Switching to Breeder Ration

I'm interested in knowing when everyone starts feeding Breeder Ration feed to their chickens prior to collecting eggs for hatching?

Also, is it okay if the chickens I am not breeding but are mixed in with the ones being bred, eat Breeder ration as well? I know it is more expensive but am hoping it's not an issue health wise.

good question - waiting for the answer to this as well

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I haven't bought the breeder ration yet Higgins but I think it has a higher protein content - 18% - compared to the 'regular' layer which is 16%. I just assumed everyone switched to Breeder when breeding. Perhaps it's not as necessary as I thought......

I've never used breeder's ration before and have good luck with all my breeds except the BCM's. Breeder's ration has been recommended so I'm interested in trying it for my Marans in particular.

Well that's very interesting happy. I would prefer not to switch as it just keeps things simpler. We'll see if anyone else has anything to say about it.

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I am smiling. In a response to ChicoryFarm about the feathers being picked off the faces of her birds, I said someone should start a thread on feed, guess I should have read a little further on in the new posts, smiling again.

All my birds are on, I guess this is what you call it, breeder feed. All my birds get 18% layer pellets, all year around (I heard the extra protein gives bigger eggs , not sure if that is true or not). But when I asked the feed store gal years ago, why 16% versus 18% she said some want smaller eggs , guess those are for chickens that lay really big eggs, smiling.

I don't know, just my choice. The price is pretty much the same with 16 and 18% (I think, been so long I don't actually really remember). I feed my birds the best that I can. They get scratch every day, that is my greeting to my clan. They love me, smiling again. They know that they get the beautiful goodies every morning. In the winter time I get a bag of cracked corn and give them lots of that along with their scratch, which already has corn, but I like them to have a full gullet of corn, extra, to help to keep warm, and my understanding, corn is marvelous at doing this. In the winter time they don't free range much, snow inhibits this, but summertime, then their scratch is diminished by a whole bunch, only about 1/5 of what they get in wintertime. With horses that are fed like kings, there is a whole lotta, "extras" around here that the birds get into. They love the freshly laid poop of the horses, and the horses are very tolerant of chickens around their back legs, smiling.

When I am raising chicks they get the chick starter and then onto grower, if I can keep them separate. If I am raising older chicks with the laying/breeder hens, I have hanging in each pen a feeder of grower pellets, which is 17% and the laying pellets, which is 18%, the adolescent chicks can eat either or, and vice versa with the adults. If I had my druthers, I would feed grower pellets (17% protein) until about 6 weeks before the onset of expected lay, but that rarely happens. I have raised many a chick to adult age, having grower and layer available and I have never seen birds that suffer because of the extra calcium in the layer pellets. Also, there is oyster shell in the adult coops, although I have also read that youngsters should not have access to oyster shell. Probably, the only ones that really like the oyster shell would be the adult girls. I don't think I have ever noticed a rooster eating oyster shell. Wondering if chickens "know" what they need and only layers eat oyster shell, who knows. Anyways, just some thoughts here. I like to feed my birds well, and I think that their health and coats indicate how they are feeling. And I think all my birds are lookin' and always do look, mighty fine. I attribute this to the good food that they get. I think I give my birds good food. I am too lazy to make my own, don't know if I would ever bother to get all the ingredients and make my own -- and let me tell ya, my hats off to those that mix and mull thoughts about how and what to mix up for their birds, good for you. Great topic, by the way, have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Cindi, thanks for the post. It's been yet another big lesson for me. A long time breeder told me last year that they don't put their pullets on layer until the following year (which means if the chick hatched end of March, starts laying end of September, it stays on grower for another 4 or 5 months) and because of this information and the fact that I had different ages grouped together (with a 3.5 month difference at the most) I thought this was a great idea for me as well so the young ones wouldn't have to go on layer before they were ready but then about 3 weeks ago or so (just as I started switching to layer) my oldest pullets started losing feathers by just dropping them but feather picking also began at the same time (I realize in hindsight) because they were missing the protein and started making a connection to the feathers on the floor to the feathers in their flock members' tuffs.

Now that I'm paying attention to protein amounts in feed, I see my layer ration from Otter Coop is only 16% and I would like 17-18% ongoing. What brand is your feed?

ChicoryFarm wrote:
Now that I'm paying attention to protein amounts in feed, I see my layer ration from Otter Coop is only 16% and I would like 17-18% ongoing. What brand is your feed?

I get my feed from Surecrop, across the road, that is their brand. The co op should have 18%, you need to tell them that is what you want. I know back on the coast Otter had it, good luck, have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.

I'll inquire with our local Farmer's supply. Thanks Cindi. Enjoy your day.

Thanks for the info Tara, I am only feeding whole red spring wheat mixed about 1:2 w/ layer pellets, never thought to add oats...I do have some whole oats available...would you say they are more like a filler? Might balance out the wheat? When they say wheat is a "hot"food would this mean higher calorie? I imagine the protein is a little less than in my 16%layer...local farmers told me it tested about 13-15% protein this year?
I was feeding the bachelor roos about 1:1 whole wheat to layer....do you think that would be a problem?

I do pretty much the same as cynthia. I have fed the 18% layer pellet for years. I found since I have switched there is minimal intentional egg eating and the birds look great. I feed a heap of scratch every morning and they free range ( well most do except my large breeding group of milles). I feed back broken eggs and some scrap treats as well. I have often added younger birds into "general population" that go straight to a layer pellet without any problem.

I feed the higher protein layer as well. I think the birds do much better on it. They get homemade scratch everyday as well, but I think that is candy!
They get clover hay and any greens from our fridge that last longer than I want. Mostly arugula and spinach.

Well different strokes for different chickens. When you are in the breeding season you should never vary the feed birds get. If you read or talk to breeders it mention to never add or give your birds anything extra then breeders ration or layers ration. If you wander why your egg production varies, this could be the cause. I know we don’t have production hens but if the production hens feed gets extra wheat or corn they’re production goes down by a lot. Always try to feed whole corn as to cracked corn because cracked corn loses lots of its value once cracked.

If feed high protein to your birds which are in smaller breeding pens and don’t get as much exercise they will get fat and egg production will go down. Normally bantams need the higher protein ration but the large birds will do well on normal layer ration. I get all my feed from Bon Accord Feeds, who will mixes up any ration you want. His, which we worked together on to develop, breeder/layer ration contains lots of different grains, peas, oyster shells, grit and canola and so on. The percentage is about 17%.

Another point to remember when raising show birds is hard feed, wheat or barley, for hard feathered birds and soft feed for soft feathered birds.

Also make a note on the type of lights you use in your barn, this is very important especially if you use florescent lights. Big studies have been on this. Don’t use normal soft light bulbs.

Don’t use normal soft light bulbs.

Why?

You need to reproduce sunlight as much as possible. You should use only full spectrum florescent if you which to have good fertility. Some incandescent bulbs are fine because it will give full spectrum but again look for the bright lights. Full spectrum or grow lights cost more but has a big difference in production in planets, animals and humans nervous system. Many studies were done on soft florescent light compared to full spectrum lights in offices and school classes. Many schools have seen difference in students behavior when they switched to Full Spectrum lighting. Full spectrum lights comes as close as possible to sunlight which everything needs. I have not googled it but I'm sure there is lots of material on this. The Edmonton Journal back in the late '70's and mid '80's did a big report on this.