What is the Best Feed for Gamefowl
After the stag season, gamefowls comes on the maintenance stage where our feathered warrior awaits to mature to be prime battlecocks. Even if your gamefowl flocks naturally comes early maturing as most breeders today claims. LOL.. Still a mature aged cock still favors to win most than young stags, even to hardened stags. This is true to most Tahor's observation, in fact as well to the data we gathered. When one is a stag, even hardened stag from chick to the pit, and the other is an aged cock, the ratio is close to 7:3, 7 aged cocks wins with every 3 stags wins.
Pls. do note that we need mature aged cock, not just aged cock. When we say mature aged cock, they mature in a sound environment, activities and with a good diet and nutrition.
Additionally Breeding Materials when not in use or not in molting, The Breeding stocks also goes to the maintenance stage with the same mechanics and principles.
Sustain Optimum Health
The objective on this stage is to sustain the optimum health of the gamefowls. And the following are the complementing factors builds the health of the gamefowls;
- Nutrition – Balanced Diet
- Nutrition – Satisfying Vitamins and Minerals
- Life Stage Activities and Environment
- Previous and Current health status
- Probiotics and Pathogens
Balanced Diet
As always diet plays major role on promoting health, the balance of energy, protein and fiber must be present. Too much energy makes the gamefowls fat on this stage, more protein makes the feed unsuitable expenses, besides from making the flock heavier, slower and unhealthy in the long run. Less of both, even in just a bit would make the flock malnourished in the lon run. The same also goes to the fiber on the diet, less fiber on the feed will make the gamefowl heavier, fattier and results to overall unhealthiness because of the insufficiency of fiber on the diet.
Satisfying Vitamins and Minerals
Energy, fat, fiber and Protein are not just the components needed. Vitality and Body Functions are supported by vitamins and minerals. Deficiency of these two results to disease eventually. For a healthy flock sustenance for these vitamins and minerals must be administered in a regular rate in satisfying amounts to eliminate deficiency and promote healthy flocks. Remember we want them to mature to a healthy aged cocks. And for the breeding materials of course we want them vitally healthy prior to breeding activities.
Life Stage Activities and Environment
This is the part where most of the enthusiast are separated, by our observation, this is the difference maker. This is where hobbiest with little space for their expensive gamefowls suffer for downcast chickens.
Gamefowls must be put to a sound environment, where it could walk, fly and sometimes do some bursting exercises.
Gamecocks are sparred weekly, little by little their fighting styles are developed. Evading and hitting hard together with timing are developed because of this weekly sparring. Regularly corded on at least 6 feet tie cords, and with bi monthly schedule on big pens to run and chase around some hens. Some even schedule their gamefowls for a scratch routine as they think if needed. The last thing you wanna do on this stage is to confine the gamefowls in a little space. The bigger the environment the better.
The same mechanics also goes to the breeding materials. Breeding materials are put back to the range on this season. This will promote healthy breeding stocks resulting a better productivity.
Previous and Current Health Status
All of the above are adjusted according to the current health status of the gamefowl. You don't wanna fatten up an already fat gamefowl. Observe the effect of the above mentioned components and adjust accordingly. It may take about 5 days to see the difference in little adjustments. This little adjustments are advised rather than with abrupt changes to the components.
For vitamins and minerals adjustments. Pls. read The Deficiency article in which you could check what particular deficiency results to or to prevent/treat it with.
Probiotics and Pathogens
It is already proven with empirical and qualitative research as well, that beneficial bacteria really help in promoting healthy body. In humans and animals as well. Twice a week schedule a probiotic administration on their feed or waterers. Pls read more about making your own probiotics culture. As well as making the oriental herb nutrient that promotes healthier gamefowls.
Contrary on the other hand, bad bacteria at least makes deleterious effect and even worse irreversible effects resulting to worthless chickens .
Recommended Maintenance Feeds and Feeding
Feeds Component
Maintenance Pellets:
Usually comes with 18% CP and portified with vitamins and minerals. This feed is the primary source of protein on the diet contributing to sustaining and maintenance of muscle tissues of the gamefowl.
Corn:
A high energy feed, pound for pound. For decades it is one, if not the most, of the cheapest, ingredient on gamefowl feed. And both statements contributes why the corn became the major feed component of gamefowl feeds.
On Maintenance Stage, gamefowls do not need large amount of energy. Unused energy will just transform to fats, and eventually will make the gamefowl generally unhealthy. Additionally the corn is not cheap anymore, sometimes it is more expensive than maintenance pellets. But for gamefowls, particularly battlecocks need to get use consuming this staple feed.
On maintenance phase as well as in molting phase, we recommend using whole corn, whole corn have more protein and more economical. Moreover, whole corn still have more amount of oil than ground/processed forms.
Scratch grains
A high-fiber multi-grain feed that usually comes with 14 % CP, particularly on what we personally use. The grains are composed of tapilans, lupins, peas, wheat, oat groats, jockey oats, safflower, barley, corn, and sorghum, some may have beans, sunflower and other seeds.
The more diverse the components there are the more combination of nutrient there is. If gamefowls are accustomed to consume this array of grains, gamefowls will have good nourishment that comes economically. Not much of vitamins and minerals supplement needed.
But the fact is, specially with what we observe on about 75% of farms, this wide array of grains are not all consumed. There are evidence of leftovers on the ground or the farms feed gamefowls with lesser grain componenst (unlike what we personally use that is composed of 18 kinds of grains). This results to the economical side, more vitamins and minerals are needed because the feed lacks the scarcity it needed.
Oats:
Jockey Oats, not dehulled, is a high in fiber grain that is added to our mixture, it will support overall health on this phase as well. Dehulled oats on the other hand is also needed as it is easy to assimilate, making there is no spike on energy even this is just a maintenance phase of their life.
See below that the Oats compose 10% of the mixture, half of this is hulled and half is dehulled. If one is to use dehulled ones only, make the ratio of the jockey oats doubled. And the feeding ration would be 10% bulkier.
High Protein Grains:
This high Protein Grains is used primarily on the conditiong stage. However, we included this on our ration for the purpose of accustomizing the gamecocks to consume this grains. Additionally the higher Protein contributes to the balance of the mixture as well. Moreover the economical side is not affected as this grain just contributes 10% of the mixture.
Supplements:
Animal Proteins: are given as needed, together with the Vitamins and Minerals Supllement. This will jumpstart to meet what seems needed by the gamefowl. If all seems healthy and well, Supplements are not given as needed but as administered as scheduled.
Administering amounts of Vitamins and minerals will vary as per brand to brand. To assess if your feed ration have the nurition requirements needed we will be uploading tables of nutrient requirements as per life stage of gamefowls, table of feed components with their nutrients. With such tables you could see if your choice of supplements are giving all that are needed by your gamefowls.
Maintenance Feed Table
| Component | % | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corn (Whole) | 10 | May be a mixture of crack and whole | |
| Oat groats | 5 | ||
| Jockey Oats | 5 | aka: Racehorse oats, whole oats | |
| Scratch Grains | 30 | ||
| High Protein Grains | 10 | ||
| Maintenance Pellets | 40 | 35 to 45, adjust per brand specs | |
Reminders:
Adjustments are needed as per your farm environment, the above article is good to farms with enough sizes. If your gamefowl ventures do not yet have such area accommodations. Activities of rotating the gamefowls oftenly will help. Additionally germinating seeds will also help greatly specially if the area do not have lots of greens.
Look for signs of health status, such as weight and color of the skin.Under the wings check if the skin is light colored, yellowish or even if it comes light purple colored. Yellowish skins is a product of fatty tissues, light colored is our objective that it denotes balanced diet and activities, light purple colored skin denotes too much iron. Furthermore, paleness and redness of the face, combs, wattles and even shanks denotes health regarding blood and circulatory system.
Additionaly please be reminded that beneficial organisms do help in promoting healthy flocks. And a farm that is a domicile of pathogens will greatly make the flock quality deteriorated. Kindly maintain a healthy area for both humans and gamefowls as well.
May you maintain a good healthy flock of future winners.
You may wanna read conditioning feeds and feeding and pointing feed for additional info.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (Nutrient Database)
- www.riverina.com.au
About The Total Gamefowl
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Source: https://www.totalgamefowl.com/gamefowl-maintenance-phase-and-feeding-guide/
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