Green Mountain Soy Free Layer

[Jon0286]

Anyone use this feed?

 

[countrygoddess]

Huh. Must be really new. When I was trying to find a local manufacturer and supplier of soy-free feed, I checked them and they didn't have any. I'd be really interested in using this product because although I really like putting together fresh whole grain feed for my chickens, it's going to be more and more work as I increase the size of my flock from 16 to 50.

The thing I'd really like to see in this product is some kind of animal protein, such as fish meal or crab meal. I use fish meal in my feed because it's a superb source of protein (64%). I also use Diamond V yeast. I supplement with live proteins, such as meal worms and maggots.

Hmmm... I see it has canola meal. That's out, too. There is no such thing as a "canola" plant--it's genetically engineered rapeseed. Not interested in genetic engineering. My grains and peas come from Jack up at Butterworks Farm. No GMOs, organic, heritage crops... I guess I just talked myself into continuing to make my own feed. =)

 

[PatQ]

I know this is an old thread, but I just bought my 1st 50 lb. bag of GMF Organic Soy-Free Layer - they recently added fish meal to up the protein which makes me happy and willing to give it a try. I'm curious if anyone is using this feed and what their experience is....

 

[countrygoddess]

I know this is an old thread, but I just bought my 1st 50 lb. bag of GMF Organic Soy-Free Layer - they recently added fish meal to up the protein which makes me happy and willing to give it a try. I'm curious if anyone is using this feed and what their experience is....

I bought a bag when I ran out of an ingredient in my own feed formulation and couldn't get more right away. Green Mountain was fine. I, too, was happy fish meal had been added. It's the canola I'm not happy with. Canola is a genetically modified version of the rapeseed plant. Once the chicken eats it, it does not enter the food chain as soy does, but I DO NOT approve of screwing with the genetics of anything we or my pets/livestock eat.

I make my own organic, soy-free, GMO-free feed and found a mill that carries all my ingredients so I can have them mix it, grind it, bag it, and ship it to me. I'll be submitting milling orders frequently so the feed will always be very fresh and I will be offering it for sale. If you're interested in trying it, PM me. =)

 

[PatQ]

Thank you for replying
Yes - I am aware of the canola problem and disappointed that this has canola meal . I found a quote by Eric developer of GMF - it was response of his to a question about another brand of soy-free. I'm still going back and forth over soy based vs. soy free and this is of concern to me.

"The CO feed is soy-free, and also has a lot of field peas in it. Although the crude protein is higher, the crucial amino acids are much lower. Your chickens will be looking for those amino acids elsewhere, and will not produce as well. Crude protein being higher, does not mean that they will be getting the "types" of protein that they need for high production. The fishmeal certainly helps in a formulation like that, but it will not make up for lack of amino acid balance in a formulation that is mostly field peas. This type of formulation will also be much lower in energy.

There are a few different ways to manufacture a soy-free organic layer feed, but none of them will produce as well as a soy based feed. They will still produce in the 50-70% range though.....(Instead of 80-95%)"

What is your secret formula?

 

[Jon0286]

I did read to feed BOSS to up production with soy free feed... Anyone try this?

 

[Jon0286]

I am feeding countryside organics and have four hens almost five months old. One has started to lay and has only missed one day out of eight days. I just started to feed BOSS today to see if it changes anything.

 

[PatQ]

What was the reason you ended up using Countryside Organics instead of Green Mtn, - just curious since you had asked the original question. My feed store carries both and I went with GM - mainly because I heard that the CO had lots of dusty waste - not sure it that's true. And I liked that GM had added fishmeal. My girls are only 15 weeks but I have just started adding the GM layer feed since one of them (my only sex-link) seems to be close to laying.

 

[Jon0286]

Green mountain has fish meal? I didn't know that I went with countryside organics because it has fish meal.

 

[PatQ]

Yes the Green Mtn. non-soy formula now contains fishmeal - I didn't know that Countryside had fishmeal - I thought it was all pea protein which is why I went with Green Mtn - haha. They are probably both very similar.