Corn and Soy free......?

[Lisa Harmon]

here's where I started my researching, and got lots of info from this site too
http://www.gardenbetty.com/2012/06/garden-bettys-homemade-whole-grain-chicken-feed/

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Found a local health food store here (Mama Jeans) has the ingredients for making my own organic whole grain corn/soy free feed if I wish. Comes to $1.70 a pound even with the spendy trendy stuff like the chia or black sesame. That's not bad for the few chickens I have, and worth it to me. Here's what I think I'll use, adapted slightly from Garden Betty website, and very similar to other recipes I've seen:

5 pounds oat groats, 4 pounds of BOSS, 4 pounds of hard red wheat berries, 2 pounds white wheat, 2 pounds millet, 2 pounds kamut, 1 pound green lentils, 1 pound flax seeds, 1/2 pound white sesame, 1/4 pound chia or black sesame, 1/4 pound of kelp granules.

I can lessen the oats and increase the wheat if the yolks seem a little light colored, or tinker as I need to I guess. Any suggestions about what I should drop or add and why are always welcome. It paid to go local this time, rather than trying to buy in such a huge bulk that I'd take forever to use it up. Small time operation here. Just 12 now, and will be down to 6 when my neighbor gets his coop built and can take his girls off my hands.

Don't forget about split peas, going for about 50 cents a pound here and 24.5% protein. They don't need to be cooked for poultry. Lentils have more anti-nutrients in them than split peas (tannins) and thus I'd limit them personally. They will eat the split peas if mixed into the feed and not too many of them. Same with flax (they don't like a lot of them).

You can buy from azurestandard.com if you want organic bulk ($550 min. order) if you are in their delivery zone. I love them. Also Bob's Red Mill says they are non-GMO and you can mail-order from them. There is also Modesto Milling in CA but I haven't ordered from them.

The white wheat, if it is soft, will be lower in protein than the hard red wheat. IF it is the same price you might research and think that over. Usually it is cheaper though.

Millet is 11% protein and I give lots of it to the chickens.

Here:
http://www.lionsgrip.com/protein.html
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Feed_ingredients/Grains.html
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Feed_ingredients/Proteins.html

Your chia and sesame will skyrocket the cost.

Try to keep the flax down, as too much will make the eggs taste funny.

You might try including some non-GMO rolled barley (very cheap here) if you are just avoiding GMOs. If you want organic though I understand.

Kelp- try to keep at 1% of feed:
http://www.countrysideorganics.com/product-faqs/thorvin™-kelp/
see kelp app. amt.

Kamut is great but very spendy. I do love it and keep some around...azure has a kamut scratch for sale but I haven't bought it.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh I forgot to mention that I like the Redmond mineral conditioner also from azure (I leave it out free choice for them) and make sure to give them greens year round (like alfalfa cubes that are soaked) or green grass year round (chopped alfalfa hay in very short lengths also, for example) for vitamins if you aren't giving them a vitamin supplement like Fertrell.

The mineral conditioner is a VERY important salt supplement (yes kelp has salt too but I didn't like the kelp smell).

 

[Lisa Harmon]

great tip about the lentils! I will take the lentils off the recipe and replace them with split peas. I've also pretty much dropped the chia, and might do so with sesame except on occasion, and will lower the flax content too. Since white wheat is actually more expensive for me here, I've decided to stick with hard red. The girls have been getting sprouts and microgreens I'm growing in flats everyday until I get a chance to build a light enough tractor to pasture them in a safe, confined way (chicken hawks and predators galore here).
I'll also try to find redmond salt locally, but can order it online since it's a smaller component of a feed mix. I'm also looking into Fertrell locally, but have been giving a non-organic "Rooster Booster" vitamin supplement for all fowl in the mean time.
Thank you SO MUCH for the wise advice!! I really am trying to keep my girls healthy, provide them everything they need in an affordable way without the corn and soy and gmo, so I really am forced to make my own. I love having this thread to get information from!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

great tip about the lentils! I will take the lentils off the recipe and replace them with split peas. I've also pretty much dropped the chia, and might do so with sesame except on occasion, and will lower the flax content too. Since white wheat is actually more expensive for me here, I've decided to stick with hard red. The girls have been getting sprouts and microgreens I'm growing in flats everyday until I get a chance to build a light enough tractor to pasture them in a safe, confined way (chicken hawks and predators galore here).
I'll also try to find redmond salt locally, but can order it online since it's a smaller component of a feed mix. I'm also looking into Fertrell locally, but have been giving a non-organic "Rooster Booster" vitamin supplement for all fowl in the mean time.
Thank you SO MUCH for the wise advice!! I really am trying to keep my girls healthy, provide them everything they need in an affordable way without the corn and soy and gmo, so I really am forced to make my own. I love having this thread to get information from!

There is one lady on BYC who feeds lentils uncooked. I have read that it is fine but that the tannin content is a bit higher than with the peas, is all. You should be OK in moderation.

Azure standard sells that Scratch and Peck soy and corn free mix but I haven't tried it. I prefer some soy since I have noticed better weight gain and laying with some organic soy in there.

You are welcome! I love mixing feed. It is sooooo beautiful to see all the different things in there and they just LOVE all the variety.

 

[Lisa Harmon]

got the Fertrell NutriBalancer "locally"! It's a couple hours drive, but till "local" compared to other sources. The 60 pound bag is enough for a full 2000# of feed! It'll last till the second coming... other threads here on byc said to use about 1/2-1/3 oz per pound of dry feed for layers, so that's what I'm gonna go with. Mine eat about 3-4 dry pounds per day, and I can get the Fertrell to stick since I often soak/sprout their feed. Acquired some 50# bags of red wheat, Boss, oats, and 25# of millet and split peas I'll pick up Thursday. And I can even grow some of those on to greens along with other fodder.
I'm actually pretty excited!

 

[ChicksandWeeds]

where are you getting it (what brand) - i am feeding soy free already - but no longer trust the corn being truly organic ...so i am looking for corn free too.

 

[Soy Free LIfe]

I get my feed from a local group outside of Phoenix. It is soy corn and canola free: http://www.phoenixorganicfeed.com/

 

[slagartist]

Thank you Leah...I avoid soy for myself and I would never feed it to my dogs or cats (they eat a raw diet), but there are things in the organic, soy and corn free feeds that I asked myself the same question you pose..."would this be a natural part of their diet?". Like fish meal. I have the same issue with commercial feeds for horses. In fact one of the ingredients they use in those is chicken egg. My horse would never seek out and eat chicken eggs!

I frequently say to people regarding their dogs... "when was the last time you saw a dog grazing in a wheat or corn field?" and.... "dogs do not catch their prey and line up in front of a grill master in the woods at 10 am and 5pm to have that rabbit they caught cooked before they eat it."
(this is usually a conversation about why I do not feed them grains, why I feed raw uncooked foods and why I don't feed on a schedule)

Thank you for the links..I already read Mercola frequently, but I will check out the other.

^ Same thing with my dogs. Due to current time constraints and budget, my dog currently gets (ridiculously high-quality) wet food, but I supplement his diet with raw bones (also better than cooked bones or rawhide -- no splintering, and no choking/blocking hazard). He eats better than I do. When time and money allow, he'll be back on raw food. Sometimes we just cook dog-friendly meals (no garlic, etc) and he eats a portion of our food for his dinner. Either way, dry food for dogs and cats are the absolute worst.

I use corn and soy free feed that is locally grown, both to avoid GMO, political reasons, AND to support our local farms. I'm in Seattle, so even in an urban environment you can usually find a supply store that sells locally, organically grown feed

This is our supplier: http://www.scratchandpeck.com/products/poultry

 

[ChicksandWeeds]

there are a fair amount of people allergic against soy protein ...and some so called egg allergies were really soy allergies ...also, most corn and soy is GMO and that comes with yet other health concerns ...i only feed soy free and would do corn free too if it were available locally.