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

[Whoopsie daisy]

Thanks Sweetie, on the babies stomping down the feed. It's normal. Some people just stir it again and they'll eat it. Or some people put it in a trough and put wire over it so they can't get in, just their heads. I haven't done that yet, so I just stir and dump more on top. They are so bored and want to go outside. Just can't for a few more days. The bigger ones seem to be about 5 times more than at birth. BIG. Golden Comets.

Thanks, I've been stirring the feed that they stomp down, but it's happening less frequently now as well - these guys have massive appetites! I found some cheaper bone meal that I will order for them along with sprouting some grains for them, and I will continue to ferment some broiler feed for them throughout raising them. I'm still looking for Azolla, no luck in the farm dam or any rivers that I've passed - it's considered an invasive species here.

I've also had another idea for alternative feed, since the whole idea of this thread is to brainstorm ideas to cut the feed bill, to go fishing in ponds and feed them fish as well. Will they have a fishy taste then, when processed? (If this seems like a dumb question, I'm just asking since I've eaten mutton of sheep that's been fed a lot of cabbage, and I could swear the mutton had a cabbage-ey taste to it!)

 

[triplepurpose]

I've also had another idea for alternative feed, since the whole idea of this thread is to brainstorm ideas to cut the feed bill, to go fishing in ponds and feed them fish as well. Will they have a fishy taste then, when processed? (If this seems like a dumb question, I'm just asking since I've eaten mutton of sheep that's been fed a lot of cabbage, and I could swear the mutton had a cabbage-ey taste to it!)

It probably depends both on how much you're giving them, and your tastes. I know some people who kept laying hens on fish scraps. I think it made up about a quarter of their ration, I'd guess--a major protein input. They thought it was great, saved a bunch of money, the hens were healthy, the eggs nutritious, etc., but some of their customers complained that the eggs tasted "too fishy," so they had to cut back. Apparently one person's "fishy taste" can go unremarked by someone else, depending on what cuisines you're accustomed too and so forth. Unfortunately with meat birds you can't just adjust as you go--you don't know until after you've slaughtered!

 

[Whoopsie daisy]

It probably depends both on how much you're giving them, and your tastes. I know some people who kept laying hens on fish scraps. I think it made up about a quarter of their ration, I'd guess--a major protein input. They thought it was great, saved a bunch of money, the hens were healthy, the eggs nutritious, etc., but some of their customers complained that the eggs tasted "too fishy," so they had to cut back. Apparently one person's "fishy taste" can go unremarked by someone else, depending on what cuisines you're accustomed too and so forth. Unfortunately with meat birds you can't just adjust as you go--you don't know until after you've slaughtered!

Right, so no fish for my meat chickens then... If I want to eat fish, I will catch it/buy it for myself. Don't want to be raising chickens just to have them taste like fish!

 

[triplepurpose]

You could probably get away with small amounts, or just stop feeding the fish a while before slaughtering, kind of like they purge snails by feeding cornmeal before cooking them to make them taste sweeter. I don't really know for sure though. I guess if in doubt, and the thought of fishy chicken turns you off, better safe than sorry...

 

[RachelJG]

I've also had another idea for alternative feed, since the whole idea of this thread is to brainstorm ideas to cut the feed bill, to go fishing in ponds and feed them fish as well.  Will they have a fishy taste then, when processed?  (If this seems like a dumb question, I'm just asking since I've eaten mutton of sheep that's been fed a lot of cabbage, and I could swear the mutton had a cabbage-ey taste to it!)

Salatin uses fish meal for 3.5% of his feed without fishyness issues. I'm thinking about keeping some small fish in my rain barrel to eat mosquito larvae and algae, and if they reproduce I can feed some to the chickens.

 

[calliescluckers]

i got two bags of starter today... got home and realized the guy sold me medicated. i was planning on fermenting the starter.... can i still do it with medicated?


and also, how long should someone feed medicated until there is actually a resistance built up?

 

[cerridwyn1st]

Salatin uses fish meal for 3.5% of his feed without fishyness issues. I'm thinking about keeping some small fish in my rain barrel to eat mosquito larvae and algae, and if they reproduce I can feed some to the chickens.

If I put fish in the rain barrel the ducks would eat them when I draw the water for them to drink.

 

[RachelJG]

i got two bags of starter today... got home and realized the guy sold me medicated. i was planning on fermenting the starter.... can i still do it with medicated?
and also, how long should someone feed medicated until there is actually a resistance built up?

Medicated will not work if it has antibiotics in it (which I assume it does) since they will kill the bacteria that do the fermenting and it will just rot or mold instead. Fermenting your feed should improve your chick's immune systems so they don't need medication anyway. Feeding antibiotics does not build up resistance, it slows the build up of resistance and masks symptoms. I raised my broilers without medication and they are healthy despite some pretty stressful situations.

 

[calliescluckers]

medicated feed does not contain antibiotics...

 

[Whoopsie daisy]

You could probably get away with small amounts, or just stop feeding the fish a while before slaughtering, kind of like they purge snails by feeding cornmeal before cooking them to make them taste sweeter. I don't really know for sure though. I guess if in doubt, and the thought of fishy chicken turns you off, better safe than sorry...

Salatin uses fish meal for 3.5% of his feed without fishyness issues. I'm thinking about keeping some small fish in my rain barrel to eat mosquito larvae and algae, and if they reproduce I can feed some to the chickens.

Hmmm... I guess I could try a small amount of fish and quit feeding it a week or two before butchering.

If it does taste fishy, I would know for the next batch. It's not that I don't like fish, I just don't see the point in raising chickens that taste like fish when I can catch fresh fish or buy it cheaply here where I live...