GAMEFOWL BREEDERS: What's the Best Diet for Gamefowl??

[Gresh]

I trust you will all be patient with me as I ask all these questions. When I finally get started in breeding and/or propagating my breed of choice, I want to make sure I have most--if not all--of my ducks in a row.

This question has to do with diets. I have heard from a number of breeders that it is not good for a game chicken (or any chicken) to have a strictly plant-protein based diet. Games need animal protein in order to achieve the right sizes and the right conformation. The whole "organic" movement is ridiculous in the realm of poultry, so I have been told.

So what I am asking is this: what is the best diet for gamefowl? And I mean any gamefowl--Oriental or European. I have gathered the following suggestions from various sources:

1. Get a chicken feed from your local feedstore that has a high protein percentage (making sure that most of the protein is animal, not plant)
2. Crush some catfood or dogfood and feed it to the birds along with the normal commercial feed.
3. As part of their rations, feed them Purina Mills Game Bird Chow for feather development.

As gamefowl breeders, do you all agree with these suggestions I've received? Do you have any better suggestions? Please keep in mind that I am looking for something that is relatively cheap.

Thanks!

 

[gallorojo]

You will never beat free range to produce healthy birds.

Aside from that obvious statement, you can argue feed forever. Just try things and figure out what works. There are 100 ways to accomplish the same thing.

I use a balanced plant based feed, as a basic ration, but, but, almost all my birds free range. They eat tons of insects and worms that way. I also feed soaked whole oats and sunflower seeds. Maybe I give penned birds for breeding some kale, sardines, and , cooked egg once or twice a week. I don't feed dog or cat food, as we eat our culls, and mine do fine the way I'm doing things.

 

[Sbutcher]

Game fowl breeder in Dillsburg Pa. if you see this contact me at [email protected], Thanks.