Organic feed, Expensive feed or cheap feed ?

[jayjay giant]

What does everyone consider to be the best ?
I only feed my birds organic layers pellets and these are very expensive at £15.50 per 20kg sack. I also buy organic mixed corn. From eight birds i am averaging around 5 good size eggs a day at the momet, in the summer this is usually around 7.
I work on the principle of what you put in is equivalent to what you get out.

Do other people have similar results ?
Does the feed really matter ?

Sorry if i am playing devils advocate here but i don't have anything to compare to.

[MaureenHall]

I've got a total of 13 hens, 9 of which are ex-batts. 5 of the ex-batts I've had for almost a year, and I think they've all "retired" now so not producing any eggs. The latest 2 ex-batts are only producing about 2 - 3 a week (I think I know which are theirs, they're wrinkly!) That leaves 6 other egg-producing birds. I started off using Smallholder pellets but as the cost rocketed I started using a cheaper feed and as far as I can tell, there's no difference in egg production and quality. I'm averaging about 7 eggs a day. the pellets are supplemented with treats later on in the day, either a handful of mixed corn scattered on the run, or porridge (if it's really freezing cold) and cooked root veggies plus some greens. They also spend most of the day scratching around eating grubs, worms etc and whatever else they can find. When I was using Smallholder pellets, I did still supplement with Poultry spice and occasionally limestone flour as the shell quality was poor even with the "better quality" food.

Yes, if I could afford it and justify the expense, I think I might use organic feed. The feed I'm using doesn't contain any GM products, and it's a balanced diet. The chooks are healthy and happy, and at the end of the day that's what concerns me most.

[Suechooks]

I go for the middle road - non-GM feed. I feel that organic food is very expensive but like you I believe you get out what you put in so I avoid the cheapest stuff. I keep my chooks on the allotment so have plenty of grass and veg. However as some other allotmenteers give me veg I can't guarantee they are truly"organic". I don't use any chemicals on my plot and chemicals are discouraged on the site. We use farmyard manure but I daresay that's not organic either so where do you draw the line!? My hens are a mix of ex-batts and hybrid layers and I'm getting between 8 and 10 a day at the moment from 14. They also have porridge and corn with some meal worms added at bedtime in the winter plus treats (bread, spaghetti, greens etc) during the day. They have a mash in the mornings which has poultry spice added. The eed I use at the moment is Farmgate but I also use High Peak, depending where I shop.

[RedThorn]

What does everyone consider to be the best ?
I only feed my birds organic layers pellets and these are very expensive at £15.50 per 20kg sack. I also buy organic mixed corn. From eight birds i am averaging around 5 good size eggs a day at the momet, in the summer this is usually around 7.
I work on the principle of what you put in is equivalent to what you get out.

Do other people have similar results ?
Does the feed really matter ?

Sorry if i am playing devils advocate here but i don't have anything to compare to.

You snuck in there! Hi and welcome

[pipscariad]

Welcome to the Vine!

Like you, I'm using organic feed for my three girls, though I currently pay £12.80 for a sack, which I complained about on here a while ago, so perhaps I'd better be quiet! The last time I went to buy feed I was sorely tempted by the Farmgate feed, but then discovered that even that was nearly £8, so I bit the bullet and bought organic again, which I have to say I am very happy with. I know that in some ways it's a bit daft, as my chooks aren't strictly organic, as they have some non organic scraps, but I just feel happier, so whilst the cost stays the same, I'll continue to buy organic.

I'm getting 3 eggs most days, so something's right - even in that icy weather they delivered that! Bless them .

[shirlthegirl43]

Hello and welcome to the vine.

I use Farmgate pellets for mine - £6.27 a bag here. The egg quality is good but we have one hen who has poor shells - I think it is her rather than the food as they all get the same. We are getting 2 eggs a day from 5 hens at the moment but I think our 2 Australorp are about to start laying as we have had a few 'odd' eggs. They get mash when there are enough scraps, and free-range round the garden for most of the afternoon.

[Snadger]

Cheapest in the Country Farmgate Non genetically modified layers pellets £4.95 for a 20 Kg bag!

I did a bit of research on organic pellets and didn't like what I found! I personally think they are a bit of a con!

From memory, organic producers are allowed to use up to 30% inorganic material if they can't source organic stuff.......and still sell it as organic!

Also, if you have a look at the ingredients on the Farmgate stuff it has additives for to control loads of diseases of beaks, feet etc which are just omitted on the organic stuff! In other words additives are added for to aid the chooks wellbeing and ward off diseases but the organic stuff says additives free, doen't add anything for the chooks wellbeing then charges you twice as much!
As I said before......a CON!

[Jardiniere]

I have just ordered a book called
"How to feed your chickens and rabbits on scraps"
Its a penguin book from 1941.
Looking forward to seeing what it says.......my chickens eat the pellets (pondeuse) from GammVert or Pole Vert but they hate them.They are non GM, non organic...bog standard stuff. So i also give them Basse Coeur which is mixed grain and they always leave the maize......unless i cook it for them (but it smells horrid) They arent getting out much in this weather ...first time in their little run today for two weeks....theres no grass left in it but they enjoy scrabbling around in the soil and stones.3 hens -always 1 egg sometimes 2 - from time to time 3 currently.

[Glutton4...]

Hello and welcome to the 'Vine from me too.

I'm new to the chicken addiction, and I feed Layers' Pellets from Fancy Feeds, which is an off-shoot of Bailey's Horse Feeds, and I like to support local people. I also feed Supreme Poultry Corn from Badminton Country Feeds because it contains Whole Wheat, Cut Maize, Oyster Shell, Flaked Peas, Linseed Seed and Soya Oil. Unfortunately, it's not produced locally, but no one in this area has a comparable product all in one bag, or at such a good price. Both products are under £7 a sack.

I haven't looked into the totally organic possibility as yet, but, like Snadger, I'm very sceptical about the products that are labelled as organic actually being so.

Just my input, for what it's worth lol.

[Noodle]

As Snadger says, I feel the organic stuff can be a bit of a con. I use Allen and Page layers which is also GM free. My garden can't be counted as organic and neither can the scraps they occasionally get, so I didn't really see the point. But each to their own!

[lainey lou]

I started off with organic feed but figured the treats the birds were eating were non organic. I now buy the cheep stuff, £7 for 20kg, it's non Gm, birds are happy so far have laid really well over the winter and the eggs still taste fab.