'All Stock' 12% protein feed...??

[arlee453]

I have a buddy that gets an 'all stock' feed that he feeds to most all his adult animals - goats, cows, ducks, chickens, horses, you name it.

He gets it by the ton for $140 per ton and is encouraging me to go to the cheaper feed too.

Anyone else feed 'all stock' to chickens?

I'm leery - it's just a lot lower protein... I'd also figure you'd have to add oyster shell available too for calcium requirements...

Dunno - seems to me that various critters all have varying nutritional needs and that 'All Stock' is not going to give any species exactly what they really, ideally, need?

Thoughts?

 

[goldensunriseranch]

That's basically it, it has the bare minimum without being really enough for any one individual species. For example I know alot of people give it to goats because it says goats on the lable. But as a goat breeder I know anything not specifically rated for goats has nowhere near enough copper for their red blood cell production and they get anemic and lose color in their coats. Among other issues. But since they also want people to feed it to their sheep and copper is toxic to sheep they keep it low. So it might keep the chickens from starving but there still might be some nutritional gaps that might let disease get a foot hold. And probably like you said nowhere near enough calcium for good shells on their eggs, possibly weak chicks also.

 

[arlee453]

Yeah, my thoughts exactly, goldensunriseranch...

Come to think about it, he mentioned last time i was over there he's having problems with his hens having egg issues and dying on him. He said he thought it was due to the fact he has a Jersey Giant roo in with them and he was crushing their eggs internally when he covered them.

Could be the feed isn't high enough calcium too though...hmm...

I'll think I'll stick to my Dumor stinky poo layer pellets...

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I started using it because I had/have too many birds to keep feeding the 13.99 per 50 lb bag regular feed. My birds free range and eat scraps, I figure they're getting whatever might be missing. So far they're all doing just fine. I've only been feeding it for about a month. The chickens seem to like it, the ducks too. Sometimes even the cats and dogs will eat it...

Edited to add - I do still feed layer pellets & oyster shell/crushed egg shells to my layers. It's the younger birds (too young to lay) that get mostly 12% all stock.

 

[Nupine]

Quote:

Thanks for the laugh!!

I would stick to chicken food.

 

[goldensunriseranch]

Maybe to cut expenses you could use it to cut regular chicken food to make it last longer. They'd still be getting regular nutrition from the layer, and might even enjoy it as a snackie. I often offer different things off and on, sometimes oats, sometimes scratch, sometimes corn.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

If no one else beats me to it and I remember to, I'll grab the tag off the bag and post the contents in this thread tomorrow. The all-stock I buy is from a local feed mill.

 

[MissPrissy]

The 'all stock' feed around here is rated for cows, goats and sheep. It has nothing that says it is okay to feed to fowl or horses or other farm animals.

I was at TSC and they had 2 bags busted and I bought the 100lbs for $12. I am using it for feeding my ram lamb as he is going to market in a month or less.

I know the all stock feeds usually meet the bare miniums but I use it as a supplement. The lambs graze a pasture but when we feed the goats they go nuts begging for food. This was the best way to prevent them forcing their way into the goat house.

Not the best feed but satisfies this crazy sheep.

 

[Eggseronious]

Different animals have different nutrient requirements. A 12% feed will be high fiber and not good for most animals, old cows or any mature bovine will do ok. Hogs and chickens need a low fiber feed. No one feed can feed them all.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I did some research on the feed lables. The all stock does not have any animal protein in it. I'm thinking chickens would require it or some sort of equivalent. Again, I do free range mine and give human food scraps (meats, vegetables, grains, etc...) so it's more of a supplement than a main source of food.