Bay Area BYCers!

[Kacey Elle]

Hello,

I just thought I'd update you on Modesto Milling feeds (which I'm 90% sure I'm going to switch to). An Jan's can order any of their products and they have a whole grain/pellet combo that I'm probably going to go with. It eliminates the powdered nutrients that get left behind by providing them in a pellet but also has whole grains (which I wanted) and is organic. It is pricey but I've come to the conclusion that that's the price of living here! A 50lb bag is $37. Here's the info and picture from their website:

Use: Modesto Milling has created an 18% protein layer mix that is half whole grains (wheat, peas, red milo, barley, oats, black oil sunflower seeds). We know there are a number of folks who prefer to feed whole grains to their chickens. They want their backyard flock to eat the grain just as it was harvested from the field. In addition to raw grains, all the loose ingredients are blended with alfalfa and flax seed which makes a nice green pellet which adds to the eye appeal and stimulates the hen to eat while reducing waste.

Ingredients: Organic stabilized rice bran, organic wheat, organic barley, organic peas, organic milo, ground limestone, organic sunflower seed, organic sun-dried Alfalfa, organic oats, organic flaxseed, moncalcium phosphate, diatomaceous earth, organic kelp meal, Redmond Conditioner (clay), Zeolite, Redmond Sea Salt, poultry vitamin & mineral premix, DL methionine, organic garlic granules, organic horseradish powder, organic star anise oil, organic juniper berry oil

Guaranteed analysis: Crude protein min 18%, crude fat 5.3%, crude fiber max 7.3%, ash max 15.6%

 

[casportpony]

Let us know how your hens like it!

 

[Stephine]

Hello,

I just thought I'd update you on Modesto Milling feeds (which I'm 90% sure I'm going to switch to). An Jan's can order any of their products and they have a whole grain/pellet combo that I'm probably going to go with. It eliminates the powdered nutrients that get left behind by providing them in a pellet but also has whole grains (which I wanted) and is organic. It is pricey but I've come to the conclusion that that's the price of living here! A 50lb bag is $37. Here's the info and picture from their website:

Use: Modesto Milling has created an 18% protein layer mix that is half whole grains (wheat, peas, red milo, barley, oats, black oil sunflower seeds). We know there are a number of folks who prefer to feed whole grains to their chickens. They want their backyard flock to eat the grain just as it was harvested from the field. In addition to raw grains, all the loose ingredients are blended with alfalfa and flax seed which makes a nice green pellet which adds to the eye appeal and stimulates the hen to eat while reducing waste.

Ingredients: Organic stabilized rice bran, organic wheat, organic barley, organic peas, organic milo, ground limestone, organic sunflower seed, organic sun-dried Alfalfa, organic oats, organic flaxseed, moncalcium phosphate, diatomaceous earth, organic kelp meal, Redmond Conditioner (clay), Zeolite, Redmond Sea Salt, poultry vitamin & mineral premix, DL methionine, organic garlic granules, organic horseradish powder, organic star anise oil, organic juniper berry oil

Guaranteed analysis: Crude protein min 18%, crude fat 5.3%, crude fiber max 7.3%, ash max 15.6%

Thank you for the info!
It looks like a great way to solve the fines issue that Scratch and Peck have.
I would not recommend fermenting this feed though as milo becomes toxic when sprouting...

 

[Stephine]

Thank you for the info!
It looks like a great way to solve the fines issue that Scratch and Peck have.
I would not recommend fermenting this feed though as milo becomes toxic when sprouting...

Also (I just double checked because I wasn't sure I remembered correctly):
Rice bran contains quite a lot of arsenic!
I would not use it in feed at all, certainly not as a first ingredient, but go for a different bran instead...
Oh, bummer. That feed is definitely out for me.
(We have some naturally occurring arsenic in our well water like most wells around here and I read a lot about the subject before deciding to buy this place anyway. Arsenic is not taken up well by most plants with rice being an exception and it gets deposited in the bran. Rice needs a huge amount of water too grow and so the arsenic content can be considerable. )

 

[Kacey Elle]

Also (I just double checked because I wasn't sure I remembered correctly):
Rice bran contains quite a lot of arsenic!
I would not use it in feed at all, certainly not as a first ingredient, but go for a different bran instead...
Oh, bummer. That feed is definitely out for me.
(We have some naturally occurring arsenic in our well water like most wells around here and I read a lot about the subject before deciding to buy this place anyway. Arsenic is not taken up well by most plants with rice being an exception and it gets deposited in the bran. Rice needs a huge amount of water too grow and so the arsenic content can be considerable. )

Okay. So I read this and got super worried. I did some research and found out that rice has arsenic, like you said, but that it may not be a problem with stabilized rice bran. I found a source (although I'm not sure how credible it is) that says that the arsenic is bonded to the rice bran and is simply expelled with the fiber. I've also found sources that say it's awful and you shouldn't eat it as a human, let alone a seven-pound chicken. I'm confused.

Here's the source that refutes that arsenic in stabilized rice bran is a problem: https://www.scribd.com/document/35306361/Stabilized-Rice-Bran-and-the-Arsenic-Myth

 

[Stephine]

Okay. So I read this and got super worried. I did some research and found out that rice has arsenic, like you said, but that it may not be a problem with stabilized rice bran. I found a source (although I'm not sure how credible it is) that says that the arsenic is bonded to the rice bran and is simply expelled with the fiber. I've also found sources that say it's awful and you shouldn't eat it as a human, let alone a seven-pound chicken. I'm confused.

Here's the source that refutes that arsenic in stabilized rice bran is a problem: https://www.scribd.com/document/35306361/Stabilized-Rice-Bran-and-the-Arsenic-Myth

The stabilization is aimed at keeping the oils from going rancid - I don't think it has anything to do with keeping the arsenic bound to the fiber. The person I read who is arguing along those lines says it's the phytates that keep the arsenic bound to the fiber. Well, phytates are antinutrients that bind to a lot of useful substances, too and make them unavailable to the organism eating it. A good reason for not feeding bran separately from the rest of the grain!
I guess I am sticking to S&P and mixing the fines with yoghurt every few days...

 

[jenuinejumper]

Hi All!!
I have 2 Tolbunt Polish Frizzle Cockerels I need to rehome! They are almost 3 months old, one has started mini crows, the other has not, but I still suspect he is a roo. They are both beautiful and friendly, came from an NPIP breeder and have been well cared for! I am asking $30 OBO each for them (I bought them for $20 each). A good home is most important Please let me know if you are interested, or know of anyone! I am located in Oakland.

 

[All Ball]

Hi - just saw this; hope it has worked for you. It did not work for me. The higher-ranked hens ate the treats and left the boring stuff for the others; thus, each hen got an unbalanced diet.

Hello,

I just thought I'd update you on Modesto Milling feeds (which I'm 90% sure I'm going to switch to). An Jan's can order any of their products and they have a whole grain/pellet combo that I'm probably going to go with. It eliminates the powdered nutrients that get left behind by providing them in a pellet but also has whole grains (which I wanted) and is organic. It is pricey but I've come to the conclusion that that's the price of living here! A 50lb bag is $37. Here's the info and picture from their website:

Use: Modesto Milling has created an 18% protein layer mix that is half whole grains (wheat, peas, red milo, barley, oats, black oil sunflower seeds). We know there are a number of folks who prefer to feed whole grains to their chickens. They want their backyard flock to eat the grain just as it was harvested from the field. In addition to raw grains, all the loose ingredients are blended with alfalfa and flax seed which makes a nice green pellet which adds to the eye appeal and stimulates the hen to eat while reducing waste.

Ingredients: Organic stabilized rice bran, organic wheat, organic barley, organic peas, organic milo, ground limestone, organic sunflower seed, organic sun-dried Alfalfa, organic oats, organic flaxseed, moncalcium phosphate, diatomaceous earth, organic kelp meal, Redmond Conditioner (clay), Zeolite, Redmond Sea Salt, poultry vitamin & mineral premix, DL methionine, organic garlic granules, organic horseradish powder, organic star anise oil, organic juniper berry oil

Guaranteed analysis: Crude protein min 18%, crude fat 5.3%, crude fiber max 7.3%, ash max 15.6%

 

[Kacey Elle]

Hi - just saw this; hope it has worked for you. It did not work for me. The higher-ranked hens ate the treats and left the boring stuff for the others; thus, each hen got an unbalanced diet.

I ended up not buying it, after worries over arsenic. There is lots of conflicting information out there about arsenic in rice but I decided it's better to be safe than sorry. So my search for a good quality organic feed that I can afford continues....

 

[Magical Garden Girl]

Hello!
Just started BYC and was recommended to find a local group.
Just introducing myself
Live in NorthEastbay CoCo county - Martinez CA
Have just aquired a Lorp (Gerta) and two pullets - one Americana/EE (Elsa) and one is a Rock Buff (Ana)
The Lorp is the only one laying right now - still hoping my EE is a hen and the Rock Buff is considered a winter layer so hopefully will have eggs from her
Sir Quimby the cat fancies himself as a chicken herder so he is in many photos

Glad to be here