Questions about feeding chickens

1) not loyal to any brand, but usually buy Sure Crop because it's close to home and I try to support local business.
2) buy it right from Sure Crop in Grindrod, in a pinch will buy a bag of something else from Country West Supply in Armstrong.
3) crumbles when they are little and pellets once they are big enough to swallow without choking.
4) don't pay too much attention to protein levels. They get what they get. I do not bother with different feeds at different stages of development. I give chick crumbles/starter when they are little and then right onto lay pellets. No one has died.
5)switch to lay feed when they can eat the pellets without choking. 8 weeks, mine get pellets.
6) oyster shell and GRIT should be made available at all times, free choice, meaning they eat as much as they decide they want. Nail a little tuna can to the wall and keep it topped up with a mixture of grit and oyster shell. Some people feel oyster shell does the job of grit. I do not feel this way and I supply both.

How much to buy depends on how much room you have to store it. If you buy 6 bags and mice  chew through the bags and make a huge mess, then don't buy 6 bags. Buy two and dump them in a big Rubbermaid garbage can. Because it is bear season and we have bear problems we currently keep our chicken food inside the house, in the basement, where it has a funky odour that drives me batty! So if you're thinking your house is a good place to store feed, keep in mind that sometimes it smells and if you are a fussy housekeeper, you might find this aroma, of barnyard, disturbing.

Good luck, you will get all kinds of answers. Use what works for you in your situation.

Thanks UNO.

I have 2 d'uccles bantams with the rest being large fowl. At 10 weeks are they ok with pellets?

Daisychainsaw wrote:So I have a few questions about feeding chicks/chickens, I am hoping some of the members near me can help 

1) what brand of poultry food do you feed and why? I am not particular about brand but I like my layers to have a high protein feed.  I like 18% if I can get it.
2) where do you buy your feed  I usually get the high protein at Buckerfields and my Grower pellets at a more local feed supplier.
3) pellet versus crumble? I like pellets for the layers and the growers and crumble for the babies.
4) protein % what do you feed your growing Pullets and your laying hens? Pullets stay on grower until point of lay.  When combs get red I change them to layer.  I like 18% for my layers as I mentioned above.
5) what age do you switch to layer feed? Above
6) how much oyster shell do you need for 8 chickens? Is it necessary or what are alternatives? I just have a little feed hanger that I keep full of oyster shell and they look after it themselves.

My chicks are now 10 weeks and my back of grower crumble is getting low so wondering when to switch, how much to buy etc.

Thanks in advance 
Jen  

Jen you are going to get lots of different answers to this.  You will have to sort out what suits you best.

We don't soak the rolled oats except for our pigs  which are more digestible in the rolled form.  We do provide greens and kitchen leftovers.  Only our indoor chickens get grit.