Growing feed

[pjkobulnicky]

I've never looked closely enough but what is the source of protein in commercial feed? If I were to guess I would guess either small species fish (not very environmentally friendly) or ... ready ... chicken.

The little darlings seemed to have thrived before the days of commercial anchovy fishing or the recycling of chicken into chicken.

And ... to complete my wee bit of snarkyness ... Ag Extensions are, in reality, extensions of ADM, Cargill, etc., so I take what they say as recommendations to Big Chicken and not to BYC folks.

Paul

 

[grovernors]

I am going to start breeding a pair a chickens this summer and also have considered growing my own feed. The plant species that I am going to try first is the Siberian Pea Tree (Caragana arborescens). I will plant several of these on a e/w row and manage them in a coppicing technique to promote stool sprouting, and root development.

"the seeds contain up to 36% protein as well as about 12% fats and reasonable quantities of carbohydrate."

http://www.pfaf.org/leaflets/peatree.php

 

[greyfields]

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Layer feed is around 16%. It needs a lot of calcium, so bone meal may be one way to go.

Starter and Broiler is around 20%.

Fish meal makes an excellent protein the source.

 

[digitS']

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In reality, there are a lot of good people in Cooperative Extension. Their role is primarily to get information to the American public. Most extension agents aren't involved in anything other than this role. Generally, the food industry can afford to hire its own researchers or university labs. Not exactly the same things as the county agencies.

On the other hand, there are plenty of folks out there that have an interest in selling us something - among them, the livestock feed industry. Casual observations, claims, or imagined consequences are free for the asking if we don’t care to do our own research. But, we are paying Coop Extension for making research information available.

On the third hand - Big Chicken is highly successful by most measures. For better or worse, the food industry has been a real barnburner.

Steve

 

[healingdeva]

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Has anyone successfully raised Siberian Pea Tree in the Pacific Northwest? I've read about them and how they can be a big food source for chickens but it also seems their environmental needs are not congruent with our area.

 

[S0rcy]

I have had interactions with Ag extensions in at least 10 states, currently work with one, and know from the people there that they are not from "Big Chicken" as you put it. They are knowledgable public citizens, university staff, and personnel from government agencies ready to give the public information that is not rumor and that they can back up with peer reviewed research. It is up to us to decide whether that advice sounds logical or whether we need to ask different questions.
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