Ameraucana Breeders Club

The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club => Ameraucana Marketplace => Topic started by: Jean on January 16, 2007, 12:30:20 PM

Title: Vitamins & supplements
Post by: Jean on January 16, 2007, 12:30:20 PM

For those of you who sell chicks and eggs, I have a question.

What kind of vitamins/supplements do you give your flock during breeding season?

I sold lots of hatching eggs and hatched many chicks last year without giving anything, but my luck on my buffs was poor. (inbreeding?) My blues and blacks had no problems.  I would like to give them a little boost to increase the vigor of chicks.

Thanks alot,

Jean

Title: Vitamins & supplements
Post by: John on January 16, 2007, 01:00:01 PM

There have been years when I\'ve added some supplements to the feed, but what I do each year is feed Pen Pals (ADM) Game Bird Breeder to the flock starting at least a month before collecting eggs.  I used to use a Purina Game Bird Breeder, but the Pen Pals is a pellet and now feed it year round.
http://www.admani.com/AllianceGameBird/Game%20bird%20feed%20products.htm

Title: Vitamins & supplements
Post by: Blue Egg Acres on January 16, 2007, 05:15:19 PM

I too keep my breeders on gamebird breeder year round. I also add Kingcock liquid vitamins to the water starting a couple of weeks before and during breeding season.

Title: Vitamins & supplements
Post by: Mike Gilbert on January 16, 2007, 09:52:01 PM

I also use Purina Gamebird Breeder Layena to produce hatching eggs.   I do add a water soluble vitamin & electrolyte mix to the drinking water about twice a week, especially during periods of stressful weather.    I have pretty good luck hatching my own eggs, but gave up trying to ship hatching eggs years ago.

Title: Vitamins & supplements
Post by: Jean on January 21, 2007, 04:57:25 PM

Thanks for the info.  I started my birds on the gamebird breeder by Purina, but the Land O Lakes brand by Purina is a little different.  I don\'t know which would be best for the birds.  

They both have 20% protein, but the:

Crude Fat                2.5% Purina --- 3.5% LOL
Crude Fiber             7% Purina ----- 5% LOL
Calcium                  2.5-3.5% Purina  -- 2.3-2.8% LOL
Phosphorus              .8% Purina ------ .6% LOL
Salt                         .25% Purina --------.3-.08% LOL

Isn\'t that odd, Purina makes them both in the same factory, and the are gamebird breeder feeds, yet they are different.

Which would you choose?

Are the water soluble vitamins \"B\" vitamins?

Jean

PS  I set about 120 eggs on Thursday!!!!!

Title: Vitamins & supplements
Post by: John on January 21, 2007, 06:08:35 PM

I can only guess, but would think the Purina with less fat & salt and more calcium would be better.  
Is that Land \'O Lakes or Laugh Out Loud? (LOL)  :D