Buckeye Chicken Food and Natures Best organic chicken food?????

[steve&kris]

Anyone know anything about the quality of Buckeye brand chx food vs. Dumor.

Anyone know anything about the quality of Natures Best organic chx food?

These are my two non-Dumor options around here. I'd like to use organic, but just don't know much about either (don't think Buckeye has an organic).

My chicks are 10 week old Buff Orps.

Thanks!!!!!

 

[Cindy in PA]

I use Nature's Best Organic & the chickens lay very well. The pellets are a good size & their feed is fresh. I find it lasts about a week longer per 50 lb. bag than many other feeds I've used. I would normally get 4 weeks out of 100 lbs. for my hens & with Nature's Best 100 lbs. lasts 6 weeks. Don't know anything about Buckeye, but I do wish it was available here.

 

[Chris09]

I use Buckeye Feed along with Kent Feed for nearly 20 years and never had a problem with it.
When you ask about there chick feed are you referring to there Miracle Starter-Grower or there Broiler Starter-Finisher?
There Miracle Starter-Grower is a 18% protein feed is a excellent starter for the home flock and or egg production breeds.
It is Non-medicated and has a high levels of minerals, vitamins, added yeast products and it also has a product called Lactobacillus acidophilus and it is said to work the same as feeding yogurt to promote a healthy digestive system.
Now there Broiler Starter-Finisher has much the same ingredients as Miracle Starter-Grower but the Broiler Starter-Finisher is a 21% protein and also contains Lasalocid (Bovatec) for prevention of coccidiosis
I would also recommend there Big 4 product which is much like a "multiflock" feed. To me the Big 4 feed is what Purina is trying to reproduce with there Flock Raiser feed.

Miracle Starter-Grower
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude Protein, min. 18.00%
Lysine, min. 0.85%
Methionine, min 0.35%
Crude Fat, min. 3.50%
Crude Fiber, max. 5.00%
Calcium, min. 0.70%
Calcium, max. 1.20%
Phosphorus, min. 0.60%
Salt, min. 0.30%
Salt, max. 0.80%
INGREDIENTS: Grain Products, Processed Grain By-products, Plant Protein Products,
Porcine Animal Protein Products, Forage Products, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed
tocopherols), DL-Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Manganous
Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Cobalt
Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E
Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K Activity),
Riboflavin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B-12
Supplement, Choline Chloride, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine
Mononitrate, d-Biotin, Ethoxyquin (a preservative), Dried Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Fermentation Solubles, Brewers Dried Yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product,
Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

Broiler Starter-Finisher
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Lasalocid 90.7 g/ton
Crude Protein, min. 21.00%
Lysine, min. 1.10%
Methionine, min 0.49%
Crude Fat, min. 3.50%
Crude Fiber, max. 4.00%
Calcium, min. 0.70%
Calcium, max. 1.20%
Phosphorus, min. 0.60%
Salt, min. 0.20%
Salt, max. 0.70%
INGREDIENTS: Ground Corn, Soybean Meal, Porcine Meat Meal, Wheat Middlings, Corn
Gluten Meal, Alfalfa Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), DL-Methionine,
Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Manganous Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper
Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite,
Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Menadione
Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K Activity), Riboflavin Supplement, d-
Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Choline Chloride,
Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Biotin, Ethoxyquin (a
preservative).

Big 4
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude Protein, min. 20.00%
Lysine, min. 1.10%
Methionine, min 0.39%
Crude Fat, min. 3.50%
Crude Fiber, max. 4.00%
Calcium, min. 0.70%
Calcium, max. 1.20%
Phosphorus, min. 0.65%
Salt, min. 0.10%
Salt, max. 0.60%
INGREDIENTS Ground Corn, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Wheat Middlings, Porcine Meat Meal,
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Lysine, DL-Methionine,
Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Manganous Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate,
Zinc Oxide, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3
Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K
Activity), Riboflavin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Pyridoxine
Hydrochloride, Choline Chloride, d-Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic
Acid, Dried Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation Solubles, Brewers Dried Yeast.

Chris

 

[steve&kris]

Quote:
Thanks Cindy! Where are you in PA? I'm north of pittsburgh and it's available around here.

S

 

[steve&kris]

Quote:
Thanks Chris! I think the big four is the one that my garden center had available, so I'll go buy a bag now and give it a try. I think I'd rather have the miracle starter for my 10 week olds, but it looks like the calcium is the same for both so I don't guess there is a real drawback to using the big four. I'll probably switch on the next bag and try an organic.

 

[Cindy in PA]

steve&kris :

Quote:
Thanks Cindy! Where are you in PA? I'm north of pittsburgh and it's available around here.

S

I'm Northwest of Philadelphia, so we are opposites! I have looked into Buckeye because of it's animal protein & higher protein selections, but the closest source I believe is down in Lebanon or Lancaster County. I do like organic & Nature's Best, but it is real pricey. We mainly can get Purina, Dumor, Agway & Nature's Best here.​

 

[steve&kris]

I just bought the Buckeye Big Four and took some out to the chickens. My concerns on it were that it:
1) is not necessarily just for young birds (mine are 11ish weeks), but the calcium content is the same as in their layer and starter (????), so i figured it wouldn't hurt by developing their pelvic bones too quickly -- I really don't know what I'm talking about here..... just my best guess of purpose and risk from reading on here. and
2) has ground corn as a main ingredient, and from what I read people don't seem to be a fan of corn (body heat issue??)

I don't know too much about the rest.... but the birds LOVED it. They jumped all over it like it was their favorite treat. And, I poured out the entire 50# bag into my cooler that I keep food in, and there was no dust at all. The entire bag was nice big pieces, unlike the Dumor that I had been using which was probably 20% powder junk. I'll see how it does over the next couple days... including poop affect.... but so far I'm impressed. Oh, and 14.59 I think for the bag.

 

[Chris09]

steve&kris :

I just bought the Buckeye Big Four and took some out to the chickens. My concerns on it were that it:
1) is not necessarily just for young birds (mine are 11ish weeks), but the calcium content is the same as in their layer and starter (????), so i figured it wouldn't hurt by developing their pelvic bones too quickly -- I really don't know what I'm talking about here..... just my best guess of purpose and risk from reading on here. and
2) has ground corn as a main ingredient, and from what I read people don't seem to be a fan of corn (body heat issue??)

I don't know too much about the rest.... but the birds LOVED it. They jumped all over it like it was their favorite treat. And, I poured out the entire 50# bag into my cooler that I keep food in, and there was no dust at all. The entire bag was nice big pieces, unlike the Dumor that I had been using which was probably 20% powder junk. I'll see how it does over the next couple days... including poop affect.... but so far I'm impressed. Oh, and 14.59 I think for the bag.

The Calcium isn't to high for chicks you'll be fine.

has ground corn as a main ingredient, and from what I read people don't seem to be a fan of corn (body heat issue??)

Corn will not raise body temperature. Corn is a good sores for Carbohydrates, Fat, Amino Acids etc.

I think that you will be happy and I know that the chickens will be happy with it.

Chris​

 

[shamrockmommy]

I'm about to start feeding buckeye, how is everyone liking it now?

 

[steve&kris]

I've been using it for a couple years, and like it a lot. Its waayyyyyy better than the Purina and Dumor.