[ChickenLiver George]

Can someone point me to a thread on layers pellets please?


We're struggling to feed quality feed at an affordable cost. The last sacks picked up from our merchant were the last straw - GM soya plus yolk colour enhancer.


If there's no thread on this I would welcome recommendations. I want to feed our girls as natural a diet as possible.


Thanks
Simon

[AndynJ]

Daft question if you want to feed natural then why bother with layers why not feed naturally once set up it's easy enough, I feed a mix of layers and other 70%-30% for my hybrids and 25% - 75% for my rare breeds
I use wheat, sprouted wheat, mussels, sugarbeet, dandelion tops (I use the root for coffee), spinach and some greens, sprouted wheat being the largest component.

[chrismahon]

Hi Simon. We, like you, read the ingredients on the label and wondered what on earth we were eating. Settled on Smallholder layers pellets but 'Garvo' and 'Dobson and Horrell' do similar. No GM and no 'yolk enhancers' -the permitted chemical colourants to give yellow yolks if anyone doesn't know.


There is always the question of the effect these chemicals have on hatching eggs to consider?

[FiB]

I don't use layers any more just a mix of wheat, cracked corn and barley 2:1:1.  They have been on this a year now and doing great. Castle farm recipe. Also mic in cod liver oil and garlic in winter, and sometimes dried nettle.

[Castle Farm]

There are more chickens killed each year by feeding layers pellets than are killed by foxes.


Feed straights and green feed.

[HesterF]

Presumably this is if they have a good amount of free ranging too? Otherwise where are they getting their protein from? I use Marriages Organic which is expensive (hence unable to break even on eggs sales) and I think does contain some natural yolk enhancer but no GM.

[FiB]

Yes mine do totally free range... ( and that does include moping up on sheep nuts if they can geta look in...... So I can't claim mine eat nothing but straights..... )

[Stereo]

We feed A+P Smallholders but often wonder about it. I wouldn't use the dreadful cheap stuff which is usually medicated to the hilt. Our birds are in poultry nets on fresh grass and they do eat a lot of grass if it's there. I just worry about them missing something important without layers. Is this not the case?

[landroverroy]

There are more chickens killed each year by feeding layers pellets than are killed by foxes.

In what way??

[fifixx]

I feed the (expensive) organic feed but charge £1.75 for a box of eggs and no-one minds as they are so good!  I am organically certified and put all the relevant info on the label.  If anyone ever says anything, I point out the cost of  organic eggs in the supermarket!

[twizzel]

I just use our feed merchant's own brand, the eggs are good and the hens look well. The only exception being when I worm them I use mirrages with flubenvet. All our stock feed (calf nuts/rearer mix, lamb creep and chicken feed) comes from this feed merchants and never had any issues. I won't pay stupid money for a bag of pellets it's just not cost effective and definitely don't use organic.

[Castle Farm]

There are more chickens killed each year by feeding layers pellets than are killed by foxes.

In what way??

The amount of calcium in layers is usually around 4%. That's about right for large fowl in full lay, but given to bantams and birds that are not using that amount of Calcium, any excess is taken up by the liver and kidneys and will cause problems and will kill them.
Besides which what 'additives' or feed quality goes into pellets and mash. Once it takes the shape of a pellet heaven knows what has been put in it.


I have fed my birds a grain diet for many years and I think they all look very well on it. They lay, hatch and fatten without any processed feed. I like to know when I eat an egg or chicken what the bird has been eating.

[harefarm]

I use Duffields Layers pellets for all my birds and have done for years. That includes my bantams (one of which will be 4 this year) but they are very good layers (when not broody). I have never had a problem.

I have tried different feed but found that I had problems with health and egg shells. I always came back to Duffields.

[Ryder]

There are more chickens killed each year by feeding layers pellets than are killed by foxes.

In what way??

The amount of calcium in layers is usually around 4%. That's about right for large fowl in full lay, but given to bantams and birds that are not using that amount of Calcium, any excess is taken up by the liver and kidneys and will cause problems and will kill them.
Besides which what 'additives' or feed quality goes into pellets and mash. Once it takes the shape of a pellet heaven knows what has been put in it.


I have fed my birds a grain diet for many years and I think they all look very well on it. They lay, hatch and fatten without any processed feed. I like to know when I eat an egg or chicken what the bird has been eating.

I would love to go on an all natural diet and have looked into it somewhat but have always been put off because the  cost of getting enough protein into the diet usually makes it more expensive than I'd like (by feeding them grains and greens I'm not worried about them not getting any other nutrients or minerals, just the protein).  So, if you feed them wheat, cracked corn, barley and some greens, where do they get their required protein from?  Or is the 16 or 17% recommended for layers not a real necessity?

[FiB]

That's where the free ranging comes in - they find their own protein as the were designed to do   They are ferocious little diggers. if they were cooped you would have to do something additional ( though there is protein in grains).... Interesting to know how much