Show Chicken Feeds

[pglad]

We are new at FFA show chickens this year. We have some quality Rhode Island Reds, Black Jersey Giants and White Rocks this year. I hate to mess them up by not feeding them correctly! Could you advise/direct me on the brand of feed I should buy or % of protein I need to use. I see some are medicated?? Any information would be greatly appreciated!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

I like to feed 20% protein flock raiser and offer oyster shell on the side once laying begins.

What is the age of your birds?

 

[Cyprus]

I feed gamebird chow

 

[pglad]

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

I like to feed 20% protein flock raiser and offer oyster shell on the side once laying begins.

What is the age of your birds?

I have some over a year and some under a year. All are fairly young.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have some over a year and some under a year. All are fairly young.

Many show folk will feed a 24% protein game bird feed, as feathers are made form 90% protein and its' amino acids... offer oyster shell on the side for layers.

Sometimes I mix 30% protein turkey starter with the 20% flock raiser.. to get about 25%.

For show and breeding purposes, I would NOT go below 20% protein.. And think 22-26 is good. Noting not all proteins are created equal... example plant verses animal protein... chickens NEED some amino acids that can only be derived from animal sources. These are often added into our mostly vegetarian rations.

Also.. energy only comes from 3 sources... protein, fat, and carbohydrates including fiber.

Good luck!

 

[Bantamgirl715]

I cook up ground beef (over the winter it was venison and wild caught salmon scraps, but we ran out) with rice, add to fermented grains/kelp/oyster shell, with poultry vitamins and serve it for breakfast. By the afternoon they are eating peasant commercial chicken feed, but I feel it makes a huge difference in their overall health.
The grain/legume mix I ferment is just field peas, wheat and oats.

 

[Amer]

I feed 24 percent chick starter- Dumor brand. I get it at tractor supply, but I also buy something similar at the feed mill, actually, duck food, which is about the same but with brewers' yeast in it.
For my adult birds, since they are caged for breeding I mix in some treats to add more color and make it more palatable, but they have a Feather Fixer or something like that instead of laying feed.

 

[Fairview01]

To be successful the routine should be as simple as possible. The more complicated the feeding schedule is the more time and dedication is required.

Vegetable based protein feed is missing or deficient in 2 essential amino acid - lysine and methionine. These 2 amino acids can not be formed by breaking down other amino acids and rearranging the pieces and creating then. Both are these are primarily responsible for protein synthesis. They are derived from animal protein sources.

The easiest way for me to supplement animal protein is catfish chow. What I have available is sourced from pork and fishmeal. They wont take to it immediately because they don't recognize it as food. Pick up.their regular feed for 2 days and offer this. They will appreciate it very much by the second day. Just throw a bit each day after that. It doesn't have to be very much.

 

[Awtdaniel05]

I feed a game bird matenance feed and give them wet cat food once a week

 

[cgmccary]

For the most part (with some exceptions), your choice of feeds is generally limited to where you reside, i.e. what is available in your local area, what mills are close to you. Higher protein feeds are good for certain breeds when they are chicks or when they are young & growing. Otherwise, higher protein is not necessary. The correct ratio of proteins, type of protein (source), animal & plant derived are necessary, is what is important. Frontview Feeds in Ohio has some of the best feed and their showbird feed is 16%. [and like I mentioned some breeds need high protein as a starter; other breeds would actually digress with higher protein starter (the slower growing breeds).] The question though was for showing-- so you are talking about adult birds. No breed of adult birds need anything higher than about 16%. Here is a link to https://frontviewfeeds.com/product-list/ I like this feed enough that I have a pallet frequently shipped to me.