PoultryTalk.com

Whilst being aware of the can of worms on some other poultry sites, and the on-going arguments between breeders and 'new feeds' etc. Here's a chance to have your say, on what you think about all the different ways, and the new feeds which are coming out for chickens now.
Do you think alot of the new feeds are just a fad?
Do you think the old ways are the best, and breeders could save alot of money by 'making' up their own feed?
Are these home made feeds as good as commercially made ones?
What do you feed your birds? wether they be just garden pets, show birds, or egg layers? Tell us what you think.....

I've always used Smallholder layers pellets for my lot. They do so well on it that I've never tried anything new. I'd be interested in what others feed.

It's Hybrids that require a more nutrient rich diet to ensure their higher output is maintained.

Most commercial feeds are adequate for pure breeds, although look out for budget feeds like BOCM that are considerably cheaper but also contain grit and by volume doesn't give you any cost saving since the grit is heavier! I buy my feed by the tonne and have switched from this feed to Smallholder (and sometimes Marriages) since the BOCM was leaving a lot of dust / waste in the bottom of the feeders.

As long as the birds have sufficient greens or can free range, they should be fit and healthy. Excess vitamins are passed through the body and most feeds contain far more than is recommended for hens which allows for a shelf life (Vitamin content deteriorates with time).

The biggest mistakes are feeding too much corn (a treat that should only be fed at a handful per bird) or too many kitchen scraps (20% max.) Scraps containing salt should not be fed as birds are sensitive to this.

The biggest danger of feeding too many scraps is the risk of making birds fat. Free range birds that are using up more energy tend to cope better in this area though.


Hope this

I quite agree with you Tim, I breed big fluffies for showing, and it's tempting to over-feed them, i generally give mixed corn to put some condition on them before the big shows, but then lean them down again for the breeding season, better still, i feed them all separate to their requirements, if they are showing they get condition mix, if they are breeding they get breeders pellet. Titbits are generally fed very strictly unless it's fresh greens, then they are fed ablib.

JubesX

I feed farmgate layers pellets to the Belgians & Dutch and get super hatch results. However with the serama the normal breeder pellet was ok but I was hatching very few chicks. I have switched to Garvo and am now having double the amount of chicks hatching. Im sure that what you feed the parents who are producing the eggs greatly affects the hatch results. I have also been using farmgate growers which produce reasonably healthy chicks, but once I switched to Gravo I have chicks red in the face and glowing! Its amazing stuff! One thing that is not so great with Garvo is the fact that it is bright green in colour and causes the legs and skin of chicks to become super yellow/green!!! My chicks have high visibility legs!!! LOL!! Im lucky I keep serama where leg colour is of no importance, however hubby keeps Dutch and Belgians and has noted greed tinges in slate and black legs after feeding Gravo!!!!!

Julia x x x

I used Smallholder range but found this becoming very expensive. I changed to Fancy Fowl Breeders/Show pellets and have had good results - this product is marketed by Baileys Horse Feeds. However, I have had problems getting hold of it as my animal feed supplier gets it for me by special order and has just put the price up (although the manufacturers haven't) and although I spend over £125 a month just on this he says Baileys will only deliver FOC a minimum 500 tonnes of their products. So he can only get it regularly in the winter when he buys in the horsey products which means if I run out I'm stuck for supplies.

Julia, Which of the Garvo products do you use for the Serama? My nearest supplier is about 25 miles away!! but I like the sound of the Alfachicken and chick feeds with all the goodies in, but in 4kg bags at £8 plus it works out pretty expensive. I get thru 10-12 bags a month (20kg size)

Forgot to mention - most of the top American Serama breeders use Purina Nutra Blend Green which is actually for racing pigeons. Apparently its a small round pellet which contains everything the birds need. I've searched but it isn't over here yet. I've had a chat with a supplier and sent them the ingredient list etc and they said they would search for something similar, but they've not got back to me yet.
But I'm seriously thinking of getting the ingredients and blending a mix for the Serama.
Whilst on the feeding subject, what waste does everyone get with their pelleted feed. With over 160 Serama the waste is horrendous - I reckon at least half - they throw it everywhere, but show them a bit of corn, mealie worms or sunflower seed and it's gobbled up. I've tried all sorts of feeders but nothing stops the waste. - I nearly cry everytime I empty the droppings trays

The colour of the skin legs from the feed is usually caused by carotene. Natural carotene is used in the Garvo feeds.

You can find carotene in green grass, and maize and is what gives you a lovely yellow yolk and turns the fat / flesh yellow on the 'corn fed' birds you can buy in the supermarkets.

Garvo 703 however is 100% carotene free, designed for White Feathered birds.

I hope this helps. Tim.

Oh and as for waste, I don't get much waste - do your feeders have the little plastic dividers to stop the birds from 'billing out' ?

I would not mix your own feed - it is very easy to get wrong and different harvests can give different protein levels. The mamufacturers test this to give you the right levels.

Thanks for that, Tim. I didn't fancy making up my own. I've spoken to Baileys who market Fancy Fowl Show/Breeder feed and they've now contacted my supplier and, lo and behold, they are now keeping it in stock instead of my having to put a special order in. Baileys had been running a promotion with 50p vouchers in the feed bags which my supplier wouldn't accept, but after the call from Baileys he will now take them (and I've got 18 - £9, that's the price of a bag although the supplier has put the price up from £8.65!!)
Its the Serama who waste the most - they use their beaks to flick the pellets out even when the feeders have an anti scratch ring on. So now instead of filling the feeders right up I put small amounts in and feed 3 times a day, only trouble is with 160 Serama in 40 breeder cages it all takes extra time.

Depending on what time of year it is, I think that each type of bird requires different feed! for instance, its breeding season and you are gunna breed lets say a Belgain bearded mille fleur D'uccle breeding pellets, but what about the others and does it contain everything you need? I suppose that there are to many new feeds out, but everybody has their oppinions on what they want to feed their brood! Some like to spoil their brood and some just like to build them up for show, while some are all of the above! If you feed your brood one type of feed does it have everything you need, for instance what one bird is getting enough of another might be lacking. i personally like to mix it up give them a variation, but make sure that they are all getting what they need to be healthy and happy!