GlutenFree and Oat Free Chick Feed

[joycee]

I need a Gluten Free/Oat Free starter feed. I have 1 week old Australorps (2) and 2 week old Golden Sex-linked chicks. They are doing grand as they are gaining lots of weight, chirping happily, and very active. I have so far raised them on a gluten free/soy free feed recipe that I found on line - Thank you to the person who posted the recipe I modified but I am sorry I printed it and did not include the reference name.
5 Cups Oats
5 Cups Rice
5 Cups split green peas
2 Cups sunflower/peanut/thistle seed mix
1 Cup flax meal
2Tbs blackstrap molasses
1/4 Cup kelp meal
2 TBs brewer's yeast
(added hard boiled egg and finely chopped parsley)

So, the chicks are happy and thriving but I am not! I have celiacs and am VERY sensitive to wheat, barley, rye and NOW I know... Oats. I can't have these grains in my environment. I am now showing signs of being "gluten" and am sick. I need to substitute a grain for the Oats that will provide similar protein, vitamins and minerals. Will Sorgham? Quinioa (may be too expensive)? Maybe a mix of other grains? Thank you!

 

[Dephora]

Oh boy, I feel your pain. My sister has celiacs and everyone makes fun of her, like she is just a picky person and it is a very serious disease that has made it very hard to eat at restaurants or other peoples homes.

My thoughts on this are that if you are as sensitive as most people I know that have celiacs, that means you could be getting "glutened" from just residue gluten. Most oats and other seeds are often manufactured on the same production lines as wheet/rye/barley etc. meaning on the oats or seeds themselves with be the dust from those grains. I know my sister has to get oats that promise they are manufactured in a facility that is gluten free, such as bobs red mill. Could switching to oats that promise gluten free conditions make the difference?

Really, who knows what other seeds or grains in your mix may be triggering you as well. peanuts are also usually manufactored in facilities with gluten in them.

 

[Acre4Me]

I agree with @Dephora -see if you can source GF oats.

sorgum might work, as that is what is used to make GF beer. However, I don’t know the nutrition profile, but you should be able to source that info pretty easily.

you might be able to get a vitamin pre-mix made for adding to feed for chickens. It is sold for people that make their own feed. I’ve never bought it, so I can’t help source it.

do a search in BYC to see if any other posts address this topic.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Oats do not contain Gluten.

 

[joycee]

Oh boy, I feel your pain. My sister has celiacs and everyone makes fun of her, like she is just a picky person and it is a very serious disease that has made it very hard to eat at restaurants or other peoples homes.

My thoughts on this are that if you are as sensitive as most people I know that have celiacs, that means you could be getting "glutened" from just residue gluten. Most oats and other seeds are often manufactured on the same production lines as wheet/rye/barley etc. meaning on the oats or seeds themselves with be the dust from those grains. I know my sister has to get oats that promise they are manufactured in a facility that is gluten free, such as bobs red mill. Could switching to oats that promise gluten free conditions make the difference?

Really, who knows what other seeds or grains in your mix may be triggering you as well. peanuts are also usually manufactored in facilities with gluten in them.

Thank you for understanding. I have been at this for about 8 years and you are right - It is a pain and very debilitating. I think the average person has no idea so it is hard to explain. All the grains in the feed I eat myself except I have always stayed away from oats as some Celiacs (10-25% ) are reactive to them. I hoped I wasn't and tried Bob's gluten free oats in their feed thinking it would be mild if I was responsive. I was wrong. I had a strong (all too familiar) response and it is no fun. I have learned long ago to ignore people who act like I am crazy and go about my business of staying safe and feeling GREAT! It can be a little lonely. Your sister is lucky to have you for support.

 

[joycee]

I agree with @Dephora -see if you can source GF oats.

sorgum might work, as that is what is used to make GF beer. However, I don’t know the nutrition profile, but you should be able to source that info pretty easily.

you might be able to get a vitamin pre-mix made for adding to feed for chickens. It is sold for people that make their own feed. I’ve never bought it, so I can’t help source it.

do a search in BYC to see if any other posts address this topic.

Thank you for your reply. I decided to mix some sorghum and some quinoa to make up the difference in oats and am feeding them the altered mix. They still are happy little chirps. The protein and iron profile of these two are similar to oats but I am not sure about the micronutrients although I am researching it. I like the idea of a vitamin pre-mix and will look for that. I forgot to say that the oats were gluten free (Bob's Red Mill). I think I am one of those who can not have oats (even gluten free ones) in their environment. Its a drag but it is what it is.

 

[joycee]

Oats do not contain Gluten.

Thank you for your reply. Yes, Oats do not have gluten but some celiacs respond in a similar fashion. The study cited by the NIH attached below indicates about 25% of celiacs tested have "oats- responsive T cells". My son also has celiacs and he too finds he can not eat oats without a response. I should have guessed. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC523841/

 

[JD Chicks]

Oats do not contain Gluten.

You are correct, however if the machines/tractors used with gluten containing grains are then used on oats, it will cross contaminate and as the gluten protein stands is "sticky" it will get in the oats.

 

[Flock of Buttons]

I react worse with oats than wheat which has an opioid effect that blocks the pain, you don’t get the opioids with oats so feel the damage more.
Balanced omega ratios are important for people with celiac issues so I’m planning on making my own gluten/oat free omega enriched feed mix.
Getting button quail due to limited space but I assume/hope they are as good as chickens at making omegas bio available via the eggs.
These are the two recipes I’ve been working on so far but I’ve not got my hens yet so I’d welcome any comment re my ingredients and ratios before going ahead. The mix is going to be supplemented with fresh greens.
I’ve found a supplier of organic grain that lists the nutritional values of each item.

Quail chick crumb 27.65% protein
1 part flax (13% protein)
2 parts peas (26% protein)
1 part polenta (7.5% protein)
1 part quinoa (13.8% protein)
1 part buckwheat groats (9.6% protein)
1 part chia (19% protein)
1 part corn (9.4% protein)
1 part millet (11% protein)
1 part amaranth (14% protein)
1 part teff (9.6% protein)
6 parts soya flakes (41% protein)
1 part sunflower seeds (15% protein)
3 parts meal worms (53% protein)
1 part black soldier fly (41% protein)
Garlic, oregano, seaweed, fine oyster shell, meridian yeast extract, and kefir grains, all in roughly equal amounts adding up to 1/2 a part in total.
This last 1/2 a part of the mix I’m thinking is probably low enough to consider 0% protein.

Quail breeders mash 19.4% protein
3 parts flax (13% protein)
2 parts peas (26% protein)
1 part polenta (7.5% protein)
1 part quinoa (13.8% protein)
1 part buckwheat groats (9.6% protein)
1 part chia (19% protein)
1 part corn (9.4% protein)
1 part millet (11% protein)
3 parts amaranth (14% protein)
2 parts teff (9.6% protein)
1 part soya flakes (41% protein)
1 part sunflower seeds (15% protein)
1 part meal worms (53% protein)
2 parts black soldier fly (41% protein)
Garlic, oregano, seaweed, fine oyster shell, meridian yeast extract, and kefir grains, all in roughly equal amounts adding up to 1/2 a part in total.