Breeding Delawares to the Standard of Perfection

[LindaB220]

It's just that there is conflicting opinions out there, and I started trying to find out if there was any reliable information to back up those opinions. So I got to poking around.

Of course all bets are off once the birds are able to forage their own food. Then the feeding requirements can be very different than for the birds in confinement thst are studied in most of the available science. Some people with really great forage can hardly feed their birds without over feeding them.

Also, I sell eating eggs and some meat, so the customers have lots of preferences about how the birds are fed ... at that point I have to be able to explain or defend my choices ...

I was quite surprised by the breed conservancy group recommending starting the chicks on 28% protein. I had a hard time getting that protein level feed here (turkey starter). People treated me like I was crazy for asking for it, including the local sales reps for the big brands ...

I think that there's a lot of confusion in the type of oats. I didn't realize that hull less oats is a distinct type as well as whole oats. The hull less is tender and can be eaten easily while the whole oats has this thick shell that adds so much fiber. And I don't think I can find hull less around here. Hum.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I think that there's a lot of confusion in the type of oats. I didn't realize that hull less oats is a distinct type as well as whole oats. The hull less is tender and can be eaten easily while the whole oats has this thick shell that adds so much fiber. And I don't think I can find hull less around here. Hum.

Hum, indeed.

A lot of people say their birds don't like wheat. Does that mean the hard wheat, or the soft wheat? Because that could make a difference.

I get terrified looks when I ask about some of this stuff at the farm store. Questions like, "do you know what kind of plant protein is used in this feed?" I was told, "You need to stay off the internet," by the farm store where I used to shop. So I stopped shopping there, and the new place is a lot better, but they have their limits, too. Then I found the mill where I'm getting my poultry feed made ... huge sigh of relief.

Our area grows more stuff appropriate for poultry feed than I had thought. Maybe there is a local alternative to hull less oats grown in your area.

 

[finnfur]

Hum, indeed.

A lot of people say their birds don't like wheat. Does that mean the hard wheat, or the soft wheat? Because that could make a difference.

I get terrified looks when I ask about some of this stuff at the farm store. Questions like, "do you know what kind of plant protein is used in this feed?" I was told, "You need to stay off the internet," by the farm store where I used to shop. So I stopped shopping there, and the new place is a lot better, but they have their limits, too. Then I found the mill where I'm getting my poultry feed made ... huge sigh of relief.

Our area grows more stuff appropriate for poultry feed than I had thought. Maybe there is a local alternative to hull less oats grown in your area.

Hard or soft ? I don't know - here they call it Winter Wheat ?
Our main soaked ration is predominately wheat and they gobble it up , I start the chicks on the soaked ration I mentioned earlier at 1 week and they fight to get in the feed trough . They do get chick crumbles also . We use as much wheat as possible since we get it free from the farmer that hays our place. But he gets eggs free too LOL Good trade.

Edit to add -Oats- After the outer husk (or chaff) has been removed from the stillbran-covered oat grains, the remainder is called oat groats. Oat groats are a whole grain. They seam them and roll them to make oatmeal.
How long they steam determine if instant or old fashioned JFYI

 

[finnfur]

Interesting article on Maine organic farmer site about whole grains for chickens
http://www.mofga.org/Publications/M...r/Summer2003/Chickens/tabid/1481/Default.aspx

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Interesting article on Maine organic farmer site about whole grains for chickens
http://www.mofga.org/Publications/M...r/Summer2003/Chickens/tabid/1481/Default.aspx

I've read that article several times.

One point in it about the whole grains being more nutritious due to oxidation that starts after grinding ... my feed person says that's not really true. She had a clarification, but I can't remember it at the moment. It's bugging me to not remember.

I know from the Feeding Poultry book how experiments about which way produces better results when tested ... ground or whole ... grinding has an advantage in feed conversion, growth, production.

Rye inhibits growth. Rye has lots of phytate. Could that be why? Rye also has a lot of phytase, so if rye is added to grain mixes where other grains have less phytase, then soaked or fermented, the phytase in the rye can help reduce the phytate in the whole mixture. This is enhanced the grains are ground.

Who feeds dairy to chickens these days? Probably only people who can afford to buy organic dairy to spare, or people with dairy animals. I wish I had a source of good dairy for my birds. Right now I don't.

I believe that whole grains help with development of the gizzard. I believe foraging does as well. In this way our backyard or farmyard birds have an advantage.

Trading eggs for whole grains is an awesome idea. We lease rotating plots of land to a grain grower. He tends lots of fields in the area. He said he'd give me free samples. But where to store it? That "plan" stalled out.

 

[Zanna]

Trading eggs for whole grains is an awesome idea. We lease rotating plots of land to a grain grower. He tends lots of fields in the area. He said he'd give me free samples. But where to store it? That "plan" stalled out.

I can give you my source for 50 gallon steel barrels if you like. We just bought another dozen two nights ago as this season we will be getting barley and flaxseed from the field as well as the oats/peas/wheat/corn we already get. They are $10/each, basically new with locking ring lids. You need a tractor with barrel grabber attachment to move them around when full. I definitely see a small pellet mill (tractor driven) in our near future.........

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I can give you my source for 50 gallon steel barrels if you like.  We just bought another dozen two nights ago as this season we will be getting barley and flaxseed from the field as well as the oats/peas/wheat/corn we already get.  They are $10/each, basically new with locking ring lids.  You need a tractor with barrel grabber attachment to move them around when full.  I definitely see a small pellet mill (tractor driven) in our near future.........

Yes please! Send the info!!! And info on the barrel grabber thingy! We've got lots of tractors and a lite forklift.

When I called the feed mills to ask about small scale grain storage the answers were ... aggravating!

 

[bmvf]

Quote:
I am a dairy farmer, how would you go about feeding milk? How old would you start?

 

[Zanna]

Yes please! Send the info!!! And info on the barrel grabber thingy! We've got lots of tractors and a lite forklift.

When I called the feed mills to ask about small scale grain storage the answers were ... aggravating!

I will PM you the name/# of the barrel guy (he's in Aumsville) and info on the barrel lifter after Gary gets home from work tonight. We also purchased heavy duty plastic barrel liners from Uline as we had some old questionable barrels given to us from an uncle who raised gamecocks for 40 years and needed to use them last season. We use the grains for ourselves as well and felt better about having a liner in them.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I am a dairy farmer, how would you go about feeding milk?  How old would you start?

They literally used to offer it instead of water! The article in the ink above suggests only doing that for half their liquids.

The classic Feeding Poultry book talks about dairy for poultry quite a bit. The book is available to read free online, with keyword search. Do you want a link? Or can you google it?