[lord flynn]

as I am trying to do this more seriously this year, I wondered what people fed their breeding birds-same as your layers or something else? Wanting to put mine into breeding pens in the next couple of weeks-all on grass. any suggestions appreciated.

[Bodger]

IMO, if you've got fresh grass for them, then you're half way there already.

I feed pellets, wheat, occasional soaked dog food and waste fruit when its available.

[Victorian Farmer]

Feed very well till there are in condition rolls of  dog food mixt corn and a mix of wield bird mix corn chick crumbs each day they are fed 3 times a day to keep fertilatey and egg numbers up.

[darkbrowneggs]

I think if you can keep poultry as true free rangers they need very little supplements but with the foxes these recent years I had to resort to electric fenced grass runs.  So in the run up to the  breeding season, when everyone wanted fertile hatching eggs from immediately after Christmas and there is little goodness or vitamins in the grass, I would start feeding my breeding birds on 20% Partridge Breeder Pellets.  The reason I chose these was because very little breeding feed is available in Nov/Dec time and for some reason I could source partridge breeder.  The birds did well on them and they were easy to feed.


I didnt give any grain at all to the breeding females, but the males when they were out of the pens had straight wheat and a little breeders.


I think its one of those things - lots of folk have lots of different ways of doing things and most of them work.  Find out what works for you and what you are happiest with.

[lord flynn]

thanks-I know another breeder who uses pheasant feed. I was going to let the layers free range, maybe I should let the breeders free range and put the layers in the big pen? I also need two breeding pens-two breeds although I could do two hatches. hmmm.

[landroverroy]

Eggs produced for hatching require a higher level of nutrition in the laying hen than those produced for eating. So to feed simply layers ration is likely to cause low hatchability, or chicks with signs of deficiency like splay legs. To add wheat will make it worse as you are then diluting the vitamins that have been added  to the layers feed.
However, free range hens will normally source everything extra they need for themselves, so a standard ration will suffice. BUT they need to be properly free range with plenty of room to roam and scratch, not just with access to a small, initially grassed run that has degenerated to a smelly muddy bare patch.
If unsure, it is always better to feed breeder pellets. If poultry breeder isn't available then pheasant or turkey will do.
 

[Bodger]

Splayed legs in chicks is more usually associated with the poultry keeper having kept the young chicks on a shiny surface, which again, is not a problem brought about by the egg supplier.

[Castle Farm]

I feed a mixed grain diet with cod liver oil, no pellets or mash. Been running my birds like this for many many years and hatch hundreds every year.


Fresh greens give all the extra you will need. I go with a natural breeding cycle when it;s spring my birds start hatching.

[Clansman]

Splayed legs in chicks is more usually associated with the poultry keeper having kept the young chicks on a shiny surface, which again, is not a problem brought about by the egg supplier.

We used to see higher incidences of splayed legs in commercial flocks where there had been temperature and humidity problems at the hatchery too.

Although even with perfect conditions there are always deformities, splayed legs, extra legs, extra heads, extra wings, no beaks etc etc

[lord flynn]

occasional soaked dog food

kibble?

I don't plan on hatching yet. they'll go into their groupings when I get the fencing sorted out (always seems to take longer than I think!) so realistically (and depending on weather), I'll start hatching in March. I will wait at least a month as the hens I'm using are running with two boys-one of them is off to a new home this weekend and I want to be sure I know exactly who the dad is. I will look into different types of feed and consider letting them free range and have the layers in the pen. I would prefer the cock to be out with whichever group is free range anyway-he stops them wandering off.

[HesterF]

I'm just sorting my pens out now - final step is the geese being split later this week and dispatching extra cockerels and drakes next week (testosterone appears to be soaring based on today's observations) - and then I'll switch them onto breeder pellets in a couple of weeks although not looking to hatch anything until March.

[landroverroy]

Splayed legs in chicks is more usually associated with the poultry keeper having kept the young chicks on a shiny surface, which again, is not a problem brought about by the egg supplier.

It's actually caused by a vitamin B (Riboflavin) deficiency in the breeder's diet. but is more easily seen in chicks kept on a smooth surface. Hence the assumption by many that a floor with no grip has caused it.
As Riboflavin occurs widely in green plants, the deficiency is not seen where the breeding stock have access to grass or other greens.

[Bodger]

I merely speak from experience.

[chrismahon]

We avoided pellets with the three permitted 'yolk enhancers' (chemical colorants) in them. So we used Smallholder layers, not one of the cheap brands. We used to mix layers equally with rearers on the basis that rearers has more of what they need and we don't want coloured yolks or thick shells (hatching issues). I now know that the Calcium addition in the pellets doesn't go directly to the shell but replaces the Calcium from the bones that is used for the shells. So reducing the Calcium intake in the food whilst producing hatching eggs will only exhaust the hens' bones long term leading to thin shells.  Next time it will be just layers with plenty of fresh veg and fruit. Keeping the birds happy has got to factor somewhere. All the chicks we have hatched from our eggs were strong and grew fast -can't say that for the few we bought and hatched. Our first Buff Orpington had club feet with 5 toes!

[lord flynn]

well, where I recently moved to has a great agricultural store and so much wider choice in poultry food etc, makes life easier when you aren't paying through the nose for stuff or having to special order it-especially up here. I do supplement all the poultry with greens int he winter, even the free range ones.


testosterone certainly seems to be on the up if my three are anything to go by! I am also getting a fair amount of eggs as well.