⠀ Animal Protien

[Fred's Hens]

My understanding was that animal protein and molasses based feeds have a shorter shelf life IE rancid. Any truth to that?

I don't like ANY feed that is old, vegetarian or otherwise. This is again why I prefer my local feed mill as the feed is ground fresh every week. Date stamped on the feed tag. I've seen bagged, trucked in feed in some "rural lifestyle" stores be as much as 6 months old.

While somewhat inconvenient perhaps, I do not purchase a 4 month supply of feed. I'd rather return every month for fresh feed.

 

[Fentress]

I wish I had a local feed mill!!! I hope the Purina represenative answers this question or do I need to post it again on Wednesday?

 

[DrMikelleRoeder]

Quote:
Purina

Premium Poultry Feeds are vegetarian, as we have a significant customer base that does not want to feed animal proteins or fats to their birds. However, we have other brands (Home Grown, Country Acres) that may use animal proteins and fats. There is no doubt that, nutritionally, animal proteins are a much more complete source of the amino acids required in the diets of birds than are plant proteins. Vegetarian poultry diets are supplemented with individual amino acids to make sure these needs are met, and the bird's body really does not care if the amino acid is synthetically or naturally derived. The higher the protein (and therefore specific amino acid) requirement of the bird, the more supplemental amino acids must be added to vegetarian diets to meet the bird's requirements if animal proteins are not used. However, research has shown that equal performance can be attained using either type of feed, so it really boils down to the personal preference of the customer. Chickens are omnivores, meaning they eat both animal and plant foods, so they have no problem adapting to either type of diet.

 

[DrMikelleRoeder]

Quote:
It is actually often more costly to make a vegetarian feed, as individual supplemental amino acids are quite expensive, and vegetable oils are more expensive than animal fats. Vegetarian poultry products are definitely not manufactured as a way to produce a product more cheaply. They do satisfy a consumer desire for products that are free of animal proteins and fats.

 

[DrMikelleRoeder]

Quote:
Animal protein sources are generally stabilized to enhance shelf-life, though long ago that was not necessarily the case. Molasses itself is quite stable. However, molasses does add moisture, and the types of feed to which it is added in significant amounts are generally textured feeds, meaning they contain grains, often cracked or rolled grains, which have a shorter shelf-life and will tend to mold in warm and humid environments, especially with the added moisture from molasses, unless a preservative such as propionic acid is used. Most poultry feeds use no or only small amounts of molasses, so it is not really an issue.

 

[Chris09]

Quote: Quote:
I guess a lot have to do with the "breed" of fowl that the research was done on and whom was stating that there was no difference in "performance" The research was most likely done on commercial type fowl so the chances are good that you might not see a difference in the performance of egg and or meat in a commercial type breed.

I know that I and a good amount of other breeders of exhibition poultry can see a big difference between the two types of feed when used on our fowl. On the heritage breeds feather condition, egg production, hatch rate and growth rate are all lower than if the same fowl was on a good poultry feed with animal proteins. We have also seen a increase of stress, feather eating and "cannibalism" in the flocks when on a vegetarian type feed.

 

[Chris09]

Quote: Quote:
From what I have seen at the shows, on this site and other sites there are more people wanting to feed a good quality poultry feed that contains a mixture of animal proteins and fats than there are people trying to convert a chicken into a vegetarian.

As for a vegetarian feed being more costly than a feed with animal products,, well I guess it depends on the type of animal product being used.

If the omnivore diet is cheaper to produce maybe a feed Mfg. should make both a less expensive omnivore and a herbivore diet since the two complaints that I here most about poultry feed is that most feeds don't have animal proteins/products in it and the cost of the feed.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have been having a hard time finding any feed at the stores near me that have a feed containing animal protein in it. Kind of a bummer since I am sure they do need it. I will see if I can get them to special order game bird feed since they do not even carry that.
I have struggled for 4 years to find a feed that has any in it. I resorted to giving them Mackerel 2 times a month and unsalted table scraps that are meat only. Their overall health has improved from doing this. Mine used to pull feathers off each other and eat them. Kind of freaked me out the first time I saw it. They no longer do this so something must have improved.

 

[justplainbatty]

Quote:
Take a look at Purina Flock Raiser. The 4th ingredient is molasses and NONE of the ingredients are propionic acid. Purina needs to get it's act together! Flock Raiser manufactured in November was sold to me in February and my birds got sick and refused to eat it. TSC sells out dated feed all the time, they need to know we're not going to stand for it! I now go to the storage area of TSC to get the fresh stuff. They don't like it but, that's just too bad! I'm not gonna pay full price for crap!

 

[JJSS89]

Take a look at Purina Flock Raiser. The 4th ingredient is molasses and NONE of the ingredients are propionic acid. Purina needs to get it's act together! Flock Raiser manufactured in November was sold to me in February and my birds got sick and refused to eat it. TSC sells out dated feed all the time, they need to know we're not going to stand for it! I now go to the storage area of TSC to get the fresh stuff. They don't like it but, that's just too bad! I'm not gonna pay full price for crap!

Umm. It's not Purina's fault that you bought old feed from TSC

Dr Roeder said "such as" propionic acid. There are lots of preservatives that could be used instead.