Consolidated Kansas

[Ivywoods]

I've been using mostly commercial feed. When I lived back at Solomon I had the Solomon Coop mix custom feed for me. Our chickens always did well. We cleaned house at the county fair there, often beating others who had "purchased" their show birds from breeder/exhibitors.

I'm considering going with a custom mix. I can get it done at Sabetha with a 1000 lb minimum. I'm just going to have to do a little more research to see what I want to use, see what's available there, and what it will cost.

What's this Ultra Kibble? Is it cat, dog, poultry or what? I'd like to look up the contents on it. Then I could price it through the mill. My hubby has his goat feed custom milled there, and they are really pretty good. When he couldn't get exactly what he wanted they had other suggestions that actually worked better.

 

[averytds]

Ultrakibble


I don't know about Beachner. Nice guy. Puts up with me so far though I think he ran off when he saw me coming last week.

He ordered in some of the new Nutrena stuff I wanted to try, but he flat out said he won't be carrying any of it as regular inventory because nothing beyond the cheapest basics for poultry sells around here.


I don't think there are enough of us who even combining an order could get a decent amount at a decent price. Honestly most I know who own birds around here would balk at paying $1 more for a bag no matter what the quality difference was.

 

[tazcat70]

Quote:
I agree Katy. If you decide to do it, let me know. Right now I won't need a lot,

but I would like to try it.

 

[ChooksChick]

Here is my recipe and the breakdown. I also have a recipe that has 17% protein without the UK but has other supplements that you can add and a few other grains to get the balanced feed, but it ends up at some horrible cost like $40 a bag!!

It's a spreadsheet I found online that someone else put together that I tweaked to work out my ratios and plugged in the nutritional data for the ingredients I wanted to use.

I got orders and payments from a few of you, so I'm set now for a pretty sizable amount. I am going to see if they'll get it made while I wait so I don't have to drive out twice- I may have to wait a while, but it would be worth it.

I know if you don't have UltraKibble in your area, you can order it online, but that costs you shipping. If your Tractor Supply says they have to order a pallet, tell them they need to check again, because regional stores are doing it without that requirement, and you might need them to call Lawrence to check on it. Smile and say you'll wait while they make the call. They'll change their tune if you stand there expectantly. Suggest you call headquarters and check on why their branch can't do it if they are stubborn.

There are other supplements that can be added to this mix to make it balanced, instead of UK, such as a vitamin premix and Hog44, plus you could use fish meal and kelp and whatnot. I'm intent on getting away from soy that hasn't been properly pressurized or cooked, and I'm intent on getting away from massive quantities of corn. It's just not what they would be getting in nature.

FURTHER, I'm going to be farming black soldier fly pupae this summer, and that will be a 40% protein supplement that can be mixed in a 20% ratio with scratch to provide a balanced feed. You should check into that if you want to feed them cheaply and naturally. Fabulous idea.

I don't have the other stuff I bring with me on the list like the cayenne and cranberries, as I bring the right amount...when I have the items. This order will be so big I'll likely need crushed red pepper instead of cayenne, but I've got the cinnamon...probably will be a little low on fruit.

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

ChooksChick do you, or anyone else, know if soy beans need to be cooked and if so how much, for poultry to get nutrition out of them? I was given some and have not been able to find out what to do to them before feeding them so the birds will be able to use the nutrition in them. They don't even seem to like them raw unless they are ground and added to other grains. They are not my first choice in feed, but I do need to use them the best way possible. I have geese. ducks and chickens. And/or to add to food for cats and/or dogs.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Thanks....I'll be looking into it.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
Soy has to be cooked at something like 180* for over 45 minutes to break down some ingredient that not only makes them inaccessible protein for poultry, but also makes it an anti-nutritional, meaning it causes them to NOT absorb other nutrients from their food.

I'm not precise on that- it's from memory...which is questionable. I just know most legumes are that way for poultry.

Likewise you'll maybe find the same for dogs, etc. Soy has its issues. It ought to be fermented prior to human consumption in any quantity, as well, for the same reasons.

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

With cooking being that important, why isn't information more readily available? Grump Back to the research....... Glad I didn't just throw it into their feed. Almost a 55 gallon barrel full is going to be a project for me it looks like.

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

What about oats? I have heard they need to be cooked also. Is that true? And is there any other grains that need special treatment for them to be nutritional food?

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

With a different set of words into Google, I got this: http://www.alteca.com/lsb-products/46/understanding-soybean-processing It is an advertisement for a product but there is some information about "why" the soy beans need to be cooked. I will have to reread it to understand more. Also there is another link there (for another product) with some info on why oats need to be cooked.

So now that I am TOTALLY confused, I am off to do evening chores now that the rain has stopped. More research later..........