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

[urbanchicks76]

I have been reading several threads on the best layers feed. Everyone has their opinions on what is best. There was very few discussions on Organic feed that I could find. I like the idea of raising my chickens with organic feed. The whole point for us raising chickens is to have the healthiest choice for our family. I bought a 50Lb of organic feed for $26.00 We recently ran out and just bought a 50Lb bag of feed (not organic) for $11.00 Am I wasting my money? The brand is Universal feed by Western milling does anyone have an opinion of this brand of feed? I have no idea about all of this. I don't want to waste my money but sometime you get what you pay for. Is Organic higher quality or just a sales ploy?

Has anyone done research as to how feed is processed as far as pesticides are concerned? I would rather pay more if I knew it was pesticide free.

Ok last question I promise!! How important is it to slowly introduce new feed by mixing old and new feed? We did not do that with the new feed, I had no idea we should have done that

Sorry for all the questions, You all are so helpful so thank you in advance

 

[SmittenChicken]

Well, as I'm sure others will confirm, there are a lot of people here who use non-organic and their chickens do just fine.

My main problem with non-organic feed is that it is mainly comprised of corn and soybeans, and virtually all of the non-organic corn, soybeans and canola grown in the US is genetically modified for glyphosphate resistance - aka "RoundUp Ready Crops" - so that the crops can withstand frequent applications of RoundUp without dying. I personally don't think we know enough about the long-term safety of this, so I would prefer not to put my money in Monsanto's pocket even if it means spending a bit more on food and cutting corners elsewhere.

It's really a matter of personal preference, we vote with our wallets so choose what's most important to you. Either way, I'm sure your chickens will be fine.

 

[Ridgerunner]

As you say, this is purely personal opinion. If you really believe that feeding organic feed makes a difference, then to you it is probably worth it. I don't consider it just a sales ploy, but to me it is not worth it. Quality is one of those words that to me has little meaning because it means so many different things to different people.

There are certifying groups that certify if something is organic. They don't all have the same rules as far as what qualifies as organic. Some certifying organizations allow certain pesticides as long as they are "natural" and not manmade. To know what that certification means, you would have to know which certifying authority is certifying that it is organic and read their rules.

As a general rule, I like to mix old and new feeds for any animals, just as a good practice. I have not done that several times and have not seen any drastic results because of it. I would not worry about it.

 

[matthewschickens]

Me and my family are so organic. We are against store bought things etc..

We bought organic feed for a long time but then we realized that we were losing money by the ton...
We are now buying a regular feed but we buy it with no hormones and no animal byproducts. And when we can we get all natural. That is only about a dollar more than the regular feed!

Hope this helps!

Matthew

 

[cassie]

Quote:
Umm. There are no hormones added to chicken feed. Or livestock feed. Period. As for animal byproducts, some chicken feeds have them and some don't. I feed Layena and there are no animal byproducts added to it. Personally, I don't care one way or the other. Since chickens are omnivores, I see nothing wrong with animal byproducts. Just for the record, a lot of products that are pesticide free are not labeled organic simply because the producer doesn't want to go through the hoops to get organic certified.

 

[matthewschickens]

Quote:
Umm. There are no hormones added to chicken feed. Or livestock feed. Period. As for animal byproducts, some chicken feeds have them and some don't. I feed Layena and there are no animal byproducts added to it. Personally, I don't care one way or the other. Since chickens are omnivores, I see nothing wrong with animal byproducts. Just for the record, a lot of products that are pesticide free are not labeled organic simply because the producer doesn't want to go through the hoops to get organic certified.

You're right. But I've heard that some chickens don't like Layena. Now there is a newish brand called Dumar that does have animal byproducts in it...

Also, when you free range they don't eat much anyways. Whatever you feed them.. They're going to be healthy!

 

[chicknerd]

I raise chickens to eat healthily. I buy organic feeds as I want my chickens to have the best food so they give us nice eggs. I see nothing wrong with using non organic if that is your choice, but I prefer to pay the extra for organic for the same reasons you suggest. As others have said, it is a personal preference.

JMHO

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
I think organic is worth it for two things in chicken feed: soy and corn. Because it could be GMO if it isn't organic.
My solution: to mix my own feed. I give no soy. The only organic stuff I buy is corn. But it still runs me probably at least $3 or more per 50 lb bag (and more if you include the kelp meal) than the $15 grower feed.

 

[NonnasBabies]

Like alot have mentioned it's all a matter of opinion and preference! If you only have a few chickens than a $25 bag a feed will last awhile. But when you have alot of chickens it's not affordable. I go through 100 lbs of feed a week or so and pay $10.50 for a 50 lb bag Nutrena feed. I can't imagine spending over $50 a week on feed.

Missi

 

[Meches_1]

In my opinon organic food for chickens specially is better i´m using a mix sometimes i give them corn from my farm and some times non organic feed if you like chicken for the meet giving them organic will make them taistier, but a non organic mix could have more vitamins and calcium for better eggs