Homemade feed questions?

[ChickenCanoe]

Soybean meal is just under 50% protein.

Good forage is going to provide a lot but in unknown quantities.

I just ask because, even though it's anecdotal, I'm always curious how successful people are keeping a closed flock and making their own feed.

 

[Organic Acres]

Hi Chris09

I think you are right that my protein calculation is slightly off, because I just checked.

soybean meal is 45% protein, and the grains are around 10% protein.

I originally figured the protein count for my layers by using the cross-multiplication rectangle that I found in this article:http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...kens-zmaz75sozgoe.aspx?PageId=1#axzz3Ek0qZNAg , which is actually a really useful article.

Drawing the rectangle they describe in the article, using soybean meal as my protein supplement (which is what I use and is 45% protein), I have 10 in the upper left corner of the rectangle to represent the protein content of the grain, 45 in the lower left to represent the protein content of the soybean meal, and 20 in the middle to represent the desired protein content.

This therefore calculates out that I need 25 pounds of grain for every 10 pounds of soybean meal, which is actually 2.5 parts grain to 1 part soybean meal. My recipe is 4 parts grain to 1 part soybean meal.

Clearly, my protein content is therefore slightly lower than I thought, because it I use 4 parts grain and 1 part soybean meal, that is a protein content of 17% rather than the 25% that I wrote earlier in this thread. (It is however, higher than the 11% you wrote above, how did you arrive at 11%?)

Anyway, 17% protein is slightly low for broilers, which should have at least 20%, but it's perfectly fine (actually, it's too much even) for free-ranging layers because they will catch insects and eat worms to make up any protein shortfalls.

my broilers seem to do ok on this mix though, probably this is because they are in a trailer that I move around the pasture so they can eat bugs and stuff out on the ground.

 

[Organic Acres]

Chris09

About the incubator, no, I don't drop the temperature of the incubator, I don't have the option to do that on the unit as I have just a very basic one without any bells or whistles. the booklet that came with the incubator states that I should 'expect a 60% hatch rate at best", so it sounds like your incubator is of a better quality than mine is.

Either way though, it still means that it's not nutritional, it's that my incubator is rubbishy.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

here's a good ap for figuring protein except some of the protein percentages in the left column are incorrect

https://homesteadapps.com/app/free/feedcalc/pearsonsquare.php

 

[Organic Acres]

yeah, that's based on the same rectangle that I mentioned above and that is explained in that article I put the link to. they made a digital version of the rectangle. cool bananas.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

After using it a lot, I can now calculate in my head.
Ignore all negatives in the following, just numerical values apply.
Subtract the protein percent of the lowest ingredient from that desired. That's the ratio parts of the highest protein ingredient.
Subtract the percent of the highest protein ingredient from that desired and that's the parts needed of the lowest ingredient.

I start with an organic grower that's 16%. I supplement with a 60% fishmeal. 10:1 gives me 20% protein. Plus the fishmeal provides a good variety of vitamins and a complete complement of amino acids.

16-20=4 (parts of fishmeal)
16-60=40 (parts of 16% feed)
That's 1:10 ratio.

 

[Organic Acres]

Soybean meal is just under 50% protein.

Good forage is going to provide a lot but in unknown quantities.

I just ask because, even though it's anecdotal, I'm always curious how successful people are keeping a closed flock and making their own feed.

What is the connection between a closed flock and making our own feed? I mean, why are those two things related?

 

[Organic Acres]

After using it a lot, I can now calculate in my head.
Ignore all negatives in the following, just numerical values apply.
Subtract the protein percent of the lowest ingredient from that desired. That's the ratio parts of the highest protein ingredient.
Subtract the percent of the highest protein ingredient from that desired and that's the parts needed of the lowest ingredient.

I start with an organic grower that's 16%. I supplement with a 60% fishmeal. 10:1 gives me 20% protein. Plus the fishmeal provides a good variety of vitamins and a complete complement of amino acids.

16-20=4 (parts of fishmeal)
16-60=40 (parts of 16% feed)
That's 1:10 ratio.

I have heard that fishmeal can affect the flavor of the eggs and can also affect the flavor of broiler meat. Have you found that to be the case at all?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If one is formulating their own feed without supplements or testing for nutrient density, there's a possibility that one or more of the 38 essential nutrients may be deficient or not in the proper balance. Though they may lay well or grow well, I surmise that deficiencies would be exposed in a closed flock where one is reproducing generations on that same feed.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...ltry/nutritional_requirements_of_poultry.html

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have heard that fishmeal can affect the flavor of the eggs and can also affect the flavor of broiler meat. Have you found that to be the case at all?

I haven't found that. The only ones that get fishmeal are chicks and molting hens. The 16% is sufficient for layers.

Fishmeal can be as high as 8% of a breeder's diet according to commercial poultry nutritionists S. Leeson and J. D. Summers.