Very Special Feed

[ge327]

Hello there, I was interested in an animal nutrition consultation, but sadly, no self respecting animal nutrition consultant will take a guy with several dozen ducks on his property seriously. I run a medium sized poultry farm in East Tennessee and I feel less than amazing about feeding them bottom shelf feed that is made of god knows what. I have some consumers in my area that are interested in buying very high end animal products made from my birds that are all natural and organic as well as soy, gluten, gmo and chemical/hormone free among other things (corn free? No grain?). I have looked just about everywhere for a commercial feed that would suit my needs, but I have come up empty handed in my search sadly. The only farm I can find that offers products that are fed within these standards is a farm in Florida called Circle C Farm, so it gives me hope that I am not on a wild goose chase for this secret recipe. I have determined that if I wish to achieve what my consumers want, I will need to make the feed homemade and in bulk. Luckily my family owns a bakery in town, and there is a unused restaurant sized flour mill available to me, but I need help along the way in terms of mix amounts and ingredients. Looking forward to hearing from you all.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd call your county extension office. Some agents are better than others but part of their job is to help small ag businesses get started. They should pass your question on to someone in the UT agricultural college that can give you scientific help in coming up with a mix, or better yet, put you in touch with them directly. They might even be able to help you find the raw ingredients you want.

Don't expect the ingredients to be inexpensive, especially if you have to ship them, but if you can find a market willing to pay you enough for that niche market you might make it. You might even be able to work up a side business selling the feed.

Another place the extension office may be able to help you is the legal end. You did not ask and may already know this, but the bigger your business the more regulatory hoops you have to go through. Usually below a certain size and if you do not cross state lines the Federal requirements aren't bad or don't apply. Tennessee and maybe your county or city will have requirements, based on limits. It would be good to know those limits. If you sell processed meat versus live animals the requirements change. The best time to address regulatory issues is before you start.

All it costs you is a phone call. It may or may not help. Good luck and welcome to the forum!

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Depending on what you can find out, and the costs involved, it would also be prudent to do a cost analysis before committing to a much more expensive feed program.
Will your possible consumers be willing to actually pay what it costs? Find out first!
Good luck!
Mary

 

[ge327]

Welcome!
Depending on what you can find out, and the costs involved, it would also be prudent to do a cost analysis before committing to a much more expensive feed program.
Will your possible consumers be willing to actually pay what it costs? Find out first!
Good luck!
Mary

Yes, they are willing to pay the premium for such a niche product, I even over quoted them to try to deter having to do the work but they were even willing to pay that amount.

 

[Willowspirit]

I just searched “organic chicken feed” on google emphasizing Oregon where I live and I found several feeds that might match your specs. Some are available through chewy, amazon, even Walmart. You might see if these would work for you or how to tweak their ingredients for what you need/want.

 

[Criticalicious]

I've found two companies in the US that make organic, corn-free, soy-free chicken feed - one on the east coast, one on the west. On the west coast, Scratch and Peck based out of Washington. On the east coast, New Country Organics is based out of Virginia and Texas. A 50 pound bag of corn-free, soy-free feed costs $30-$35 and comes in starter, grower and layer. They also sell in bulk and they offer pellets. It may cost more to have it shipped but it might be available at a feed co-op near you for a reasonable price. You might also call around to see if you have a nearby feed mill that costs less. High end chicken feed is not cost effective if you're selling eggs cheaply but maybe if you have a niche market of customers who want to know what they're eating, you could make the math work out.

 

[Folly's place]

The OP is looking for feed for ducks, not chickens, so that may make a difference here.
Mary

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I used to feed Nature's Grown. It is a good product and they also have a soy free feed in addition to being organic and GMO free. They have a grower that is also for ducks.
I used to use the 16% grower and added fishmeal to raise the protein for chicks.
http://www.naturesgrownorganics.com/

 

[ge327]

I'd call your county extension office. Some agents are better than others but part of their job is to help small ag businesses get started. They should pass your question on to someone in the UT agricultural college that can give you scientific help in coming up with a mix, or better yet, put you in touch with them directly. They might even be able to help you find the raw ingredients you want.

This is really good advice, thank you.

Don't expect the ingredients to be inexpensive, especially if you have to ship them, but if you can find a market willing to pay you enough for that niche market you might make it. You might even be able to work up a side business selling the feed.

I understand the ingredients will be expensive, my consumers are willing to pay the premium. I was planning on selling the extra feed on the side as well.

 

[ge327]

I just searched “organic chicken feed” on google emphasizing Oregon where I live and I found several feeds that might match your specs. Some are available through chewy, amazon, even Walmart. You might see if these would work for you or how to tweak their ingredients for what you need/want.

From what I understand, Organic doesn't cover everything my consumers want in a feed. There is arguments to be made on if soy, gluten, corn free feed really attribute to a better end product, but my customers are willing to pay for the premium product, so I am willing to make that happen for them provided I understand what needs to go into the feed ingredients wise.