Nutrena Game Bird Feed?

[Circle R Ranch Kevin Rockholt]

Ok I have someone preaching to me (not a member of this forum) to use Nutrena Game Bird Feed.  The things is I searched high and low to find the nutritional info on this, I can not find anything.  The NuternaWorld.com gives me info on the feed but no nutritional info.  I went to the feed store and the bags are not marked with the info on them it appears the had a tag sewn in the seam, but its no longer there.  I guess does anyone here know the protein % or any info on it?  Or is the Nutrena Sportsman Choice any good? I was leaning to using the Purina Layena feed but have not made a decision yet.  I currently have 37 Coturnix that are only 5 days old today.  I still have time get it right.   Twenty four of those hopefully will go into a breeder set up I have built (GSC Roll out) and the remaining will go to a colony style pen.  My main objective is egg production along with some meat birds.  Any knowledge will be greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading.

[slider]

About the only thing that you can do is try both and see which one you like the best. I use the Purina just because I have had good success with it and my favorite feed dealer carries it. I do not raise the corturnix but if I were just going for egg production I would keep them on the Gamebird Starter all of the time and supplement them with oystershell. They start laying so young I think that they need the extra protein for continued growth while laying. Six to 8 weeks is really young for them to lay and keep developing there body with low protein. It is going to cost you a little more to feed them the Starter but you will make it up in production.

[bigjohn]

I have tried both the Purina and Nutrena brands of gamebird food.  My coturnix seem to prefer the Purina over the Nutrena feed.  Not sure why but they eat it with more gusto.  There is one thing about the Nutrena that I do not like and that is it turns to powder very quickly and the quail waste the food.  The Purina is stays in crumbles and they eat most of it without a lot of waste.

I have grown birds and feed the the Purina plummage (I think 20% protein).  They lay like crazy and have had no problems.

[Circle R Ranch Kevin Rockholt]

Hey once again thanks alot!  It kinda comes down to my local feed dealer carries the Nutrena in house and  can get the Purina if I let her know by Tuesday she can have it by Friday.  I guess its just a convenience thing! 

[slider]

That is a very good point about the powder. That is the reason I stopped using some of the other brands. That crap is to high to waste. And the Purina is crumbles all the way to the bottom.
And about the % protein they will lay on 16% but I just think the birds do better on the Starter, but each to his own..Ever what works for you...

[Circle R Ranch Kevin Rockholt]

Well, I think I am going to stick with the initial plan of feeding Purina.  I just have to make sure and let her know ahead of time.   So she can get it in,  not to bad though from Tuesday to Friday.   Man yall were right, they grow quick.  They have already doubled in size!

[wildergamebirds]

  For what it's worth, I've been using some ADM, Alliance Nutrition, as well as locally milled feeds.  It seems to hold together very well, without much "dust".  What I feed is custom milled for Bobwhites and Chukar, but they have very good standard feeds.  Gulf Tex Feed is supposed to have it.

[Circle R Ranch Kevin Rockholt]

I will stop by and check it out!  Thanks for the info!  I am feeding them a mix that the seller gave me but I am starting to get low.  Time to do somthing once again thanks!

[dan]

I have used both But use nutrina 28% ,. Just because the feed store is closer than the purina store.

[Bill Woods]

WORD OF CAUTION:

I too have used all major Brands straight from the bag. Purina Nutrena did work the best for efficency and feathering.

HOWEVER - WORD OF CAUTION - EXTREME CAUTION.
You should ALWAYS have a backup brand in case all of a sudden problems occur so you can quickly switch without little problems.

I raise thousand of pheasants and quail. Typically start on a "out-of-bag" starter with a 28-30% protein level. Remeber gamebirds by nature need a high protein to get their wing feathers on fast as many times thats their only defense of excaping. Its just built into their genes.

Why I am pointing this out is I have suddenly run into a problem where healthy chics, quail or pheasants, who eat/drink, are happy, running around just fine until about day 4-6 when those wing feathers develop. Bang - birds dropping over with very little warning. Different parents, incub., incub. rooms, parent pens. Same practices asand sanitation as years past. Examing the science of bird growth - feathers makeup is a high percentage of protein. So proper cincentration of protein and certain vits are super critical then.  Puzzled by death causes - no Mericks, no pasting, no diareahea, no loss of appetite until ready to drop, no loss of drinking - so I sent feed sample to research lab.

Initial (and now its being tested by a second lab) shows it is deffiecent in some of the ingredients. At same time they are finding another makeup of something that is not listed as an ingredient. Either it is a batch/lot problem or the brand name company is changing ingredients and not fully tested their product. Even though the test results I am paying for is not complete - its enough to temporarily put a halt to use any their products - one is that I switched over immediately to a different brand and whala - no deaths. However, I do feel sorry for one batch of healthy chics of quail, I continued to feed from a diffrent bag - same lot # though - only to have a few die this morning.  All were healthy lookin at 2AM, at 9 AM still healthy, 10:30 AM - 3 dead.


So bottomline -  for wisdom sake and peace of mind - don't put or collect your "eggs" (e.i. feed, vits/elect., etc.) from one source. Have a quick backup you can go to. Make sure, for example (not implicating or saying its their product causing a problem) Land of Lakes/Purinia has been pushing their "Home Grown" brand for gamebirds instead of the Nutrena - is made cheaper as it is less costly? Does it exactly contain the same ingredients and level of ingredients as the Nutrena brand? ome places up here in the northern states dealers no longer unless special order get  or offer the Nutrena. Some are saying LOL/P is advising "Home Grown" is to be pushed.

Remember big comapnies are always changing things and the new products may or may not work. Though they are suppose to do thorough testing per Fed guidelines they do random sample testing and release the product.
Remember - companies are in it to make the most buck for their bang. When the economy gets bad who knows what takes place when manufacturing a product whether its ag related or not. Take it from someone who was an engineer and manager in non-food but manchinery mfrg. I am not going to point out who the mfr. of the feed for legal reasons - so please don't bug me on. I have seen large corps. get gag orders put in place even before cases went to trial or were arbitrated so save their skin. Remember this feed business is their "bread and butter".


Just my 2 cents worth.

PS: Had a similar instance with another major brand many years back but it was at the young adult level.