What brand of feed are you PNW'ers feeding?

[capow21]

I live in the PNW and I'm looking for a good feed for my layers and one rooster. I read most of the exhaustive "best brand of chicken feed?" thread on here, but most of the suggested brands (Blue Seal, Kent, etc.) aren't available over here.

Right now I'm feeding Alber's All Purpose Poultry & Water Fowl, but it contains soy (which I read is bad?) and I think I can find better.

Here's the nutritional info for Alber's: http://www.albersfeed.com/Poultry/ECMD004550.aspx

I also don't want to feed a Layer specific feed, because the calcium is usually 3+% and my rooster and the hens who are taking a break don't need that much and the others can regulate with Oyster Shell.

From what I've read I don't want to feed Purina, which is available here. Another Brand I can get is Payback and could possibly get them to special order a certain kind if they don't stock it.

Payback's Feed: http://www.paybacknutrition.com/poultry.html

I'd like to stay under $20/bag also. They free-range from about noon to dark and I give them kitchen scraps and BOSS.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I am paying $28 a 40lb bag for Nature Smart Organic Chick Starter. I buy it at one of the local feed stores. It has organic soy in it. I have found that the soy does help a LOT with weight gain and laying.

I'd be sure to include meat scraps or animal protein or organic soy in their feed for health. (Or raw milk if I had a cow LOL.)

Oh and you can see in my siggy that I dilute the feed to save money and give diversity.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

I get 40 lb. Nutrena crumble feed at our local feed store. I would recommend crumble over pellets because there easier for chickens
to eat.

 

[CAjerseychick]

Was on Flockraiser (Purina) crumble alternating with Bar ale Chick starter crumble-- the Bar Ale is a local brand so want to stay with that... Am transitioning to the Bar Ale 20% all purpose poultry pellet for my now laying girls and lone Roo. they range during the day and get plenty of scraps as well-- all strong healthy and laying 7-8 eggs a day since mid Dec (they are young birds) not bad for 10 Jersey Giant Hens....
The Bar ale is def under $20 a 50lb bag (I think $17, I bought a 50Lb bag of 22% gamebird crumble as backup simultaneously, Bar ale brand and I think that was $19)...

 

[missnu01]

The feed I have used and been the most happy with is Big M feeds, or Circle M...they are the same company. Anyway I liked them a lot, but only one feed store here carries it, and I sometimes can't get to that one..they keep strange hours, and are sometimes filled with 1/4 of the town, and they all stare at you like you aren't part of the club, so I try not to go anytime I see they are busy...there is another store right down the road where I won't have to wait 20 minutes while people talk, and they offer to carry my feed to the car...Unlike the other place..bunch of rude rudeness at the one with the good feed...anyway...enough ranting.

 

[capow21]

Thank you all. I do feed crumble, they really like it more than than the pellets I tried. I will look into those brands.

 

[capow21]

chickensaresweet - thanks for your reply. I will look into that feed. Opinions are so back and forth on the soy. I wonder if the others didn't want their hens eating soy for their health or their hens.

missnu01 - Sorry the service is so bad at the good feed store. At our local feed store the men don't let me carry anything out. One of the guys I almost don't care for though, because he seems sexist. He almost treats women like they're extremely weak and don't have the knowledge that men do about animals.

 

[missnu01]

At the nice feed store they are just really nice...when I go in I inevitably have the kids with me and they talk to the kids, and they make sure I can find what I want and they carry it to the car if I need them to...and if we buy drinks the older gentlemen that works there will open all the kids drinks for them, which is great because I only have the 2 hands...Lol. But at the other feed store they don't say hi, or can I help you find anything...they just stare in a very unwelcoming manner...They do have the chicken feed I like though...I have tried tractor supply and hate it...you can get dumor, or dumor...no other choices at our nearest store...and guess what? I don't like Dumor....But yesterday I went to Southern states and was very impressed by their selection and the layout of the store. Really easy to find what I need, and the staff was helpful. I think I will be going there more often. As far as I can tell the local feed stores don't have any feeders or waterers or any accessories at all really, and our nearest tractor supply has mighty slim pickings, but southern states is like chicken heaven right as you walk in the door...