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Author Topic: what to feed??  (Read 4426 times)

SMD66

  • Joined Oct 2008
what to feed??
« on: October 18, 2008, 09:59:26 am »
Hi, having recently bought an area of land I am planning a mixed flock of around 15 - 20 hens, hybrids for laying and larger breeds for the table.  I am confused as to what to feed them, the layers will need layers pellets, the others I want to fatten so will need some sort of growers pellet.  What to do?  a mix of both types in the hopper? can anyone help????  Thanks.

garden cottage

  • Joined Sep 2008
  • forest of dean
Re: what to feed??
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2008, 11:52:24 am »
I would split up the layers and growers, trouble is the layers will eat anything you put in the hoppers, we feed layers pellets, mixed grain ,and crushed oyster shell for digestion for layers only..................neil

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: what to feed??
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2008, 12:56:48 pm »
I would also recommend keeping the layers and growers seperate, and going for meat strains for the table. Our experience is that even so-called dual purpose breeds such as Light Sussex are not great table birds. We had Hubbards last year; killed at 12 weeks at oven ready weight of between 51/2 and 7lbs. Light Sussex cockerels killed at 23 weeks, oven ready 41/2 lbs.

Given the age of the meat birds, they were only ever on chick crumbs and grower / finisher pellets, which are more expensive than layer pellets. Your layers won't discriminate!

Tweedle

  • Joined Jul 2008
  • GMT -5
  • Callender Farms
    • Callender Farms, New Hampshire
Re: what to feed??
« Reply #3 on: October 18, 2008, 07:30:05 pm »
We also keep ours separate, we raise the "left over" dual purpose Roosters from the hatchery for our meat birds as they almost give them away at the end of each hatching. We feed them Broiler pellets for 12 weeks then Finisher pellets for 4 weeks. We also use a product called Kickin' Chicken with our meat birds It might just be me but I think, it works great. Its soy bean oil if I'm remembering correctly. They usually finish around 5-6 lbs at 16 weeks when they go to the freezer.
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."  -Winston Churchill-

http://www.callenderfarm.com

SMD66

  • Joined Oct 2008
Re: what to feed??
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2008, 08:38:12 am »
Thanks for the advice, looks like we will be making 2 seperate enclosures.  Rosemary, where did you get your Hubbards from?  :chook:

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: what to feed??
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2008, 03:36:33 pm »
From Mandy - we got in touch via this forum, she had too many - then we met in a car park in Livingston and swapped cash for chicks.

I intend to get more next year. I think they come in batches of 50, so a group of us are going to share them. Haven't done the research properly yet, though.

SMD66

  • Joined Oct 2008
Re: what to feed??
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2008, 05:32:27 pm »
Thanks Rosemary,... 50 chicks, that sounds like a lot of chicken dinners,  ;D we would have to get a bigger freezer.  If you are refering to livingstone Scotland then I think I will have to try to find a supplier closer to home.  I may start a new post to try to locate some nearer the time when the fencing is up.  Thanks. Samantha.

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: what to feed??
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2008, 07:57:04 pm »
Mandy didn't breed or hatch them. I think the supplier she got them from was called "Poulet Anglais"

SMD66

  • Joined Oct 2008
Re: what to feed??
« Reply #8 on: October 20, 2008, 03:32:49 pm »
I have tracked down Poulet Anglais, I will contact them when we are more prepared. Thanks

 

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