Du-mor or don't du-mor

[Birdielee]

What are alternate protein sources? I'm not a big fan of soy or the soy industry. I suppose some companies use a different protein. I expect some use peas. Anything else?

My hen loves insects, rejected cooked beef one day, and rejected tuna today. The tuna had lime on it. A fly had landed on it, so we gave it to her.

 

[Iheartbirds]

What are alternate protein sources? I'm not a big fan of soy or the soy industry. I suppose some companies use a different protein. I expect some use peas. Anything else?

My hen loves insects, rejected cooked beef one day, and rejected tuna today. The tuna had lime on it. A fly had landed on it, so we gave it to her.

I grow mung bean sprouts for my girls and they love them. Excellent protein. They're easy to sprout in a colander in a dark place for 2 or 3 days. I just keep them on hand to carry a few for treats. I have to feed them by hand. If I throw some on the ground, they'll fight over the last one or two. They also love plain yogurt (the only dairy I give them).

 

[Birdielee]

So i tried fermenting the dumor grower crumbles (with a little rolled oats, whole grain hard wheat, barley, and alfalfa rabbit pellets)
She loved it!
And yesterday wasn't a fluke- she ate it all today! So I gave her more and she ate it all again! She didn't touch the dry crumbles next to the fermented mash. So I'm making more, a little larger quantity.
I'd rather any soy in my diet be fermented soy, at least. Soy really messes with me. I don't know if fermenting will make a difference in the eggs.
I read it is really good for my hen.
I didn't throw any grains for her in her yard, which I'm happy about. I felt like she had enough food.
We have a rat to trap.
Need to learn more about fermenting feed

 

[Birdielee]

I grow mung bean sprouts for my girls and they love them. Excellent protein. They're easy to sprout in a colander in a dark place for 2 or 3 days. I just keep them on hand to carry a few for treats. I have to feed them by hand. If I throw some on the ground, they'll fight over the last one or two. They also love plain yogurt (the only dairy I give them).

I really like to eat the mung beans myself!

 

[The Brick Coop]

Feed that is moldy does not always look moldy. If it is dusty and does not smell good, take it back immediately. I think Dumor is made by same mill as Purina but not mixed with the same vitamin supplement concentrate. Probably meaning that the grain is tested for the mycotoxins before being accepted for milling. When we tried a local mill for saving money. It worked for years until a year when the corn growers locally had too much moisture in the batches coming to the mill. That late summer, in even a week of storage the freshly milled (very dry-looking) feed developed a bit of white powder. It was probably enough mycotoxin to make our flock go off laying 20%, then more, then fertility fell and we saw less eating, then we lost a couple birds. I read more, then wished I'd have necropsied that bird. Mycotoxin can overwhelm liver's toxin removal systems. I was unable to hatch some of my show breeds. We switched back to Purina and Kalmbach in winter and Dumor in summer when there is forage for vitamins. Feed consumption & fertility returned over the next four months. Some birds took 5 or 6 months to recover fully.

 

[Birdielee]

"Probably meaning that the grain is tested for the mycotoxins before being accepted for milling. When we tried a local mill for saving money. It worked for years until a year when the corn growers locally had too much moisture in the batches coming to the mill. "
The brick coop, thank you for that info. I'm not a big truster of giant corporations but i should learn how to do this before trying to wing it.
I have 2 bags of dumor. The layer feed smells bad and I'm not giving it to her.
The grower bag doesn't smell delicious, but i think it's "good". That's the one I'm fermenting.
The last of my hay got wet today, so my hand is forced. I'll be at the feed store on tues.
I know they have feed, organic and not. I expect I'll get a bag of what they have, to carry on.

 

[Birdielee]

I do want to know why some people seem to think corn is the greatest and others seem to consider it junk.

 

[Birdielee]

Is there a problem with too-high protein?

 

[Aunt Angus]

So i tried fermenting the dumor grower crumbles (with a little rolled oats, whole grain hard wheat, barley, and alfalfa rabbit pellets)
She loved it!
And yesterday wasn't a fluke- she ate it all today! So I gave her more and she ate it all again! She didn't touch the dry crumbles next to the fermented mash. So I'm making more, a little larger quantity.
I'd rather any soy in my diet be fermented soy, at least. Soy really messes with me. I don't know if fermenting will make a difference in the eggs.
I read it is really good for my hen.
I didn't throw any grains for her in her yard, which I'm happy about. I felt like she had enough food.
We have a rat to trap.
Need to learn more about fermenting feed

I ferment my feed (Scratch & Peck organic grower bc I have birds who are still growing and a cockerel who doesn't need layer feed). I mix it in half gallon mason jars with water to cover for three days. I shake the jars up a few times daily. I also add dried marigold for yolk color.

On the third day, I dump the jar into a bucket and mix in a little organic pellet from a local mill until it makes a mash. Most fermenting directions I've seen have you drain the water. I drain some to "start" the next jar, but I leave most of the water because that is where all the vitamin powder is. I also mix in some feather conditioner right before feeding.

I feed them on plates in the run. They also have a couple of feeders with just pellet in them (just to make sure they can free feed) and oyster shell on the side.

My birds are fantastically healthy so far. The water causes the feed to double in volume. As a result, I spend far less on feed than I did before fermenting. My birds love it, and nothing is wasted. It's been great! I highly recommend fermenting!

Corn is considered junk because it can make chickens fat and doesn't supply much nutrition. It's like chicken candy. Too much protein can cause problems, too, but it has to be a lot of protein over an extended period.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Is there a problem with too-high protein?

Yes.
When a Chicken consumes more Protein than it can metabolize, an increase of ammonia occurs in droppings.
The chickens thirst goes up to rid itself of the excess protein and as a consequence creates wet droppings.
Which leads to wet acidic litter that can burn the chickens feet and your garden plants unless you let it age a few months.

A chicken feed with a range of 16 to 20% Protein is ideal depending on age, how they're kept and what you give as treats or not.
I give my hens Scratch Grains daily scattered in their pen.
I let them Free Range an hour before sunset daily, weather permitting.
I don't give high Protein treats like mealworms or meat scraps.
I feed all my chickens after 10 weeks of age, a Non-Medicated Starter-Grower 18% or a All-Flock/Flock Raiser crumble 20%, whichever is cheaper or available when I'm at TSC.
I offer Oyster Shells in a separate container after 16 weeks old, to supply Calcium. GC