What To Feed Male Chickens?

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for you're reply!

I think i'll try this out. Unfortunately I can't seem to find ''All Flock Feed'' or ''Raiser Feed'' online anywhere in the UK. I'm going to go to the local Animal Feed shop and find out if they do anything like that. Otherwise I'll try and get these guy's off the Scratch nice and slowly.

Keep us posted

 

[Cryss]

Oooh he's a spoiled boy!
Yes corn is like chocolate to chickens. Give as a treat once they are all eating healthy. Layer feed is for female flocks only that have reached laying age, not for chicks, pullets, or males. When you have mixed gender and/or age flocks they make flock raiser mixes. The calcium in layer feed can damage the livers of males and immature chickens. Calcium is necessary for egg shells so simply provide free choice containers of oyster shell also available at feed stores.

 

[aart]

Read the fine print.....protein and calcium percentages should be on a tag attached to feed bag.

 

[so lucky]

Interesting that the need for calcium is so strong in layers that they will choose layer food over corn/scratch (Chicken candy). And the roo recognizes that he doesn't need the calcium, so he feels great about eating the corn/scratch.
Too bad humans aren't as in-tune with our body's needs.

 

[doublecrossranch]

I have 9 pullets and 1 roo 6 months old, and 10 (crossing my fingers) pullets 4 & 5 weeks old. Is it ok to feed them all All Flock if my store doesn’t have Grower? Can chicks at 4 weeks have all flock or raiser?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have 9 pullets and 1 roo 6 months old, and 10 (crossing my fingers) pullets 4 & 5 weeks old. Is it ok to feed them all All Flock if my store doesn’t have Grower? Can chicks at 4 weeks have all flock or raiser?

All flock or Flock Raiser is fine to feed all age groups. That's all I use.

 

[doublecrossranch]

All flock or Flock Raiser is fine to feed all age groups. That's all I use.

I just realized I’m a crappy chicken mom. I have been feeding my poor roo layer feed mixed with the leftover turkey feed from my ducks that I had to give away.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I just realized I’m a crappy chicken mom. I have been feeding my poor roo layer feed mixed with the leftover turkey feed from my ducks that I had to give away.

Why would that make you a crappy chicken mom?
Plenty of folks feed their roosters layer feed with no problems.
Feed is sort of one of those "personal choice" things. Personally, I prefer using a Flock Raiser or All flock type feed, I don't have to switch feeds if I have youngsters. I like the higher protein% and I like things "easy"

 

[aart]

I just realized I’m a crappy chicken mom. I have been feeding my poor roo layer feed mixed with the leftover turkey feed from my ducks that I had to give away.

He'll be fine.....short term there's likely no consequences.

 

[Zach123]

I had the same problem. I bought them some scratch grains as treat and it didn’t take long for them to start ignoring their regular feed. After a purple weeks I quit buying it and now I “trick” them into thinking they are getting treats by throwing a few handfuls of their regular feed out on the ground.

The TSC by my house doesn’t sell flock raiser and Murdoch’s has it only intermittently and it’s noticeably further away. I fill one feeder with “meat bird” (which does double duty as food for the ducks) and another feeder with “layer.” They like the meat bird better.