Choosing the Right Chicken Feed: A Complete Guide

Choosing the Right Chicken Feed

When embarking on the journey of raising chickens, one of the initial considerations is their choosing the right chicken feed. Selecting the appropriate feed, whether medicated or non-medicated, can significantly impact the health, growth, and productivity of your birds. Central Plains Milling offers a range of high-quality chicken feeds that cater to various stages of poultry development. In this article, we’ll explore their product line and discuss the benefits of medicated and non-medicated feeds for different purposes.

  1. Multi-Purpose Poultry Supplement: Central Plains Milling provides a Multi-Purpose Poultry Supplement with 27% crude protein, suitable for all types of poultry and game birds. This non-medicated feed contains essential vitamins, minerals, and calcium necessary for optimal growth and health.
  2. Chick Starter Medicated: For growing chicks aged 1 to 21 days, the Chick Starter Medicated feed is an excellent choice. With 22.11% crude protein, this feed supports healthy development during this crucial stage. The medication helps prevent coccidiosis and effectively eliminates parasites while ensuring continued growth.
  3. CPM Layer Feed: The CPM Layer Feed, boasting 17.5% crude protein, is a highly recommended option for laying hens. This complete feed is suitable as the sole ration for hens over 18 weeks old. Enriched with vitamin D and manganese, it promotes stronger eggshells and overall hen well-being. Switching to this feed resulted in improved egg quality, consistent size, and harder shells for our hens compared to other brands.

Benefits of Central Plains Milling Feed

By choosing Central Plains Milling feed, you can expect the following advantages:

Enhanced Molting Stage

The 17.5% protein content in the CPM Layer Feed aids hens during the molting stage, promoting faster recovery and reduced duration. Chickens showed increased appetite and efficient feed consumption, leading to healthier, more resilient hens.

Consistent Egg Size and Quality

The CPM Layer Feed resulted in a steady production of solid, well-formed eggs. The improved nutritional profile of the feed contributed to better egg quality, meeting consumers’ expectations consistently.

Competitive Pricing

Central Plains Milling offers its high-quality feed at a price point that is both competitive and comparable to other commonly available feeds in the market. Quality need not come at an exorbitant cost.

Medicated vs. Non-Medicated Feed

The decision to use medicated or non-medicated feed depends on various factors. If starting birds on medication feed, it is advisable to continue until switching to a layer feed. Medicated feed helps prevent coccidiosis and effectively eliminates parasites, supporting the birds’ overall growth and health.

Conclusion on Choosing the Right Chicken Feed

Selecting the right chicken feed is crucial for the health, growth, and productivity of your flock. Central Plains Milling offers a range of high-quality options, including the Multi-Purpose Poultry Supplement, Chick Starter Medicated, and CPM Layer Feed. These feeds provide essential nutrients, minerals, and proteins required for different stages of poultry development. Whether choosing medicated or non-medicated feed, Central Plains Milling ensures that your chickens receive the optimal nutrition they need for thriving and producing quality eggs.

Article written by Allison Bishop

Weaning Show Pigs

Here are some important tips that will enhance growth and muscle development of your weaning show pigs. The Lindner system of starters has been designed to maximize growth and development of your show pig. 

Lindner starters 600-603-606-612 and 648 are designed specifically for the exact stage of digestive development for your pig. Keep in mind that all simple stomach animals like pigs require specific types of feeds early on in development. Initially your show pig while on the sow will be highly efficient at digesting milk proteins and fats. Milk proteins are simple and highly digestible for newly farrowed show pigs. You can see in the chart below that Lactase enzymes decreases with time while Amylase and Protease increase. This is an important transition for a young pig, moving from sows’ milk to dry feed (more complex proteins and fats). Lindner feeds are positioned to match this transition in digestive enzymes for your pig’s stomach ensuring an easy transition to dry feed while maximizing the performance of your show pig.

Weaning Show Pigs Recommendations

Preweaning and weaning– feed Lindner 600 Neo Starter. Lindner 600 creates the proper transition to dry feed. Best if creep fed several days before weaning. 

Post weaning Transition –move your pig to Lindner 603. 603 will ensure that stomach enzymes are matched to maximize digestibility and gut health of your show pig.

Next step is 606 Blitz or 612 Starter –Once your pig hits 5 to 6 weeks and daily feed intake is aggressive transition your pig to 606 Blitz for sale bloom, or 612 Starter for pigs you are retaining to show or sell later. 

Questions?

  1. Can I skip steps in this feeding program?
    • Skipping diets early on in a pig’s life will delay his development later and can even cause significant health complications. 600 and 603 are essential to proper development of the pigs lean gain growth curve. Shorting your pig at the early stage can reduce the guts’ ability to absorb nutrients resulting in permanent damage of your pig performance.
  2. Transitioning challenged pigs good or bad?
    • Transitioning pigs is very important. Healthy pigs transition easily while challenged pigs struggle with changes in diet. Make sure that when you transition to your next diet pigs are eating aggressively and are active.
  3. What diet do you recommend for receiving 40–50-pound pigs?
    • 648 is a great transition diet. High protein and the correct balance of amino acids. Palatability of this diet is excellent getting pigs transitioned and started aggressively in a new environment with new stresses. 
  4. What is the economic and physical cost of cutting out starter diets?
    • A good rule of thumb is 5 pounds of lost gain in the nursery phase of a pigs life becomes 25 pounds of lost gain at market. Pigs are much more efficient at building muscle early in the phases of their life. As pigs mature the conversion of actual lean and muscle is much less efficient.

Fears of Uncertainty Not Reality with VFD Rules

The new Veterinary Feed Directive requirement has been in effect for livestock producers since Jan. 1. Producers across the country need a written VFD in place to get certain medications for their animals. So far, things seem to be going reasonably well despite the uncertainty that typically surrounds new requirements.

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Corn Silage Tips and SAFETY

Did you know an estimation of 16-18 percent of corn silage put up in 2016 will be lost, equaling about $1.1 – 1.3 billion in feed inventory? The recommended minimum silage density is 15-16 lbs. per ft3 (44 to 48 lbs. fresh weight bulk density per cubic foot). This density helps with compaction and deprivation of oxygen for spoilage within the silage. Achieving a higher silage density and measuring DM recovery at the end of a feeding period are positively related when put up correctly because you are now minimizing spoilage by blocking out oxygen throughout the silage . This also increases storage capacity of existing bunkers while decreasing the height of drive-over piles (without reducing storage capacity).

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Cow-Calf Confinement Option

With the current price of land and the decreasing availability of pastures, cow-calf producers are starting to look for other options. The traditional rotational grazing of stocks and pastures isn’t as profitable as it once was; since it requires a high capital in order to make it work. Not only is there a 6.3% decrease in grazable acres, but the prices of land and the market risk make it unsuitable for some producers today. The U.S. cow herds must continue to grow in the industry if it is going to preserve and regain lost market share. One way producers can do this is through a confined or semi-confined system.

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Heat Stress

With summer approaching, so is the heat. Higher temperatures and humidity with lower wind speeds increase the risk of heat stress. When cattle are heat stressed, performance can be decreased. If you notice the cattle panting or hanging their mouth open, that is a great indication that your cattle are heat stressed.

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Creep Feed & Fly Control

Creep feed can give an economic advantage when it comes time to sell your calves. The profitability of creep feeding is related to: the cost of the creep ration, the F: G of the creep, and the price of calves when selling. CPM has a very economical creep feed called BOVAMAX Creep.

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Scours Prevention

Calf scours accounts for a major portion of financial losses to the producers. Scour outbreaks are typically associated with mud, slush, or bad weather. There are several different kinds of bacteria, virus, protozoa, yeast, and molds that will cause scours. Weather conditions are out of human control; however there are preventative management measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of contracting scours.

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