06/11/2026
I get asked quite often about what I feed. I have tried a variety of feeds and supplements from major feed companies over the years. I had the best results from Nutrena Naturewise products with Fertrell Breeder Supplement or ShowPro supplement added in.
I hate adding supplements to my feed. I have way too many birds to be mixing feed daily or even weekly. When Carey Blackmon decided to begin offering a custom mash with Fertrell supplements already integrated in, I had to give it a shot. And not just a month trial. I grew a whole generation of birds on this feed. Hatched a whole generation of chicks from those those birds. And now I'm raising the second generation.
Jeff Mattocks told Carey he could design the perfect chicken feed, with all the right values and all of the best ingredients, but no one would buy it. Carey took it as a challenge. Turns out, pound for pound, the feed is the same price or cheaper than Nutrena - before buying the Fertrell supplement to fix it.
And here's a kicker. This feed is a mash. Not a pellet. No fillers or binders. No bentonite clay, no wheat middlings or vague "grain byproducts". It's real ingredients. In recognizable form. Corn, roasted soybeans, alfalfa, oats. And fish meal as a protein source. Your chickens are omnivores. Meat is an important source of quality protein. I challenge you to try finding any other chicken feed on the shelf with animal protein in it.
Speaking of fillers, did you know that pelleted and crumble feeds end up with up to 30% fillers, just so that pellet will hold its shape? That means your birds need to consume more feed to get the nutrition they need. It's a waste. And speaking of waste - how much feed do your chickens waste? I was appalled at the amount of waste I had with commercial feeds. Every pellet looks the same - why did they pick through it and throw so much out? I still haven't the answer for that, other than maybe the feed is unpalatable and they were disgusted.
Which brings me to another sore spot. Old feed. That can't taste good. And chickens DO have taste buds. Off-the-shelf feed is all too often much older than you realize. Not only would it be less palatable, old feed doesn't have the same nutritional value that fresh milled feed has. So those figures on your feed sack - they're relevant to the feed at the time of production. 3 months later...not so much.
So yeah, this is a brag post. For Carey. Who saw a need and is working hard to bring something really good to poultry people that want to do the best they can by their birds. I am super fortunate to live in an area where he regularly delivers. If I wasn't, I'd still be top dressing my feed with his supplements.
I start my chicks on Carey's Perfect Chick Starter for the first 6 weeks. Then switch to the grower feed. I usually leave them on the grower until point of lay, when I switch to the Conditioner/Developer. For an extra boost, I feed back my eggs raw and make a wet mash with the chick starter. They lose their minds when I do that. It's a treat for all of us.
If you're local to us and want to give this feed a try, get with Carey and place your order by the 15th of each month. 50 # bags run just under $30. Payment should be made directly to Carey. Our farm is a drop point for the feed delivery, generally the first Saturday of the month. Please be prepared to pick up your feed promptly after delivery, as we are not equipped to warehouse your feed. We make no commissions on sales, and I have nothing to gain from my reviews. I think you'll be pleased with these products and I want to see Carey succeed.
