Best chicken feed

[Bigdawg90]

Just finished my chicken coop. It’s 8x12 with 9 nesting boxes.

I’ll be going to see a group of 10 black australorps on Sunday. If they look healthy and well kept, that’s what I’ll be starting with. They’re already egg laying.

They’ll be primarily confined to the coop until I’m finished with the fencing around the area they’ll free range. I wanted to start with an organic feed since they’ll be cooped up.

What kinds of organic feed are you using and are there any local producers you recommend? I have several local large feed stores, but would rather go with a small operation.

Kiddos are pretty excited to actually get the chickens. Lol

 

[Oklahomabassin]

If you fish, the chickens love the scraps after cleaning fish.

Edit: You don't have to fish. A fisherman would be glad to share.

 

[cowadle]

no advantage to organic feed really. i have been using purina layer pellets. might want a fan on them if they will be shut up in this heat??? they will most likely molt and quit laying anyway. get a bale of good alfalfa and just let them have a flake every so often as supplement. problem with bagged feed this time of year is unless you buy from a store that has a high turn over? it can be really old feed and spoiled. check the date code on the bag and storage conditions at the store.

i knew some folks once that were so focused on organic that in order to get the feed they wanted had to buy almost a ton to get what they wanted. so they purchased the feed and withing a month it was all spoiled and the chickens stopped eating the feed,quit laying etc etc etc.

 

[Bigdawg90]

Went and picked out our chickens. We got barred rock, Rhode Island Red and black authralorps. Went to pick up 8-10, but ended up coming home with 17 because the kiddos were loving it. Lol.

It’s an 8x12’ coop and they’ll have about .25 acre to roam.

Now my wife is 100% sold on goats. She asked if we can pick them up next weekend.

 

[tynyphil]

Yep. My chickens will eat most anything. Organic garbage disposals. Other than that I feed only Shawnee’s egg layer pellets and scratch. There was some news sometime ago with a problem with some of the national brands feed. Probably not a big deal but I prefer local whenever possible

I also keep at least 1 rooster so I will have fertilized eggs. With the small incubator I have we are chicken sustainable

 

[cowadle]

Yep. My chickens will eat most anything. Organic garbage disposals. Other than that I feed only Shawnee’s egg layer pellets and scratch. There was some news sometime ago with a problem with some of the national brands feed. Probably not a big deal but I prefer local whenever possible

I also keep at least 1 rooster so I will have fertilized eggs. With the small incubator I have we are chicken sustainable

yep fresh is more important than brand. i keep some oyster shell out for them also.

 

[cowadle]

Went and picked out our chickens. We got barred rock, Rhode Island Red and black authralorps. Went to pick up 8-10, but ended up coming home with 17 because the kiddos were loving it. Lol.

It’s an 8x12’ coop and they’ll have about .25 acre to roam.

Now my wife is 100% sold on goats. She asked if we can pick them up next weekend.

that house needs some ventilation in my opinion.

 

[Fade2blue]

You need about 8"-12" of roost bar per bird otherwise some will roost on the floor with all the bird crap.

 

[cowadle]

https://www.bakersauthority.com/collections/powdered-eggs/products/newberg-powdered-eggs-50-lb
what kind of chicken lays powder eggs? i want sum...... wink with eye

 

[HillsideDesolate]

Went and picked out our chickens. We got barred rock, Rhode Island Red and black authralorps. Went to pick up 8-10, but ended up coming home with 17 because the kiddos were loving it. Lol.

It’s an 8x12’ coop and they’ll have about .25 acre to roam.

Now my wife is 100% sold on goats. She asked if we can pick them up next weekend.

Intro to chicken math 101

Chickens are social so you need to have at least 2, now we all know that 2 is one and one is none thereof you need to have 3 chickens to have 1 chicken so 3 = 1 bantams are half chickens therefore 2= 1 and 1x3 = 6 so 6 bantam = 1 chicken

You have 17 chickens so you have almost 6