⠀ Animal Protien

[gpop1]

animal feed is made backwards. With human food we add the ingredients make a product then test for fat, protein content etc. With most animal feeds you start out knowing what the protein level should be as well as fats etc then you blend your feed stock to match the numbers based on available materials and cost. If soy is expensive as local stocks are low but animal by products are cheap then you trade ingredients. The end result is still whats written on the bag.

 

[shortgrass]

animal feed is made backwards. With human food we add the ingredients make a product then test for fat, protein content etc. With most animal feeds you start out knowing what the protein level should be as well as fats etc then you blend your feed stock to match the numbers based on available materials and cost. If soy is expensive as local stocks are low but animal by products are cheap then you trade ingredients. The end result is still whats written on the bag.

Well most human food is made for taste, so nutritional content suffers, and we also have a choice to get our protein from numerous differing sources... Animal feed limits that based on just feeding the animal depending on nutritional requirements, and taste is pretty much meaningless, while cost basis is what drives home a profit.

Nothing irritates me more than seeing ingredients listed on a feed bag as, "grain products, animal products," and a bunch of added vitamins.... Could we BE any MORE vague?

That's why I make my own feed. We farm, so it helps costs, but for what I can't find in what I have, I can replace one ingredients to make up for it, and they actually seem to LIKE the taste

 

[gpop1]

taste is low on the list of tests when it comes to animal feed. Swell rates, moisture, shelf life and a whole bunch of other things have to be considered first. Also there a lot of no-no's depending on where the feed is heading. Feed a laying hen rapeseed and you can end up with a egg that has a grey yoke and smells of fish. Feed a meat chicken rapeseed and its ready for the table a few days earlier. If you don't add enough calcium to a layer then you get soft shells, add to much and you get eggs with thick shells so it makes sense to use a computer program to work backwards. Most people wouldn't believe that you can change the color of a egg yoke by adjusting the ingredients.

 

[shortgrass]

taste is low on the list of tests when it comes to animal feed. Swell rates, moisture, shelf life and a whole bunch of other things have to be considered first. Also there a lot of no-no's depending on where the feed is heading. Feed a laying hen rapeseed and you can end up with a egg that has a grey yoke and smells of fish. Feed a meat chicken rapeseed and its ready for the table a few days earlier. If you don't add enough calcium to a layer then you get soft shells, add to much and you get eggs with thick shells so it makes sense to use a computer program to work backwards. Most people wouldn't believe that you can change the color of a egg yoke by adjusting the ingredients.

Yep, very true its much easier to balance nutrients when the clientbisnt concerned about taste lol... I was sadly disappointed when I discovered that really, all they do to make the store bought "free range" eggs yolks' "healthier looking", they add marigold to the mix... That's deception if you ask me. My yolks are a beautiful orange and I don't add " coloring " ...

It takes some research mixing feed to make sure those needs are met and yeah, not mixing in something that could affect overall health of differing groups needing differing requirements.

Have to watch those kids at feed stores too lol... I had one toss a bag of birdseed in the truck instead of plain millet

 

[Leigti]

I can't find any feed locally with animal proteins either. So right now I am ordering an expensive brand with fish meal. I might do that for a while but if I use a vegetarian feed, how often and how much protein should I give my chickens each week? Four instance if I decided to give them liver or something like that.