Tutti Frutti Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Just curious - and looking for recommendations please! I've tried: ...Countrywide £6.50 - no problems, just seemed a bit "grey" so haven't bought for a while ...Allen & Page "Smallholder" ex-batt crumb then pellets £10.50 - had a lot of softies from the ex-barnies on that but might just have been a coincidence that they hit the menopause at the same time! But they love the crumb made into a "porridge" ...Dukes & Botley "Goodlay" £8.50 - posh girls and babies laying well on that, ex-barnies down to about 4 eggs a week now ...BOCM Pauls "Farmgate" £6 - I'll see how they get on but not impressed at the plastic in some of the pellets and HOPING the bits of yellow are corn What other feeds do you give them and how do you rate it? I'm happy to search around locally for other brands, if anyone can recommend something (please!)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Dodson & Horrell at £10 a sack from Pets At home , mainly because they are most convenient for me. We have got a Countrywide, but they seem to stock just their own brand - which I wasn't keen on ( can't remember why ) and I have tried Farmgate from our other feed merchants, didn't like that at all, smelt strange and like you, I spotted too many bits of plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aimee Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Mine have Omlet's own brand organic feed - £8 for a 10kg sack with a few quid added on for p+p (think it works out about another £2.50). Mine love it and I fell for all the apparent benefits of this over other feed Only had my chickens a month and one sack lasted the five of them three and a half weeks. I add a bit of garlic powder but their droppings barely smell at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Allen & Page Smallholder, either free-range layers pellets or breeders pellets, depending on whether I'm planning to hatch or not. I don't pay as much as you though! I also like the fact that they are hexane and GM free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted June 5, 2010 Author Share Posted June 5, 2010 Is that I also like the fact that they are hexane and GM free. Hmm I think I recall reading about feed containing soya involving hexane in the manufacturing process - is that right??? Any info would be greatly appreciated I want to know what I'm feeding my chooks ) Allen & Page Smallholder, either free-range layers pellets or breeders... I don't pay as much as you though! And that was WITH a £2/£3 off voucher!!! I think it's because it was the ex-bat pellets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken bark Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 I use Argo layers pellets. About £7 a bag. Don't know the exact price as I always buy other things. My hens seem to get on with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Hmm.. A big sack from Pets At Home. I think its about £10. I use this cause i cant find any other supplier in Heanor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 dodson and horrell gm free about £8 a bag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Argo layers pellets for me too. Sometimes Argo complete mix I think it is called. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 I use A&P Smallholder pellets, the girls seems to like them so I haven't really tried many other brands. Not sure how much I pay for 20kg, last time I bought a sack and a small (5k?) sack of corn and it cost just over £10 I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Mine are currently still on Marriages layers mash which is £6.70 for a 20kg bag! They are healthy and lay well. They wouldn't touch the A & P's Smallholders Pellets...The only other feed i've used in the past is the Organic Company Layers Pellets, which my previous girls liked, but I'm loathe to try them again as they are so happy on the mash (and it's much cheaper) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 I started of with dodson and horrell layers pelletts but Big Red layed to many softies also the use by date was to short as I'd only go 3 girls at the time swopped to Haygates the softies stopped but used a bag in half the time then went over to Garvo 731 layers pelletts a bit expencive at £10 a sack but my lot like it although there on 5030 scrather pellets for the summer £8.50 a bag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 My lot eat Garvo I pay £8.30 for layers pellets, the scratchers version of Gravo layers is a bit cheaper and also good I also like the look and smell of Marriages I hate grey dusty looking pellets so try to avoid own brands I wont use Farmgate I've had too many bad bags in the past Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoura Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Redwing what doyou mean by "bad bags" of Farmgate pellets? I use them as that is what my nearest pet hsop stocks so it's convenient but may have to search further afield if they are definitely of inferior quality.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 I use the layers mash from wiggly wigglers, with bokoshi bran in it, my girls love it and won't eat pellets any more. It is probably very expensive but I order other stuff too so try not to think about it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Redwing what doyou mean by "bad bags" of Farmgate pellets? I use them as that is what my nearest pet hsop stocks so it's convenient but may have to search further afield if they are definitely of inferior quality.... I've pm'd you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted June 5, 2010 Author Share Posted June 5, 2010 I think I'll post a photo somewhere that's not the omlet forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lheurebleue Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 At the moment it's Marriages layers, £7 for a 20kg bag from the farmer we bought the girls off on Friday. Once they've finished that it'll be Dodson and Horrell's, £7.99/20kg for the 'local' farm shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachael_farnsworth Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 Started off with Dodson & Horrell mash on the advice of the lovely Jude at Cotswold Chickens and now they're on a random one from a local garden centre (Notcutts, for Oxfordshire fans). Pets at Home only seem to sell pellets, which is a bit of a pain - they have ex-batt crumb, but my girls aren't ex-batt... Ordering the biggest bag of mash I can find the next time around! Our local indie pet shop can hopefully get some in especially for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 Do most peoples chooks prefer mash to pellets? I know mine won't touch pellets now they have tried mash and they make SUCH a mess with the mash. I mix it with water but they still flick it everywhere!! It suits them as we get fantastic eggs and it is easier to mix in all the supplements eg garlic powder, I was just curious. Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 My Garden Girls get Organic Feed COmpany Layers Pellets; Our chicks and our allotment birds all get Allen & Page Smallholder Feeds - the chicks get chick cruimb then Growers, the pen of Girls get Layers, and the pen with the cockerel in get Breeders pellets. I can't tell you the cost as we have it all delivered, along with Aubiose etc; I pay for it all in one go and never think to ask what the individual prices are. If I was starting again today, I'd probably feed everyone on Smallholders. I like the fact that it is GM and Hexane free. I've been reading a of good reports about Garvo lately and I was tempted to try their feed. However, everyone seems happy with their current rations, so i won't be trying them. I did buy some of the Garvo chicken treats though - they're quite expensive compared to corn (because of the ingredients), so my girls only get them on extra special occasions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess1merlin Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 Mine have Garvo mash and love it, they also look really well on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 Do most peoples chooks prefer mash to pellets? I know mine won't touch pellets now they have tried mash and they make SUCH a mess with the mash. I mix it with water but they still flick it everywhere!! It suits them as we get fantastic eggs and it is easier to mix in all the supplements eg garlic powder, I was just curious. Helen My original girl was absolutely happy on pellets...but when I introduced Pansy I read somewhere that mash is better as it keeps them busy eating for longer, so less time for squabbles..Pansy had also previously been on pellets. However, once they had sampled the mash there was no going back and I can't interest them in pellets at all now. I feed it dry and do have a bit of spillage, but nothing I can't cope with with a weekly sweep up under the grub. As I said they lay well and are healthy and happy.... I'd prefer it if the mash didn't have hexane treated soya in it, but it's the best I can find around here (I don't think we have a garvo stockist anywhere near) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batcatz Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 Mine have Scats layers pellets. They are GM free. £6.90 or less for 20kg bag. Can't remember, but it's more than £6.50 and less than £7. Never had a problem with these. Only one of my hens has been laying softies lately, but I think it was caused by the worming. She laid normal today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 Hmm I think I recall reading about feed containing soya involving hexane in the manufacturing process - is that right??? Any info would be greatly appreciated I want to know what I'm feeding my chooks ) Here's the blurb from their website I'm pretty sure I pay less than £9 per sack for layers pellets. Breeders are slightly more expensive and not always available, though I try to keep my bantams on them most of the year. All that said, I feed my chicks on WCF's own brand crumb as it's medicated and the A&P one isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
