Feather Meal in Feed - Yay or Nay?

[Krazyquilts]

Is feather meal in poultry feed okay, bad, not bad but really just filler - what are your thoughts?

Currently I've been getting awesome locally grown, non-gmo feed for $21 per 50 lb bag (and that's at "farm pricing" discount since I buy so much). However, since we moved to our farm a few months ago, we're now up to approximately 90 poultry including darling ducks, funny chickens, silly turkeys, and stupid guineas, and the feed bill is costing me a fortune, especially since most of them are eating at adult levels but are not at laying age and we've already butchered everything that's going to be butchered (except for a turkey for Christmas and a couple more stupid guineas). So I'm trying out a feed from the mill where I get my sheep feed (did I mention we also got some sheep a few weeks ago?) because their 20% protein chick feed is only $18 for a 100 lbs!!!! So I've started feeding their chick feed to the rooster flock and stupid guineas (useless things would rather pig out in the fenced in pasture than earn an honest living eating bugs in the fields and woods) while continuing to feed the more expensive stuff to the ducks and layers.

But then I was inspecting the ingredient list, and in addition to "Porcine meal and bone" (which I suppose is fine - if we had pig offal after butchering I could see giving that to the chickens - the little cannibals already snatch up any bits I drop while processing poultry!), feather meal is one of the ingredients listed towards the middle. I tried to look up some stuff on here and online about whether or not that is considered good or bad to feed to poultry.

One of the posts I found on here that was interesting was this one: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/and-this-is-why-i-grow-my-own.648209/

So, thoughts?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You are feeding sheep feed to chickens? And it has feather and bone meal in it? Is that what I'm reading?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Chickens eat feathers to obtain animal protein.
I would shy away from it but commercially they use feathers as a protein supplement for chickens. It is a cheap source of protein.

 

[Krazyquilts]

You are feeding sheep feed to chickens? And it has feather and bone meal in it? Is that what I'm reading?

No, I'm feeding the roosters and stupid guineas a 20% protein chick feed that I'm getting at the same mill where I'm getting sheep feed. (Though the roosters eat as much of the corn in the sheep feed as they can steal lol.)

I can see why you were confused though so I'll edit my original post to clarify.

 

[Krazyquilts]

Chickens eat feathers to obtain animal protein.
I would shy away from it but commercially they use feathers as a protein supplement for chickens. It is a cheap source of protein.

I've heard that feather meal in poultry feed is used commercially, but commercial practices aren't necessary the measuring stick I want to use for my own flock, kwim?

So you're saying that you wouldn't give your flock feed containing feather meal?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Good question. It's normal for chickens to eat feathers flying around the coop and run. I think they are around 12% protein.

Feather meal is made form commercial chickens. They heat the feathers to kill whatever might be in them, dry them, and grind them up to use in feeds. On the surface that sounds pretty good. I don't have any real experience with feather meal so I can't say much.

 

[lazy gardener]

The article about the antibiotic residue in the feather meal was troubling, especially in light of the fact that there was enough residue to alter bacterial sensitivity in culture.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

No, I'm feeding the roosters and stupid guineas a 20% protein chick feed that I'm getting at the same mill where I'm getting sheep feed. (Though the roosters eat as much of the corn in the sheep feed as they can steal lol.)

I can see why you were confused though so I'll edit my original post to clarify.

I think it depends on how you feel about what they are eating. I do like how you guinea are stupid. I find them to be not too bright either.

It doesn't sound like the best feed but it probably won't hurt them any to eat it.

 

[Folly's place]

I wouldn't feed it either! Antibiotic residue? Not good, and in general, I'm not a fan of feeding chicken parts to chickens. The price seems too good to be true; I guess you'll see how your birds do on it. Mary

 

[ChickenCanoe]

No, I'm feeding the roosters and stupid guineas a 20% protein chick feed that I'm getting at the same mill where I'm getting sheep feed. (Though the roosters eat as much of the corn in the sheep feed as they can steal lol.)
I can see why you were confused though so I'll edit my original post to clarify.

20% protein is excessive for mature roosters, research shows that 13% is adequate. When I can find it, I feed either 15% finisher or 12.5% game bird maintenance feed to roosters.
That's probably why they're stealing the corn.
Excess protein ends up in the bedding as ammonia and can cause articular gout.

I've heard that feather meal in poultry feed is used commercially, but commercial practices aren't necessary the measuring stick I want to use for my own flock, kwim?
So you're saying that you wouldn't give your flock feed containing feather meal?

I get that. I'm saying I wouldn't seek it out but if a feed contained some, I wouldn't rule it out completely, I'd just avoid it.
Most people eat fast food and grocery store chicken that has been fed antibiotics and/or arsenic.

Good question. It's normal for chickens to eat feathers flying around the coop and run. I think they are around 12% protein.

Feather meal is made form commercial chickens. They heat the feathers to kill whatever might be in them, dry them, and grind them up to use in feeds. On the surface that sounds pretty good. I don't have any real experience with feather meal so I can't say much.

Feathers are 93% protein.

The article about the antibiotic residue in the feather meal was troubling, especially in light of the fact that there was enough residue to alter bacterial sensitivity in culture.

That is troubling.

I wouldn't feed it either! Antibiotic residue? Not good, and in general, I'm not a fan of feeding chicken parts to chickens. The price seems to good to be true; I guess you'll see how your birds do on it. Mary

I feed chicken, turkey, raccoons, squirrels, etc. to chickens.
Once it is dead and cooked, it is just animal protein.