In light of the recent dicsussions about animal feed with animal by-products in it, I've been hunting for such a layer ration. I've found a 38% protein all-purpose pellet (all vegetable) and am going to try mixing it with scratch to come up with between 16 and 18%. My fear is that the hens will pick out the scratch which they love, and ignore the pellets. Any comments or suggestions?

-- glynnis in KY (gabbycab@msn.com), February 20, 2001

Answers

Do you have any microbreweries nearby? Their spent grain has a dry matter protein value very close to your pellet (or maybe higher), and it's likely they will give you some for free. My chickens just LOVED this stuff! The brewery I went to said they had pig farmers who picked up their grain, but when I said I only had a few chickens and five gallons a week would make me happy, they said to come ahead. They put out four or five 32-gallon trash cans full of steamy, delicious smelling grain twice a week, so what I wanted was truly a drop in the bucket. I don't do it any more because I work two hours away and they brew during the week. :(

Also, your extra milk, if you have a dairy animal, is a very good protein source for chickens, and they will drink it happily right out of a pan.

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@seedlaw.com), February 20, 2001.

You are right about not mixing the pellets and scratch. I tried that and the chickens emptied the 15 pound feeder in one day to get at the scratch. What I do is fill the hanging feeder with pellets and twice a day I give the chickens a small amount of scratch. They love the scratch and still eat the pellets.

-- DAvid in NH (grayfoxfarm@mcttelecom.com), February 21, 2001.

We found that game bird feed has a higher percentage of protien in it, so that is what we feed our chickens, ducks and guineas. It is 16- 18% protien.

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), February 25, 2001.

I looked at my game bird layena feed and found that is does have animal protein in it. :-( My birds love it, they are thriving on it. They get alot of vegetables and fresh hay as well.I also give them left over milk that the kids don't get drank in time. Plus I have some nasty powdered milk ;-) that I mix up for them. I tried giving the birds some homemade sour cream that didn't work and the ducks LOVED it. The aracaunas looked at it like it was wierd.My aracanas are quick to eat any canned veges that are going bad though.

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), February 27, 2001.