Kalmbach Feeds LifeGuard Poultry Supplement, 2-lb bag

Having raised/bred silkies for the past decade, I was always fermenting grain to give them a little vitamin/mineral boost, but mostly for the probiotics. Putting the powders in their water was a pain, as all of our pens have 5-gallon nipple buckets, so we'd have to bring in smaller waterers, which they'd tip over. Then I found Kalmbach Feeds LifeGuard. They already are on crumbles, and this is mixed right in, so all I know is they eat it all and must like it. For chicks, I just sprinkle a little in their feed a few times a week.

This product seems to be very good quality. Many crumble-type feeds can be dusty, but this one is not. It has a pleasant oregano-like scent, and you can clearly tell there are herbs mixed in. The chickens notice the difference too — they quickly figured out I had mixed it into their crumble and started picking it out, which could be a minor downside since it’s darker than their regular feed and easy for them to spot. Overall, I’d say this is a useful supplement to keep on hand, especially if you have a sick bird on medication or are dealing with cocci or other intestinal issues in the flock. I wouldn’t call it essential for every single feeding, but it’s a nice option when needed. I currently have 23 younger chickens, and while I haven’t noticed a major change one way or the other (I also use droppings boards), I feel good knowing I have it available. 4 stars just because I have not tried it on a sick birds or really seen anything profound. But I think it’s worth trying!

Kalmbach LifeGuard is a blend of prebiotics, probiotics, essential oils, and digestive enzymes for poultry. It is designed to support digestive and immune health. I mixed it into my chickens normal feed at the 1 pound of LifeGuard per 50 pounds of feed ratio. I only have 4 hens so that was 1.6 oz to 5 lbs feed. I filled my hens’ feeder with the mix and hoped my suspicious girls would dig in. Unfortunately they snubbed it. It does have a slight odor so maybe that is what put them off. After about a week, they did start eating it but not with the same speed as they ate their plain feed, so maybe the odor dissipated.

I only give my poultry Kalmbach feed, so I was very excited to try their Lifeguard probiotic. My turkeys can't resist this supplement because the ingredients include rosemary and oregano oil. If I am late feeding them in the morning, they greet me on my back deck. My turkeys and I definitely recommend Lifeguard probiotic from Kalmbach.