Many Chicken Questions

[theabsinthefairy]

We kept 10 layers and 5 table birds, with growers pellets for the first however many days it took them to eat a 25 kg bag.

We then dropped layers to a layers pellet feed in the morning, and just grains for the table birds, they then free ranged for the day, until evening when they got another grain feed. In terms of amounts they had a small saucepan in the morning and half that in grain in the evening. Scraps and scavenging in the garden made up the difference.

We killed our table birds at 5 months before the cocks developed full spurs - very full breast meat and very big legs - nothing like a shop bought chicken in meat distribution at all.

Layers remain on layers pellet am and free range for the rest of the day. Our ducks and geese and guinea fowl get a bit of grain and feed themselves for the rest of the day - layers too expensive to feed to them.

Economically whilst buying layers pellets is dearer, we feed a rationed amount that the chickens supplement themselves with greens and any other insects etc that they can find, but without the layers we could not be sure of them receiving the right balance to keep producing.

However - this is not a commercial enterprise, and to do this commercially you would have to do some serious sums.

Sorry that this does not actually answer your original questions, but perhaps striking a balance between commercially produced feeds supplemented by organic grains and free ranging may be viable for your requirements. Not sure how you could do this on paper - trying it out and experimenting with a mix may be the only way to work it out.

[possum]

I agree with the absinthe fairy, ours get mostly layers pelets as to the ducks and peacocks, mainly because, they are free range and it is hard to feed them separately. However they also feed themselves on who knows what (they like tree lucerne seeds which we have in abundance), they also get kitchen scraps and any food that is left over that is not enough to bother keeping another day or that has just been in a little bit longer than I would like. I am constantly amazed at what they will eat, chilli stir fried noodles they loved.