Raising Meat birds on alternative feeds (ie CHEEP-ly)

[ApiaryandAviary]

How do you calculate your protein percentage in your homemade feed? I need another source of protein since I don't have access to enough meat scraps to use as a protein source and we don't grow alfalfa here. I can get barley, oats, and wheat here in Alaska but I need a protein. How do you make bone meal and blood meal? To be clear I guess what I'm asking for is a recipe for my feed. 
Recipe:
1 gallon barley
1 gallon oats
1 gallon wheat
??? protein of what kind???

Fish scraps or catfish pond food?

 

[AKCharle]

Thanks for the ideas but I also have another post where I'm complaining about an off flavor from my FF meat birds and how I got a fish flavor when I switched feed to one with no soy but fish meal so I wouldn't use fish scraps. I live in Alaska so I don't know where I could get catfish pond food as we can't possibly raise catfish up here. But I love ya for at least trying to get me from here to there.

 

[Findtex]

Thanks for the ideas but I also have another post where I'm complaining about an off flavor from my FF meat birds and how I got a fish flavor when I switched feed to one with no soy but fish meal so I wouldn't use fish scraps. I live in Alaska so I don't know where I could get catfish pond food as we can't possibly raise catfish up here. But I love ya for at least trying to get me from here to there.

For every ying there a yang. To obtain a good Omega 3 ;6 ratio you run the risk of having a fish taste in the final product. Some people, and science have shown that ladies: can taste a fish in the eggs. But this is worth it if you want to eat healthy. Please work through my post which I hope will show the science behind what I am sayng
http://www.findtex.com.au/good-fats...-grass-fed-animal-products-are-better-for-you

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

Oh my goodness.
You are so right and I was wrong.
I realize that after you said a fishy smell and taste a bit off.
I bought organic chicken on sale and it was a sale so I bought loads of Chicken breasts. When I got home I immediate broke packages down and packed for freezer. The first pack I thawed and fried and my guys complained. The second time was baked. After that I fed it to the dogs. I had a large amount and regretted hitting that sale. Now I understand the fishy smell & taste.

 

[AKCharle]

Well here's an update on the fishy, FF flavored birds, we had two chickens last night, again browned on the grill wrapping in foil and finished on the grill, and eureka!!! the FF flavor was almost gone. The difference?? cured in the fridge for 4 days. Next I will go 5 days and see if that eliminates it altogether.

 

[LindaB220]

Hello, I'm one of the original "alternative feeds" gals. My feed was ground and then fermented oats, wheat and barley bought in bulk. My protein was ground scraps of meat left over from butchering our own beef and some deer scraps also. I freeze it.

I asked and searched for recommendations of how much meat to feed to get enough protein. No solid answers so I guessed. I should have fed higher amounts of meat earlier than I did actually. But I came up with (near the end) with feeding 2 pounds of meat mixed with a feed scoop of fermented grains twice a day plus fermented grains mid day.

I had heavy losses early do to it being cool-cold and wet and improper protein levels. They grew slowly until I upped the amount of meat. No flip here. Ha, Ha. And I fed longer trying to get the weights up for a better return on my investment.

The actual purchase of the chicks was more than the cost of either the grain or dollar value of the meat scraps if I were to purchase scraps.

Will I do it again? Next August!!! I will feed Nutri-balance? vitamin, mineral supplement along with the fermented grains and the meat scraps.

I'm glad I did experiment. I just wanted to see if I could raise meats with the same types of feeds as I do my layers. I have also upped their protein levels some and we are getting more eggs now.

By the way, they did NOT stink like I've heard. The ferment probably helped there. And lots of ventilation. They ran, perched, flew around. They didn't lay next to the feed bowl. They were basically chickens with a waddle.

And the poop!! Yes, is was considerable. I'm a gardener, so this is just a bonus.

I hope this will help someone, just wanted to report in.

Carol

Hey Carol, I read in an old book that they mix 100 lbs grain to about 5 lb meat. Another one said 15 # of meat. You are going to have a good amount of protein in the grains. At least 11-12% . You don't have to feed that much meat. And remember when you ferment you get an extra 12% of the total so if your level is 14% it bumps it up to 15 1/2 %. That said, didn't you say you didn't have to pay much for the meat? Well, you do what you feel is best. I'm not able to do meat scraps other than leftovers from supper and that isn't much. So I just buy a catfish feed and it has the meat in it. 32% or something. It's acceptable and bumps me up to about 20%. I usually add 1 qt of catfish and 2 qts of layer or whatever. Then 1 pt of Boss. I add what I have on hand at the moment. This week its 2 qts of rice bran 12%, 1 qt of cracked corn , 1 qt of catfish and some Boss. I always add at least 2-3 T. of azomite rock dust. to get the trace minerals. Nothing is set in stone. Chris 09 shared a feed with hog mash
Chicks 20% protein feed.
39 lbs hog mash/feed
11 lbs Hubbard Chick-N-Egg

Growing Birds 16% protein feed
46lbs hog mash/feed
4 lbs Hubbard Chick-N-Egg

Layer Feed
42.5 lbs hog mash. ( all hog mash is 13.5% protein)
7 lbs Hubbard Chick-N-Egg
.05% ground lime

I did some checking and came acoss this

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/287439/feeding-chickens-pig-feed

I'm not sure what Hubbard Chick-N-Egg is, maybe suppliments or something. Maybe like Calf Manna. I'm going to ask him.
Another good site to find different feeds is Lionsgrip.com
Ok, I hear ya, I've yammered enough.

 

[carolb5]

Thanks Linda for your reply. Keep yammering, I always enjoy your post. I use wheat, oats and barley mix. Whole grains, fermented. I used the calculator below to make an estimated guess on the meat. Using Barley and lean beef, I would need equal amounts of each to reach 20% protein. It is fun to play with the numbers. I hope this helps. I certainly don't want to over do the meat but it is almost free protein. I choose not to use a pre mixed feed. No soy or corn. If I did, the calculations would be done for me.

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

Let us know how you like the Cornish from Schlecht's Hatchery. I'm looking into getting my next batch from them.

Carol

 

[LindaB220]

Thanks Linda for your reply. Keep yammering, I always enjoy your post. I use wheat, oats and barley mix. Whole grains, fermented. I used the calculator below to make an estimated guess on the meat. Using Barley and lean beef, I would need equal amounts of each to reach 20% protein. It is fun to play with the numbers. I hope this helps. I certainly don't want to over do the meat but it is almost free protein. I choose not to use a pre mixed feed. No soy or corn. If I did, the calculations would be done for me.

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

Let us know how you like the Cornish from Schlecht's Hatchery. I'm looking into getting my next batch from them.

Carol

Bwhahahaha I had to try it and the first time I came up with barley 70% and beef 30% Then I realized I didn't put in the projected protein level. And I did it again. You are perfectly right. I love learning new things. Thanks. I have it saved and will play around with it. Fun!!!

 

[AKCharle]

Thank you LindaB for an excellent post. This is exactly what I have been looking for and couldn't find. Now I can go forward with my homemade feed with confidence. I am following you.

 

[AKCharle]

OH MY GOODNESS

that app page should be in everyone's bookmark bar. This solves all my feeding problems. I love you. Thank you my Queeen.