Possible Free Feed

[fixer1958]

My son works at a feed type store and got ahold of a pallet of 'Floating Catfish Feed'. Purina brand. I glanced at the tag and it's 32% protein.

It has a stamp on it the says 'don't feed to cattle or other ruminants'.

They are getting rid of it because they say it's expired. The bags are in perfect shape and it's not bug infested. It sells for $18 a bag.

How would it be for chickens and ducks?
how about pigs?

It's called
Purina Catfish 32

What do you think?

[Cyngbaeld]

Should be fine for both. You may like to feed corn or other low protein in addition. Aim for 18% overall protein levels for layers.

[mygoat]

I'd get it asap!

Using this method to calculate :http://www.lionsgrip.com/protein.html

If you mixed it with a 9% cracked corn, you would mix 9 parts of the 32% feed, and 14 parts of cracked corn to yield a 18%. Of course, use that method to figure the rate of mixing if the protein content is different in the base grain you use.

[fixer1958]

Well what I use normally is Purina layer pellets. It's 16%, until I get off my buttocks and get set up for bulk feed.

I have a #2 scoop I use for the pigs. I give them #6 of grower to #2 of cracked corn. That's about the extent of my feed ration ability.

So can it be broken down into something like that?

Should I just tone down the protein/ration with cracked corn and forget the layer pellets or add that also?

Is there a weaning period off the layer pellets?

[mygoat]

The only reason layer feed is layer feed is because it has higher calcium for hens to handle the heavy demands of producing eggs every day. If you're no longer feeding a premade layer feed, you will need to supplement your hens with free choice oyster shells. You'll have to do that when you do bulk food, too, unless they mix in a calcium supplement.