Feeding Organic?

[wanttobefarmer]

I posted this because I wanted to know the reasons behind why people feed organic and why people do not. Whatever choice that you make is great for you, I am just wanting other peoples reasons. I choose organic because I don't want the chemicals, pesticides, and poisons that are not organic to be in my food. No other reason. I don't even care for the organic label as long as I know that they use organic practices in thier growing of the corn, grain ect. I was trying to get my feed costs down and mentioned that I feed organic chicken food to my hens and I got some very strong reactions against feeding organic and I am wanting to know the reasons why. Thanks. Not looking for any arguments just wanting to become more educated. thanks

 

[UhaRugger]

My family eats primarily organic, but we are able to get it at a very reasonable rate, sometimes its cheaper than the conventional. But we also don't eat a lot if any processed foods. The only thing that isn't reasonable are eggs in our area. Which is what made us decide to start keeping chickens. I buy them Scratch and Peck Organic Non-GMO feed. I get the soy and corn free blend. Mostly because a lot of the corn in this country is GMO and it's really hard to find non-gmo corn and soy. You have to buy heritage brands to get non-gmo. I also garden heavily and follow organic guidelines for my gardens as well. It is more common at home (the Northeast) then it is in the south where we are now. All of our pets either eat high end holistic food or organic food. Our water and food are so important to our existence. I don't understand how people can be so lackadaisical with either of those things. What we put into the ground will essentially end up in our bodies. My husband and I live in the south currently and we have to spray the exterior perimeter of our house to keep our bonding but I honestly can't wait to get back to the north. In my 32 years of existence my parents haven't had to spray a single chemical on their property. We also got chickens and are getting ducks for bug prevention. I want to try to not utilize chemicals where we are since our drainage goes to the sound, that dumps into the gulf. We as a species are a part of the circle of life and if we treat mother nature well, she will return the favor. All food was organic at one point. We just need to try to get back to that.

 

[MadChickensVT]

Achickenwrangler#1 :

The other thing is, if I commit to only "organic" products, I'd starve to death, and so would the rest of the world, it is a pity, but it is what it is.

Our great-grandparents didn't starve to death. To them organic was known as "food".

We buy organic because we don't like contributing to farmers spraying chemicals on the soil, which runs into our rivers and lakes and oceans. We also don't want to support the purchase of those chemicals, and therefore support the companies that make them. Your wallet is more powerful than your vote.

We buy organic because it means the farmer has to take the time to develop healthy soil, and healthy soil means crops with more nutrition. Feeding those feeds to our chickens means they get better nutrition, which means we get better nutrition from their eggs and their meat.

Buying organic might be a little more expensive but you are literally what you eat. It's money well spent.​

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Achickenwrangler#1 :

What does organic mean anyway? Does it mean, no vaccines, no extra vitamins or hormones? ok, got that. what else makes it organic? (I thought it used to mean carbon based life forms but the meaning may have changed)

The term organic refers to a farm itself working as an actual organism; the crops feeding the livestock, the livestock fertilizing the crops, everything working in symbiosis, as nature intended.

It involves natural practices that do not make use of GMOs and synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides on crops. It is not the absence of of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides as there are many natural alternatives that may be used.

For livestock, it means feeding those organically produced crops. Vaccines and vitamins are permissible. Vaccines are natural biologicals, vitamins can be natural. Synthetic or highly processed sources of vitamins are not allowed. Synthetic medicines and antibiotics are not allowed. Homeopathic remedies are allowed, as long they come from natural sources.

Humane standards are a little higher, e.g., animals must have access to the outdoors, age and weather permitting. Hens are not allowed to be kept in cages. Animals must be allowed to express their natural behaviors.​

 

[Mac in Wisco]

I should say that description is how the USDA defines it now. Long before government regulation, it basically meant all natural practices with everything working in symbiosis with nature.

 

[ladyearth]

MY local TSC while back prob OCTober had a $2 off coupon on the Purina Organic... I think its good thru November It was in a display
just a suggestion....
I have been buying the bulk bin at big name grocery. So far YELLOW split peas are 69 cents per pound and green 99 cents per lb. On Senior Cit every Thursday its 5 percent off whole day purchases. the dry soup mix cheaper but had to pick out the PINTO AND KIDNEY beans before giving them...to the flock a little of like scratch..
the mix contains whole yellow and green peas, split peas,marrowfat peas, barley, duprey.. cant locate the bag right now it was like 59 a pound
thanks

 

[Mom2Sav]

I had added up the price of all the ingredients to make my own organic feed and it was so outrageous I couldn't afford it. As it is I will be buying organic so I guess I won't worry about making it from scratch. It was even more than New Country Organic. I priced it from Azure and I would have to pay regular shipping since they don't do the large deliveries as of yet in Massachusetts. I know it would be way better for them as long as it was nutritionally complete but the price was a deal breaker. Oh well!

 

[eggdd]

i feed an organic diet, which i mix myself out of certified organic grains, while they are chicks. then, it's free ranging for them on pasture that hasn't been treated. next year, i hope to have broody hens to do the raising/free ranging of the chicks.

i do it because i do not want any of the crazy stuff put into feed. have you read the ingredient list? also, study after study have shown that eggs from chickens who are free ranged (read: NOT fed the synthetic feed from the store) are healthier for you - - lower in cholesterol, higher in amino acids, etc. you can do a search here and read about a few of the studies.

also, it makes for happier chickens. i do not like the idea of keeping any animal penned up. i believe it to be mean; cruel even.

i like things as natural as i can get them.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I buy organic cracked corn and on occasion organic layer pellets (and organic chick starter for starting chicks, always).

I am avoiding GMOs and artificial vitamins. The rest of my feed mix is conventionally grown.

 

[kizanne]

I choose organic for a variety of reasons.

One. while you can not keep all environmental pesticides and herbicides from your food and body, I like to do my best to not pollute my body. I am a firm believer that what you eat effects your health. I agree that it doesn't have to have the organic label if I know the growing practices.

Two. I am firmly against GMO products the thought of someone spraying roundup on thousands of acres and the damage that does to beneficial insects like bees, creating a dead zone for often times thousands and thousands of acres. GMO corn is also responsible for mass butterfly death. Organic means no GMO

Three. While organic is a label it comes with environmental restrictions on lots of other herbicides and pesticides. I don't want to contribute to the use of many of the chemicals, it doesn't matter to me if you can wash them off my produce, I don't want to contribute to the destruction many of these product cause.

Four. The feed I use doesn't use soy which I am not against soy but your body doesn't need that much of it and raising soy is one of the main reasons for destroying rainforest.

Five. My feed doesn't use animal by-products, it uses fish. I think chickens need regularly eat animals like insects but do not want all the things that could be categorized as by-product.


That being said. If I couldn't afford organic feed I'd still have chicken cause I don't want to eat eggs from chickens kept the way they keep commercial chickens. My next quest is to get the guts to raise meaties.

But by using organic feed, cage free, and allowing 2 hours of free range - I sell my extra eggs for $3/dozen which is cheaper than local organic, cage free, range eggs at the local store which means I have more customers than extra eggs even though they all know I'm not certified organic. And I have my customer tell me that my eggs taste way better than organic store eggs.

Which pays for my feed so my eggs are free