Chick crumbles not ok for adult chickens?

[MROO]

I have mostly bantams, so my flock gets mini pellets and small grains. Only my broodies get chick starter. Chick crumbles are very small and scratching breaks the pieces down even further. Any feed that ends up on the ground is pretty much lost forever, either as dust on the coop floor or compost in the dirt run. So, my problem with chick starter isn't the content, it's the waste.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I have mostly bantams, so my flock gets mini pellets and small grains. Only my broodies get chick starter. Chick crumbles are very small and scratching breaks the pieces down even further. Any feed that ends up on the ground is pretty much lost forever, either as dust on the coop floor or compost in the dirt run. So, my problem with chick starter isn't the content, it's the waste.

What kind of feeder do you have? I had this problem with dry crumble as well until I switched feeders. I still ended up with a lot of dust in the bottom but wetting it down and feeding it in a bowl disappeared it pretty fast.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I’ve actually noticed their “molts” are barely an interruption in their egg laying or day to day.

Exactly! Molts this year lasted days, not weeks, except in the case of one older hen who had a very hard molt, but even she was done in a couple of weeks.

 

[Bawkbok]

We feed 20% all flock (different ages) and everyone is thriving. Our oldest BO (barely adult at 14 months) cranks out consistently perfect eggs for 12-14 days consecutively before taking a day off and then starts the cycle all over again. I don't necessarily attribute this to the feed; it could just be we have an exceptionally fabulous hen. We also spend extra on Kalmbach non GMO, only due to my dietary constraints. My thinking is if it's not broken, don't fix it. Do what is working for your flock.

 

[5.3acredream]

I've always used feed that has 18-20% protein and provided supplemental calcium for laying hens since I used to have a rooster and they can't do the calcium. I am not sure why they would tell you to avoid feeding adult birds chick feed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

As you can see this is a hot topic on here with different opinions. But we are probably closer in this topic than many others.

If you look at the analysis you will get minor differences in the various nutrients of the feeds (fiber, salt, vitamins, amino acids, etc.) except for protein and calcium. In my opinion those other nutrients are close enough that it doesn't matter which feed you use. Protein and calcium do matter.

Many people on this forum like to feed a high protein feed. High protein being around 20% for these purposes. Some like it even higher. There have been studies that show very high protein levels (in the range of 30%) can cause gout. I'm not aware of any studies that show other problems occur with levels lower than that. That doesn't mean there aren't any, I just don't know of any.

I'm generally happy for my goals with a 16% protein feed. The chickens are healthy, lay plenty of eggs, and act like chickens. Some people consider I abuse my chickens by not feeding them a higher protein feed. I still sleep well at night.

No calcium supplements needed, if you are using either of those products.

If this feed is all that your hens ever eat that should provide enough calcium for their eggshells. If they eat many low-calcium treats or if they forage for a reasonable portion of their daily diet they may not get enough calcium from the feed. Offering oyster shell on the side gives them the ability to get extra calcium if they need it.

For non-laying adults (e.g., roosters or retired hens), it’s less critical, but layer feed is still better balanced.

I have a problem with this. There have been studies that show that eating extra calcium of the levels in Layer feed can have a long term detrimental effect on roosters. This does not happen with one bite, it takes a consumption of extra calcium over time for the effect to show itself but it can happen.

There have been studies that show the level of calcium in Layer can have a detrimental effect on growing chicks. In these studies they cut the roosters or chicks open to evaluate the effects. They do not depend on the chicken dying to determine if it has an effect, they cut them open and look. This seldom actually kills them, but it may make them less thrifty or may weaken them so they are more likely to die from other causes. Say you lose some to an unusually hot spell. The ones weakened like this are more likely to die.

Am I’m feeding too high of a protein content to my adult hens?

I do not think so at all. While I'm happy with a lower protein, 20% protein is not a problem.

 

[saysfaa]

... for ducklings...

Don't ducklings need higher niacin?

 

[ForFlocksSake]

Don't ducklings need higher niacin?

I think you can supplement with brewers yeast. I’m leaning towards keeping the two flocks separate though so may just stick with a waterfowl feed for them.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

As you can see this is a hot topic on here with different opinions. But we are probably closer in this topic than many others.

If you look at the analysis you will get minor differences in the various nutrients of the feeds (fiber, salt, vitamins, amino acids, etc.) except for protein and calcium. In my opinion those other nutrients are close enough that it doesn't matter which feed you use. Protein and calcium do matter.

Many people on this forum like to feed a high protein feed. High protein being around 20% for these purposes. Some like it even higher. There have been studies that show very high protein levels (in the range of 30%) can cause gout. I'm not aware of any studies that show other problems occur with levels lower than that. That doesn't mean there aren't any, I just don't know of any.

I'm generally happy for my goals with a 16% protein feed. The chickens are healthy, lay plenty of eggs, and act like chickens. Some people consider I abuse my chickens by not feeding them a higher protein feed. I still sleep well at night.


If this feed is all that your hens ever eat that should provide enough calcium for their eggshells. If they eat many low-calcium treats or if they forage for a reasonable portion of their daily diet they may not get enough calcium from the feed. Offering oyster shell on the side gives them the ability to get extra calcium if they need it.


I have a problem with this. There have been studies that show that eating extra calcium of the levels in Layer feed can have a long term detrimental effect on roosters. This does not happen with one bite, it takes a consumption of extra calcium over time for the effect to show itself but it can happen.

There have been studies that show the level of calcium in Layer can have a detrimental effect on growing chicks. In these studies they cut the roosters or chicks open to evaluate the effects. They do not depend on the chicken dying to determine if it has an effect, they cut them open and look. This seldom actually kills them, but it may make them less thrifty or may weaken them so they are more likely to die from other causes. Say you lose some to an unusually hot spell. The ones weakened like this are more likely to die.


I do not think so at all. While I'm happy with a lower protein, 20% protein is not a problem.

Always appreciate your detailed responses to my posts!

 

[MROO]

What kind of feeder do you have? I had this problem with dry crumble as well until I switched feeders. I still ended up with a lot of dust in the bottom but wetting it down and feeding it in a bowl disappeared it pretty fast.

I have a Little Giant, and I'm actually pretty happy with it. I've been all over the place looking for the right "fit" and this one works well for my flock. It's big enough to hold an entire bag of feed, even with a significant amount remaining from the previous fill, so I no longer have to keep a large storage can in the coop. The feeder section is large enough to accommodate a half-dozen bantams at once without allowing them to hop in and scratch feed all over the floor/ground. This has cut my feed bill down significantly. I was buying three bags of feed every two weeks. Now I buy two every three!