Urban chickens. Looking for healthy alternatives/additions to laying pellets in feed stores?
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urban chickens; not far from my new place.
Question by myrmidon: Urban chickens. Looking for healthy alternatives/additions to laying pellets in feed stores?
I’m not too sure about the laying pellets I buy for my much-loved backyard chickens, and I’m trying to cut costs too. I feed mine table scraps, tomatoes, plain spaghetti, oatmeal, collard greens, raisins and grapes, green peppers, strawberries, breads—-whatever I have or can get on sale. Plus worms and crickets and such when I let them roam. BUT I don’t always have this stuff on hand so I’m really looking for a good basic feed or one I can mix myself. I don’t completely trust the chicken feed at my local shop. Any good brands or suggestions on making a feed? Thanks.
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2 Responses to Urban chickens. Looking for healthy alternatives/additions to laying pellets in feed stores?
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Your average layer rations are still the best bet.If you wish to create or make a mix feed it is going to cost you more in the long run.Layers require 16 to 18 percent protein of which 5% needs to be animal protein.They also need 8% fat.Chopped corn and scratch grains can supply most of their needs.Though these lack in calcium and magnesium.They also do not contain any animal proteins.Alfalfa leaves are great for chickens but are extremely high priced.No offense but what you are feeding them is worse then the supposed questionable feed store feed.Especially cooked items being most of the good nutrition is lost.Though chickens are a natural free ranging bird,worms aren’t the best things for them to eat.Worms can transfer many intestine parasites to a chicken.Most feed stores buy standard layer rations in bulk and then simply bag it with their own label.If you have a tractor supply store near you they carry a brand of feed called Dumor it is more expensive then most.Dumor produces high quality clean feeds.Though this brand is pricey it would still be cheaper then trying to mix your own.It is also better to get a crumble feed rather then a pellet.Chickens just seem to prefer it over the pellets.I have used scratch grains in the past and found the chickens will pick out the preferred seeds and leave the rest which is rather wasteful.One thing which you can do is buy a higher protein based layer feed anything 20% or higher then mix it with a low cost grain such as chops.Combine them into a 40/60 mix.40% high protein 60 percent grains.This can help offset some of the cost.
ddstantlerstill
September 28, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Layers pellets are a complete food, and they are designed to keep your chickens healthy. Layers pellets are incredibly cheap – I once worked out it costs me something like 4p/day in layers pellets per hen (and that’s not the cheapest brand either, mine is GM-free, vegetarian society approved etc. etc.) – much cheaper than a cat or dog. You can always switch over to organic pellets, but I have found these to be about 50% more expensive than my brand.
Mixing your own food isn’t actually cheaper, it’s just that some people prefer to regulate exactly what goes into their food, or they have funny ideas about soya.
Feeding them table scraps should be done as a treat, because it will dilute the protein and other nutrient levels that they get from their layers pellets. They need these nutrients at the right percentages to remain at optimum health levels.
Layers pellets, are the cheapest, easiest, healthiest food for your hens.
Have you seen http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum ? Most of us there are just like you – with much loved backyard pet chickens.
Helena
September 28, 2011 at 4:57 pm