Capital Feed but I could only find this very basic website:
http://www.capitalfeed.com/

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ChicKat]

Thanks for bringing this up--- I meant to go to a store today that sells full-o-pep, but ran out of time.

I couldn't get specific information on the other link.... so I cannot compare the two feeds.

Full-o-pep is a company that produces locally, or so I hear. If you are closer to a full-o-pep producer than to Stockton CA, that may help you decide...or vice versa.
I'm very interested in the answers you will get from this... I had some pellets--that the birds just don't like...and that is why I'm in the process of looking for a new brand.

 

[Celtic Chick]

Are those the only 2 feed choices you can find? I don't like either one. The first one has an abyssmally low calcium content, a requirement for healthy, strong egg shells, and the second one has no info at all? Very questionable. Sounds like a company in it for a quick buck & little concern for the animals? But I could be completely wrong there. I have done no investigating into them at all. If those are your only 2 choices, I would definitely look into them more closely.
Do you have laying hens, or chicks? How old your chickens are determines the type of feed you give to them. Chicks have very specific feed requirements. Feeding them adult food will cause all sorts of health problems or even death.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/content/knowhow/chicks/raising_chicks_chicken_feed
On a seperate thread, quite a few chicken owners were having soft shell issues. Upon investigating, I learned that we were all using Layena as our feed. Upon further investigation, I discovered Layena has a lower calcium ratio in its feed than my previous feed that I was using. It really pays to read the labels, I have found. See below:

Layena: Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein (min.) 16.00%, Calcium (Ca) (min.) 3.25%, Calcium (Ca) (max.) 4.25%, Lysine (min.) 0.55%, Methionine (min.), Fat (min.) 2.50%, 0.25%, Fiber (max.) 7.00%, Phosphorus (P) (min.) 0.50%, Vitamin A 3,000 IU/lb, Vitamin E 10.50 IU/lb .

Du-Mor: Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min.) 16.00%, Calcium (Ca) (min.) 3.80%, Calcium (Ca) (max.) 4.80%, Lysine (min.) .70%, Methionine (min.) .35%, Crude Fat (min.) 2.50%, Crude Fiber (max.) 7.00%, Phosphorus (P) (min.) .50%, Salt (NaCl) (min.) .25%, Salt (NaCl) (max.) .75%, Ruminant meat and bone meal free.

Good links to chick care:
http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-care/chapter-4-caring-for-baby-chicks.aspx
http://www.tractorsupply.com/conten.../livestock_care_raising_poultry_expert_advice
http://www.motherearthnews.com/city.../are-you-ready-for-chickens-chickens-101.aspx
http://www.motherearthnews.com/basic-country-skills/get-started-with-chickens.aspx

 

[Chocobo]

Quote:
Those are the non-organic, can't afford actual organic, feed from the two leading Feed Stores in my area. I can try to keep looking for alternatives.
What in your opinion is a good calcium content for layer feed and does it even matter if I'm supplementing with oyster shells?
Is there a brand that is universally thought to be good?
My chicks are only 3 weeks old right now. I'm just trying to plan ahead.

 

[Celtic Chick]

Quote:
Those are the non-organic, can't afford actual organic, feed from the two leading Feed Stores in my area. I can try to keep looking for alternatives.
What in your opinion is a good calcium content for layer feed and does it even matter if I'm supplementing with oyster shells?
Is there a brand that is universally thought to be good?
My chicks are only 3 weeks old right now. I'm just trying to plan ahead.

Everyone you talk to will have a different choice for what they consider to be the best feed on the market. The only way you are going to know what is best for your flock is through trial & error. I have a TSC in town & they only carry the Layena and Dumor brands, so that is the only 2 I have any experience with. Out of the 2, I much prefer the Dumor brand, even though both are made by Purina Mills. I never had any shell problems when the girls were on that feed.
I would go by the guaranteed analysis from the Dumor as a bare minimum requirement for calcium content in any feeds that you are considering. And you should always supplement with oyster shell calcium offered free choice at all times once your girls are of laying age. Just put it in a bowl near their food & they can eat it when they please. You should also always offer grit to them at all times free choice as well, since they need grit to break down & digest their food. That should be started as a chick.
And planning ahead is a very smart, sensible thing to do.

 

[AlienChick]

Thanx for this thread.

I, too, only have Layena and Dumor available and I do buy Dumor.

 

[jtr]

i would try to find some purina or something better i dont like either one either

 

[Chocobo]

It turns out the Capital Feed is actually the Feed Stores own mill.
The store is Callahans http://callahansgeneralstore.com/
They say next time I'm down there they can give me a card with all the nutritional info on it.
What should I be looking for?
Any reason NOT to trust a local mill?

 

[Noymira]

Quote:
I would be more inclined to trust, and patronize, a local mill than not- as long as the nutritional info looks good.

Both the non-organic and organic feeds used in our area are locally produced, so that makes it easy for me.