Am I wasting $$ Organic VS non-organic feed?????

[elizabethbinary]

I think it's personal.

I eat organic therefor my chickens do. I'd like their eggs and meat to be, so...

but then again they're freerange and I'm sure the bugs they eat have crap on them.

I pretend they don't. lalalalala.

 

[tornado8070]

Highly agreed!
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[booker81]

I've read some of the "organic" rules that must be followed to label something legally organic, and that's where I really got turned off for the whole "labeled" organic thing. I remember one was that if you have "organic" apples, you can wash them in bleach or something, and as long as they are then rinsed with purified water, they are still organic. Mmm. There were some other goofy ones too.

Also, back when working at the Environmental Quality lab, we tested groundwater, soil and air. Talk about eye opening.....especially the levels of contaminants that were considered baseline and acceptable, but when you looked up what they were.....wow.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It is a personal choice, I personally feel grain is grain and ground up meat and meat by products are protien whether from wild horses or a slaughter house.

There is a market for Organic and the high price is justified when paying near 3x's as much for feed. I feel for personal consumption that a fresh egg with as much table scraps and free ranging as possible is tastey and good for you. If I was really concerned about the chicken being a filter for possible toxins then I would'nt eat the giblets. And I never eat giblets so that's not a problem.

 

[greenriver]

Hard to answer the "wasting $$" for you.
I think you are wasting money for the reasons some have pointed out here. For me free range chickens raised on my place are a huge improvement over the commercial eggs and meat you buy today. I am interested in their feed and continue to seek the best option. But the best for me also includes cost.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Quote:
chickensaresweet,
I checked out your recipe as this mix of organic grains and regular grains might be a good compromise. Also,I think, whole grains are a good idea. Your recipe says rolled oats. Oatmeal? Also, if you wanted to up the protein, and not use soy, what would you use? I have been supplementing with hamburg.

Since I posted that, some things have changed:

1. I have calculated the true cost of my feed mix (it's on my BYC page) and it is approximately $20 per 50 lb since I am supplementing with extra grains now (chickens' request).

2. Also, I feed organic layer pellets as treats now, which contain organic soy.

The rolled oats that I buy are whole oats that have been flattened. They still retain the hull, just squished. I was disappointed when I opened the bag, as I was expecting it to look like Quaker Oats with no hulls. I think I might go back to whole oats.

If I wanted to increase protein at this point (which I don't), I would actually feed back some scrambled eggs. I think they are maxed out on seeds. They crave grains and have been self-regulating. There are both grains and seeds left at the end of the day in the feeders.

They are very healthy with nice thick eggshells and are laying well (out of 17 layers I am getting around 12-16 eggs a day now).

AAhhh, rolled whole oats. I feed an organic layer pellet (soy protein). People have said that my buckeyes need more protein than some other breeds. Just looking for another protein source. They LOVE the 'burg though! Thanks!

 

[AlbionWood]

As others here have said, the principal problem with non-organic feed is the corn and soy, both of which are GMO and grown with regular applications of Roundup. This doesn't necessarily make it bad for your chickens; most of the harm is done back on the farms where the stuff was grown, and at the plants where the chemicals were mixed. The principal benefit of "going organic" is a gradual improvement in environmental quality (or at least, a slower deterioration) in those areas. If the resulting eggs and meat actually are better for us, that's just a nice bonus.

Obsessing about purity or the organic rules, etc., is missing the point. Organic is about reducing the environmental harm done by chemical farming.

So, whether it's a waste of your money or not, is entirely dependent on whether you think that is worth paying extra for.

 

[demp4]

Quote:
I agree! We feed them organic and let them free range.... For us its worth the cost of organic...

 

[SeaChicken]

A very big reason I choose organic is so that I help support the producers that are growing crops that are like the chickens I "grow" for their eggs - SPECIAL. NOT GMO. That's a really big deal to me - not taking what Monsanto has decided I should eat/feed/grow. GMO is NOT harmless. Why should I bother keeping my own chickens if I don't care about that? Conventional corn/soy etc. that is put into livestock feed is BYPRODUCT that subsidizes the huge corporations that only want our money - NOT our health. They HAVE to sell us a bunch of crap to keep their profits and control over our food supply. So if you think that's a waste of money, well, then my family's health is "unaffordable". It's all a matter of choices. And I do choose to put my money where my values are. I am willing to spend more than it takes to fill us up on Big Macs, my chickens and eggs included!!!
O.K. I am off my soapbox for now!

 

[PhilErvin]

My girls free range during the day and always have access to Purina's Layena pellets. I no longer spray Round-up anywhere around where they free range. I feed them my table scraps and I eat their eggs. I cook with their eggs and have a couple fried once a week. I eat out many times a week at local restaurants. I think if folks feel good about organic then have at it. I think it is good that those that do are sending a message to the food producers to use less chemicals in producing their foods. I feel it is a waste of my money to feed my chickens organic feed. I am not on a budget but I'm not concerned that what my girls eat is going to kill me. They eat disgusting things that I wouldn't eat but by the time they lay an egg I figure it has been filtered. Personally, I think this whole organic thing is a passing faze, folks like this kind of thing because they feel it gives them choices in what they consume. Believe me when I say I am a health Nut. I eat healthier than anyone I know. I am 56 and in excellent health. But I choose not to waste money on organic.