Help with feed selection

[RoyalChick]

I deleted my last post. It was too harsh and confronting. RoyalChick had a good idea "organic enough" but I like the label "responsibly grown" It means I'm weighing every decision based on how it will affect people, insects, and my environment. If you think your outrageously priced 'organic' foods/feeds are perfect, pay the money but remember the Fukushima radiation that made its way into Tuna caught of the west coast. That tuna was processed with all of the rest and some made its way into animal feed...organic animal feed. It was also found in rainwater in Pennsylvania (my state) at 30 times higher than acceptable standards but the government said that it was "still below dangerous levels". Where did that rain go? It fell on the organic (and inorganic) farms and fed the crops. (and if your chickens are like mine, the chickens who manage to choose drinking out of a puddle over their water dish).

Organic enough was an idea floated by others in the thread. I take no credit. I jumped on it because it matches how I think about these things.
Responsibly grown works well for me too.
Of course that means you have to interrogate the grower on what they thought was responsible or organic enough.
That is too complicated for most every day purchases and so standards are set so we can know what a label means. Certified Organic is the one we have and it has many flaws as discussed.
Somehow though there seems to be room in the market for a less challenging but still known standard. It will take more than my allotted years for such a thing to be negotiated, so meanwhile I will muddle along.
To go back to the original purpose of this thread, I feed the Kalmbach 20% Flock Maker feed. I have not seen the BarAle feed anywhere but it looks like a good feed so I will keep an eye open for it.

 

[RedHillChicken]

I have a mixed flock with roosters. I currently feed Kalmbach 20% Flock Maker non-GMO. I'm thinking of switching over to an organic feed, because many of my egg customers want to purchase "organic" eggs. Would either of these be a nutritionally quality food? Looking at either Kalmbach 20% organic chick and meatbird starter grower and Bar Ale organic 22% chick and broiler. OR do you have any other suggestions for a nutritionally adequate organic feed? I know many of them are not all that great. Thank you! I've attached links of what I currently feed and what I'm thinking of switching to.

current feed
https://www.kalmbachfeeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/N1044-new-2019.pdf

https://www.kalmbachfeeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/O1040.pdf

https://store.baraleinc.com/product/attachment/0960-40/0960-40 Organic 22% Chick & Broiler 40lbs OP20C label.pdf

New Country Organics. We've used this brand since they were baby chicks one day old. We now feed our mixed flock the grower/broiler feed with oyster shells on the side. Extremely healthy flock.

 

[Sally PB]

but at the end of the day, its not my money, and its not my body. You do you, I'll do me.

Yup. I buy organic for some things for me, but not my chickens' feed.

Certified Organic is the one we have and it has many flaws as discussed.
Somehow though there seems to be room in the market for a less challenging but still known standard. It will take more than my allotted years for such a thing to be negotiated, so meanwhile I will muddle along.

And yup.

I'll probably be gone as well before this all shakes out. I'll buy what I want, eat what I want, grow what I want.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

You can state that the birds are currently fed an organic diet - and for some customers that may be enough. But you'd need to be certified to put an organic label on the eggs, and yes part of that is the birds must be fed and raised according to organic guidelines their whole lives.

My eggs are "organic enough" for my consumption - organic feed their entire lives and the yard doesn't get treated with anything, but the treats the birds get are not always organic.

exactly the same here. I find people are concerned with the soy part of the feed.

 

[Possum-Pie]

During the Pandemic I met with "naysayers" who refused inoculations against COVID b/c It wasn't 'natural" or "organic" They believed that herbs, faith, and other pseudoscience would protect them. Unfortunately, I stood at many a bedside as their pseudoscience failed and they died. I'm NOT against using fewer pesticides, etc...just against believing that 3000-year-old practices are somehow better than modern ones. The average person 3000 years ago lived to be 32 years old. Today it is more like 78...that is science NOT herbs/organics. As I've said multiple times, the worst "organics" will do is rob you of your money. If you are wealthy enough to throw money away without any scientific proof, go for it. I'll wait for evidence of effectiveness before I spend my hard-earned money.

BTW, Soy is a healthy, natural ingredient in animal and human food that has nothing to do with the discussion.