What brands of chicken feed are available in Santiago de Puriscal?

 

Megatropico - This was the good chicken feed in 2020.

Poultry nutrition has been on my mind this week. During 2020 the feed we purchased from a small store in Santiago de Puriscal worked very well. This past year they changed brands but we continued to buy from them. It was only after the recent low hatch rate that I took a closer look at the feed and I realized it was not high quality.

Aliansa chicken feed label. Low hatch rate with this feed.

We always ask for non-medicated feed. When the brands changed they sold us one that was medicated. The store told us it was non-medicated, but the label had to say medicated because an antibiotic was added as a preservative. That didn't make sense to me. I looked up the antibiotic and couldn't find where it was used to preserve feed. Upon closer inspection of the ingredients I saw undesirable byproducts were used. 

I talked with our workers about the low hatch rate. If I understood them correctly they didn't think it had to do with the rooster or the feed, maybe the hens didn't lay on the eggs correctly. I asked them where they buy their feed and both said Macho Cruz. Agro Comercial Puriscal Macho Cruz is a well established agricultural store in town, they are celebrating 50 years of business this year. 

Inversiones Oso de Grecia Chicken Feed Label - This will be the new feed.

Earlier this week we went to Macho Cruz to look at the feed. I wrote my questions in Spanish and brought the old feed tags. This made things easier than I anticipated. I inspected the feed label at Macho Cruz and determined it was a lot better than the one I had been using. They did not carry it in pellets, only crumble. I recently learned that pellets are better than crumble, but if crumble is all that's available it's OK. There tends to be more waste with crumble because the birds throw it onto the ground as they look for the biggest pieces to eat first.

Zeledon Maffio Chicken Feed Label

I checked another agricultural store and was told they carry two brands. I asked to review the label for the best quality one. I took photos of the tag and determined that their feed is probably a step up from the one I was using because it was not medicated. They had both crumble and pellets, however the feed contains byproducts.

I went to one more large agricultural store and they sell the same brand as Macho Cruz. Macho Cruz has good customer service and a small parking lot so it will be our new place to buy chicken feed. I feel better about the new food. I'm going to let the chickens finish the old stuff and then introduce the new one and see how they like it.

Meanwhile, I need to note that Mini is teaching her young one how to roost on the perch at night instead of sleeping on the ground. He has all his feathers now and should be able to regulate his own body temperature. It's funny to watch because he initially tries to get right underneath Mini, while they are both on the perch. She puts up with that for a little while and then makes him get comfortable by her side.