I know what fermentation is but what kinds of foods are fermented for chickens I would like to try it as I'm pretty new to raising them. And for some reason I can't get my girls to gain weight. I've wormed them so I'm at a loss.
Growing fodder for chickens
- Thread starter pawtraitart
- Start date
- Aug 14, 2012
- 76
- 27
- 95
yes if the house is cool enough it should work
- Aug 14, 2012
- 76
- 27
- 95
My Chicken care. Hope this helps
Working with people’s health for over 35 years as a natural physician and as a professor of natural medicine to other doctors and holistic veterinarians has given me opportunity to learn all kinds of safe methods for prevention and reversing health challenges in animals as well as people.
So if you have any health issues arise with your animals or yourself or kids, feel free to ask me for some solutions.
For my hens I use the best Organic certified non-GMO whole grain, Barley, Triticale, Pea and also these grains freshly cracked and mixed into feed with Camelina meal and Fetrell vitamins minerals and probiotics. Info on this feed is below.
But even with that and free pasturing all day hens need additional calcium in the form of free choice crushed Oyster Shells, Crustacean meal which is shrimp and crab meal, Limestone grit or Kelp meal are essential for hens. I also sprinkle Crustacean meal on their damp or wet food too.
I also add Kelp meal because I want them to have lots of minerals from a plant source that is easier to digest.
I add fish meal to help them get extra protein especially when molting so they don’t molt as much or go through it faster and easier. And brewers yeast.
Even though the feed I use has Camaelina meal with 9% oil containing omegas like Flax seed, I add Flax seeds too for extra Essential fatty acids, Omega oils and to have high omegas in the eggs. Not all my hens like these and they don’t always eat them all up if I add too many, but I still put them in with their feed.
Also several days a week I add a little BOSS, Black Oil Sunflower Seeds as a good nutrient source for oils and protein and as a treat because they love them. Not too many or they will be too full to eat all their other good feed.
Regularly I add a little Millet just for variety. I cook it and eat it as cereal or mix with Quinoa for me too.
If I have left over hot cereal or cooked rice from our kitchen I dump that into the fines left in the feed troughs and stir it in. I also soak the Scratch, or any whole grain and put it on leftover fines to help them eat it all up.
Grit or gravel is important to add free choice even if they free range and can get some rocks, it really helps them to digest up their whole grain, scratch, and our real grain feed. They need rocks in their gizzards to grind up the food smaller so they get more nutrients out of it and this saves you money on feed as they are more nourished and eat less. Maybe they get enough rocks if they free pasture, but I know for sure they eat the grit about 1/5 of what they eat in Oyster shells. I just put them both in a hanging feeder or dog dish free choice.
I add raw live apple cider vinegar with the mother in it and some liquid trace minerals into their water. And coral calcium powder. This increases calcium and minerals in the water they get and ACV also keeps the algae down.
And I add Lime – calcium and magnesium, Soft Rock Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Azomite volcanic rock dust, and Glacial Dust, which are extremely fine powders full of readily absorbed minerals, to my veg garden and on the pasture grass where the hens eat, so that we all get more minerals in what we eat. If you have an area of grass dirt or pasture that gets too acid from all the hens waste, Lime on it will help sweeten the soil again and neutralize the acid. This higher nutrient soil gives them more calcium and other minerals to make better shells and bones when they eat the pasture grass.
I use DE (Diatomaceous Earth) mostly in the dry seasons on the ground in their runs, in their coops and nest boxes to keep mites and fleas away and smell down under roosts. And I put it in their Dirt dust baths they dig. For my goats and llama, in their bedding and I rub into their fur every couple months.
I dust all new pullets or hens that I buy with DE. I keep them in their own run right next to the other hens for five days so they acclimatize and get used to the other hens. This way there is almost no fighting and minimal pecking order scruffing by the time I let them out together. Pullets I keep separate until they are laying.
Some add a little DE to damp or wet feed periodically to help kill off internal parasites but it won’t help worms.
I also use some Zeolites (PDZ) or Stall Dry a Montmorilinite clay with DE in it, for smell as it absorbs ammonia.
I get the soil amendments, minerals from an Organic Ag supplier in Oregon in 50# sacks. I can get you 5 or 10 pounds of any of these if you want so you don’t have to buy a 50# sack too.
I also make a great natural safe essential oil and herbal extract mix that can be used to get rid of mites and fleas from animals, hens, prevention and to eliminate them.
If they look like they have mites I spray them and especially their legs with some Cedar oil mixed with other parasite herbs that I mix up: Citronella Lemon Grass, Lemon Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Neem and a few other special herbs. I used this and got rid of leg mites on one older hen I bought that had them. Never had a problem again even though I had seen the mites in the coop, but it got rid of them all after spraying the nests and coop.
The herbal and oil blend is also good to spray down the coop when I do a major run clean out 2-3 times a year.
DE is tiny shells and work by cutting the exoskeleton of small insects when they crawl on it. Worms and fungus don't have those so it is of no use against them.
But it never hurts to put DE around the coop and nests and garden. Or even in feed occasionally.
I add Cayenne and Garlic and Ginger powder on to wet hen feed so it sticks for a few days monthly and ACV into their water. They don’t taste the cayenne and I never have worms and the cayenne helps keep the rat and mice out of the food and feeders. It helps keep them warmer on freezing too. I don't like to give the cayenne when it is real hot in the summer so I leave that out. I also give cracked whole Pumpkin seeds to the hens periodically and goats eat them too.
And for my goats I use a parasite herbal tablet that we take every few years. I just give them 1/3 dose for people in a handful of grain and make sure they swallow because sometimes they spit it out.
I use Neem oil, Cedarwood oil, Lemon Eucalyptus, Citronella, Cajeput, tea Tree and some other essential oils I mix up as a mite, spider, insect and parasite preventative in the runs and coops and it will drive mites out for a couple months. Dilute with water and Spray on wood so it soaks in especially around the edges of the coop or run area. I also spray it on the straw bedding for my goats and a little on their tail and hair.
For my clients with serious parasite or worm problem people or animals I make a stronger herbal blend with Artemisinin which is the active ingredient extracted out of Wormwood, along with Garlic, Pumpkin, Mustard, Black Walnut, Capsaicin from Cayenne and Clove. Why do you think people eat cloves??? It isn't for the taste, that's for sure, as far as my taste buds go.
I mix these up as liquid herbal extracts to add on to feed also. Only use for a short time then drop the Artemisinin and continue with the rest.
You can repeat in 7 weeks for a week or 2 to be sure to kill off any parasite eggs. Then you should be good for a few months.
May depend on your soil and manure levels in the soil. Adding lime to the ground near the coops and runs is a good idea to sweeten the soil, neutralize acid and provide higher cal mag levels in the grass.
Grapefruit seed extract and Caprylic acid from coconuts, Pau D'arco, Tea Tree, Usnea or undecylinic acid are great for fungus, ringworm etc. Feeding coconuts to the hens is great too if you can get a good cheap source.
I have lights on from twilight to 9:00 pm and back on at 5:30am to dawn in all but June, July and Aug to keep a consistent length of time they have daylight a time that it gets dark all year round. They still go to bed earlier in the fall winter and spring but the light may keep them awake or something, anyway they lay better and still get 8+ hours of dark which they need! I only use the heat lamp when it is freezing or close.
Whole grains are harder to digest than cracked grains. Soaking, sprouting or fodder does make the whole grain and cracked grain easier to digest, fermenting is even better. But they cannot get all the nutrition they need from some wheat or barley fodder. Fodder is a good addition to the feed especially for those who cannot free range, but a 1 or 2 grain fodder is not a complete or well-balanced feed. When you fodder, protein is converted to carbs, lowering final protein content of the grain. The sprout leaf is feeding only off of the nutrients in the seed and just increases in water weight with no net gain in nutrients.
I sprout the Whole Triticale, Barley and Peas and grow some all the way to fodder (like wheat grass 3”) especially in the winter or for pullets or hens when I first buy them because I quarantine them for a while, so they don’t get to go out free pasture all day like the others. In the winter the wheat and peas don’t sprout as well but they do get soft and are easier to digest; but to grow fodder or ferment I have to bring it inside the house. I use Triticale instead of wheat because most wheat is GMO and even organic may be contaminated.
For sprouts, fodder, Fermented or other damp or wet Feed, just before I put it in their troughs, I sprinkle the Kelp and Fish Meal powders on them and extra “Fetrell vitamins minerals and probiotics”, Mineral salt and periodically Crustacean Meal which is crushed up crab and shrimp left overs that contains lots of cartilage and much softer shells than oyster so it is easier to get nutrients. Some of the left over fines from the feed also stick to the wet sprouts, fodder or fermented feed, which helps use up the more of the feed and they get more of the nutrients.
I ferment some of their cracked grain feed, and seeds for 3 days to make the protein easier to digest and increase enzyme and probiotic levels as well as reduce anti-nutrients or nutrient inhibitors in the grain. I only feed a small amount they will eat all of in 30 min. or it molds. I give them dry feed to eat the rest of the day so they have access to feed each time their crop empties. You don’t want fermented feed laying around a long time, it goes bad and they won’t eat it later, so it is wasted. So give most of their feed dry or give fermented feed 2 x day at least so they get enough, as they cannot eat a full days grain in 30 min-1hr. It stores in their crop and they chew it up in the gizzard, then they need to refill their crop again and repeat often during the day.
If you ferment feed that has vitamins and mineral in it, these may wash off so you may want to sprinkle some Fertrells vitamins minerals over the fermented feed when you feed it as I do.
I fodder periodically and mainly for quarantined hens and pullets who don’t free range all day. But don’t be fooled into thinking you are turning 1 lb of feed into 8lbs of feed as some say. You still have 1lb of feed and 7 lbs of water absorbed in it. As the seed softens and sprouts, it only feeds off of the nutrients in the seed reducing what was in the grain and some of the protein is converted to carbohydrate lowering the final protein content of the feed. The protein is what is expensive in feed and you want the proper amount.
So foddering is just to get them some greens. They still eat the unsprouted grain too which has soaked or started to ferment and is still the main source of nutrition in fodder. Of course they eat less, because it is full of water and more fiber. So be careful of not ending up with too little protein in their diet. Just soaking grain overnight makes it easier to digest as will sprouting for 2-3 days. So there is no need to wait all the way until you get fodder, grass unless they have no access to grass or greens. Some add a little alfalfa mini-pellets or hay to their feed if they are not on grass. I use kelp meal, so much better.
Baby chicks need to eat chick feed, a blend specially formulated for their growth and development. You can soak or ferment some of the feed but only what they will eat in 1 hour or less because it molds. Then dry food should be available all day for them so they can eat when they are ready for more. Best is a cracked real grains mix rather than crumble which is crushed pellets.
Layer feed should never be fed to chicks, not even as an emergency ration. It has a high calcium content that is toxic to chicks and will cause bone, liver, and kidney problems or cause death.
If you try to make your own chick starter you must be sure to get proper protein, vitamin and mineral levels and not just feed some grain or fodder. If chicks are off of a properly balanced feed ration for more than a day or so, it will adversely affect their growth and development.
For the first few days, sprinkle feed on a flat surface like a paper, so that chicks can learn to eat, then move to a chick feeder. Open dishes are not the best choice of feeder for chicks. Chick feeders should prevent feed spillage and wasting, and prevent contamination with litter or droppings. Elevating the feeder after the first few days helps.
Chick grit consists of very small stones, like coarse sand, similar to parakeet grit. It should not contain oyster shell or other forms of calcium because too much is very detrimental to chicks. Grit also helps if you are using wood shavings as litter, it will help prevent crop impaction if litter is ingested. Most store-bought chick grit preparations already have oyster shell in them. Read the label.
Chicks can go out on grass or range on warm days at a couple of weeks of age if not chemical sprayed and grit is provided with their feed. Chicks should only be allowed to range on clean ground, preferably where no adult chickens have been for 6-12 months to prevent bacterial or parasitic infestations.
Chicks should be fed 20% protein chick starter until 4-6 weeks of age then they can be switched to a Grower/Developer or Broiler feed that is also 20% to a max of 21% protein, too much causes growth problems. 18- 20% protein is needed for optimal development. Continue that until the first egg is laid. At that time, they can be switched to 16% – 18% layer feed.
Chicks and Hens develop best and produce more eggs when they are able to eat whenever they want, as their crop shrinks they can refill it often, and get a variety of sources of grain and seeds not just 1 or 2.
Over the 20+ years I have been raising hens for eggs I have done a lot of research and experimentation on feed. As a natural health practitioner by vocation I am extremely aware of the effect of diet deficient in nutrients and the need for supplementation because of the lack of nutrients in our soils and commercialized growing and processing of foods. Knowing that you are what you eat ATE, that is why we raise our own hens.
I want the best nutrients in my hens so the eggs give me maximum food value and the least toxicity possible. And definitely nowadays I don’t want GMO grains, genetically modified that can cause severe illness to your animals and you. If you research GMO dangers on google you will see.
Have you heard of GMO? Genetically Modified Organisms are now becoming more common in our food supply and in the food supply of our animals as well. The problem is not just that these lab induced genetic mutations have not been tested well on animals and people, but that many people are getting sick as are animals and many of them are even dying from eating GMO crops as you will discover if you watch some videos on GMO foods.
Have you heard of Gluten intolerance or leaky gut syndrome and a myriad of other new conditions rising up in our digestive/elimination systems? Much of this is due to these new foreign foods our bodies have not adapted to digesting. Studies have shown GMO grains have damaged in the intestines of Pigs. You would do well to avoid all GMO foods and ask restaurants and storekeepers if the foods are GMO or not and press them to purchase GMO free foods. Labeling of GMO or at least non-GMO foods is something not required at this time and hundreds of millions are being spent by food companies to prevent labeling. California has a bill up right now to require foods to be labeled as GMO; hopefully it will pass and start a trend for all states to follow. It is so well proven that the crops are unsafe the Russian government and several other European and Asian countries recently proclaimed they will no longer be buying crops or seeds from Monsanto and Dupont that are GMO.
Fortunately there are responsible farmers who are still choosing to grow non-GMO crops and organic foods. And thankfully here in the Northwest there are some growing crops for our animals that are non-GMO. Some carry non-soy and Corn free non-GMO feed because it is very hard to find soy or corn that is not contaminated with GMO.
Another dirty secret is that in food organic companies are allowed to add non-organic in with their organic food if they run out of supply of organic. One NW Feed company had printed 100% Organic on their Layer label but now has a blue sticker covering the 100%. They must have been caught or chose to do this because their products are not really all organic. But they still label it organic. So even spending more for organic does not assure a chemical free product. Manufacturers are legally allowed to use non-organic ingredients in food or feed when their suppliers run out of organic until the next growing season and still call it organic.
I have used Scratch & Peck Naturally Free Layer feed corn and soy free, but my hens tend to not clean up all the fines from it so there is a lot of waste. I tried a lot of other organic feeds and pellets, Cascade and other brands. They don’t like the organic pellets as much but will eat them. I have used Buxton pellets which are not certified organic but use those same clean practices and is certified non-GMO. But pellets have added sugar or molasses and the grain is so finely powdered that it oxidizes and loses its nutrients quickly. Pellets are heat processed can cause loss of even more of the nutrient value and enzymes.
I have used Cascade, McGill, Montana Big Sky Organic feed, loved the formula of grains in it, but it is powdered mash not crumble and the hens don’t clean it up much better than the S&P, they still left a lot of fines behind, so too much waste for me.
One nearby farm started milling non-GMO feed recently but they use lots of whole Oats in their feed. Whole Oats have anti-nutrients that inhibitnutrient absorbsion and require expensive special enzymes added to the feed to break them down but generally aren’t added. Ruminant animals can handle these anti-nutrients but poultry can’t eliminate them so they inhibit some vitamins and nutrient assimilation as well as not being healthy for hens. Also Whole oats with the harsh fiber may stick in their crop or fill up the hens so they can't eat as much high nutrient dense feed and it also speeds their bowel transit time, if you know what I mean. And many animals and hens just don't like the oats anyway. The anti-nutrients aren’t even eliminated by fermenting, so it will compromise their diet. Whole oats are not good food for hens, maybe cooked or rolled oats. Check here for proof: http://www.extension.org/pages/70159/including-oats-in-organic-poultry-diets#.U6uOyrH_pIo
Or here http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/living-with-phytic-acid/
The key is to get non-GMO, organic if possible or chemically free grown whole grains or freshly cracked grains that still have nutrients in them. Once powdered or pelleted they lose much of their nutrients, especially E, in a few days. I want certain grains in the feed like Peas, Camelina, Barley, Triticale, vitamins minerals and probiotics, even though I supplement these on my own. Peas are a great high protein and have mannose which is great for immunity. Camelina is high protein with lots of good omega oils for healthy animals and eggs.
No Wheat, Soy or Corn because it is near impossible to guarantee non-GMO with those even if labeled organic.
So be sure to use only non-GMO feeds especially for animals providing food for you, but even your precious loved pets will experience a healthier life if they get the cleanest feed. To learn more about the dangers of GMO crops please watch and pass these videos around; the second one is shorter and you get the facts on what it does to your health. There are many other good ones linked to this as well. The science and evidence is overwhelming. Watch some videos on the internet on the dangers of GMO food and feeds
You may want to try this experiment yourself. I got some left over regular GMO feed with a couple hens I picked up and continued to use it up on them as I gradually switched them over to the non-GMO feed I use with my flock. But once these hens got a taste of the non-GMO feed they would no longer eat the GMO feed they had been raised on. I didn’t understand at the time so I gave some of their food to my other hens in another pen and they wouldn’t touch it. I thought this is nuts these hens don’t know the difference. So I didn’t let them out to free range for a couple days and only gave them the GMO feed and they wouldn’t touch it. I finally let them out to free range for a couple hours the next day because I was concerned they were starving. Then back in the pen for another night and day with only the GMO feed and they still wouldn’t eat it. So I finally got it that these hens know the non-GMO feed from the GMO. So I added a pan of their good feed beside it and they gobbled it up leaving the GMO. More proof to me, just say NO to GMO! For me too.
Recently I found farmers who are as picky as me about feed because they eat their animals as well as sell them and have friends and customers who raise show animals and want to win at fairs. They want real high quality clean healthy chemically free Non-GMO feed!
They also got tired of all poor quality organic and non-GMO feed that was available. Many feeds use the husks, bran and dust waste from flour mills, all the fines and powder that are floor sweepings or vacuumed up dust, which loses any nutritional value quickly. It’s not really grain, but often listed on the label as just “grains” or “grain by-products”, screenings or middling, and they glue it together into pellets or crumble with some sugar and corn syrup or molasses in a heat process, that causes more nutrition loss. Some add clay, oyster shells and gravel grit which cost far less than grain feed, so we get less grain / $ and still have to buy more shells to put out free choice anyway.
No wonder hens run like mad to you if you throw some scratch. They are starving for real grain. My hens don’t even come to me when I go out because they are not starving; unless they find I have been dropping some special treat, pumpkin seeds, veg scraps, watermelon etc..
So this farm started milling their own grain fresh daily with new milling equipment which does not grind grain so small that it has a lot of fines & powder the chickens won't eat. It cracks grain very coarse very little to be wasted and keep more nutrients longer. Some husks off the cracked grains and camelina meal will be left but hens eat less of this feed and are well nourished so it so it is not a waste and actually costs less.
This farm found local farmers that grow good quality clean chemically free grains they are not certified organic farms, but use those methods & saves the hassles & paperwork for organic registration, and the government employees interfering with them all the time and invading their privacy, which keeps costs down and they avoid harsh chemicals to give us good healthy feed.
All at-risk ingredients are tested on a per shipment basis, using Romer Labs RUR-HS Bulk Grain Qualitative-Strip Test. This method tests for the presence of the CP4-EPSPS protein, which identifies Monsanto Round-Up Ready Seeds. The accuracy of this test is quoted as being capable of detecting the presence of GMO seeds in a concentration of as little as 1 GMO seed in 600.
So each batch of grain is Certified non-GMO, and the mill is inspected for this so they can’t cheat.
This mill even verifies the Camelina meal is non-GMO and is grown 2 hours away has 9% oil in it to give extra Omega oils like flax seed so the vitamins minerals and probiotics stick to the feed. Some feeds don’t have probiotics or even vitamins added.
Some food and feed companies do not require farmers to have organic certification as long as they are committed to non-GMO crops and don’t use the harsh chemicals. This is often called Eco–Cert, or Natural Chem Free farming and keeps costs down. The most popular NW feed labeled Organic is not really 100% organic anyway because when manufacturers run out of Organic they can use non-organic until the next harvest and still label it organic.
Why use cheap GMO feed that costs only $.34 cents (per dozen eggs) less than our clean non GMO feed?
Your hens would lay better and longer no doubt on the better non-GMO grain too, so hen cost would go down. And you will likely feed less of this product so it would be cheaper probably and your hens are healthier as are their eggs for you.
For example one popular layer feed sells for $16 / 50# sack, so for $5 more per 50# sack of our real food cracked grain feed the extra cost is $.02 ½ cents per ¼ lb serving per hen per day, avg 6 eggs a week. It would only cost 34 cents per dozen eggs to not have your hens eat and not have you and your neighbors eat GMO grain. You are what you eat ate.
But with the testimonies we get this feed probably ends up costing less because we feed less and the hens are healthier and live longer and produce more eggs longer. Your hens would lay better and longer no doubt on the better non-GMO grain too, so hen cost would go down. And you will likely feed less of this product so it will probably cost less ultimately and your animals are healthier and their eggs are healthier for you. Our testimonies show you get more and better eggs:
“My chickens look better than ever and lying more eggs, thanks again”.
“I have one hen who is 10 years old. She was laying an egg every 2 or 3 weeks. She's up to 2 or 3 eggs a week now”
“One of my regulars came by this morning. He says there's quite a difference in the eggs. They are much richer. That coincides with the change in feed. So, outside verification! Yea! Good stuff!”
Commercial Org Farm - “The hens seem to love it and egg production has gone up. So we are very happy about that!”
“My pigs used to eat all the feed still cried for more, were hungry; now they don’t finish it all and no crying for more”
“I had a chicken that hadn't laid an egg in 5 months or so that laid two eggs so far this week!”
“Thanks for the chicken feed, they really like it. My goats love this feed too once they got used to it”
Whole grain will last for centuries. They sprouted grain found in King Tuts tomb. But once you crack the grain it begins to lose nutritional value. The Vit E and other antioxidants get used up preventing oxidation. The more you powder up the grain like with pellets, the faster it loses nutrition and goes bad. People who grind their own grain for bread etc. know this and make small batches or freeze any extra flour to slow the oxidation and rancidity of the flour. The flour you buy in a bag at the store to make bread or, well it’s a Wonder if you get anything but calories from it.
The feed we get is cracked fresh, hasn’t been sitting in a mill warehouse or distributor or feed store, so it hasn’t lost much. Also being bigger chunks not powder, the outside edges begin to lose nutrition but what is still inside the chunks of grain stays fresh longer. So this is a far superior feed than pellets or crumble and it shows in their health and the reduced amount you have to feed as well as their production.
For my Hens & Goats I don't want to order large amounts of feed all at once that sit around a long time & get old & lose nutritional value. So I pool together with a group so we can order mill direct a ton at a time wholesale monthly so we get fresh milled grain and our cost with freight ends up around $21/50# sack for what I was paying $26-$35/ 40# sack for.
It is worth it to do this to obtain the best clean, nutritious, and regionally-produced food possible for our animals. Remember you are not just what you eat, but what you eat ATE.
Besides Premium Layer they also have Starter, Grower/Broiler, Dairy Goat and Hog too. And they sell the whole grains for sprouting and fodder. Barley, Triticale and Peas for $16/50#
Besides Premium Layer they also have Starter, Grower/Broiler, Dairy Goat, All Purpose, Hog and Scratch too.
And they sell the whole grains for sprouting and fodder. Barley, Triticale and Peas for $16/50#
I don’t know of any other west coast provider of good whole or freshly cracked non-GMO grains like this and my chickens prefer this to any other feed and our cost is less. Others like it better than anything else they have tried. So far everyone who has tried it re-orders.
Be sure to use up your old feed and only introduce this feed during the last 3 days because once your hens start eating this grain they will not want the pellets and junk feed. For hens it is best not to feed this free choice at first when switching them over, because they will. Some hens like one grain more than others and they will choose. When they were used to a feed that may have had yummy sugar in it they may be picky till they get a taste for this real food, so make them eat it all this up before adding more feed to their feeder. Only feed as much as they will eat that day, don’t over feed. If there is a little camelina or peas left don’t add more feed, make them eat this up or just add a little feed so they have to finish up all of it. They will learn when its gone they get more. You will save on feed this way too.
This way they get used to the taste of all the feed and then after several days of doing this, if you don’t have a problem with rats and birds, and want to go back to free choice feeding, they should be used to eating all of the different grains and not be as picky.
Remember, unlike Pellets, this is chunks of real grain and as with scratch, it helps them get more from the feed if you buy gravel grit to give them so they can grind up the grain in their gizzards, especially if they don’t free range where they might be able to get enough rocks. But even then I would have some grit available for them.
I use a trough for the loose feed because the round can feeder is for pellets. They spill less in the trough. Also I like the one with the hoop wires that come up from side to side which keeps them from swiping their heads side to side and spilling as much or walking in the trough. They don’t make a long one only 24” or 18” but it’s still worth it. http://www.waremfginc.com/b-detaildisplay.aspx?itemno=12064
But its cheaper here if they still have it http://www.pupdaddy.com/ware-manufacturing-inc.-trough-chicken-feeder-3011172.html
But I made my own on a slant from a 4” water drain pipe that I love. Cutout slots in it for their heads.
A note on Brewers' grains which should not be confused with distillers' grains, a by-product of ethanol production (ethanol is typically produced for inclusion in gasoline). 1st of all they are usually GMO so I would not want to use them. It is vital that the spent grain be dried or frozen, even storing in plastic bags can let enough oxygen in to grow mold which can make the animals sick or kill them. Feed it like fermented feed, only a small amount they can eat in a half hour or hour and toss out the rest. The best use of spent grain is in a compost pile, the worms will love it but be careful mixing with other manure it can produce hydrogen sulfide gas and people have died from dumping brewery grains on manure piles which can accelerate gas production to high levels. Brewers' grains are primarily fed to dairy cattle or hogs where a lot can be used up quickly, but they have some nutritional value for poultry as well. The major problem limiting the use of dried brewers' grains in poultry rations is because of the high fiber content which can give the runs. The nutritional content of brewers' grains varies depending on the grain used (barley, wheat, rice, or corn), the extent of the fermentation, and the type of fermentation process used. For both broilers and layers, inclusion rates of 2% to 20% of the diet have been recommended. A few researchers have indicated that enzyme supplementation can improve the nutritive value of dried brewers' grains in poultry diets, particularly broiler starter diets.
When the label doesn’t even tell you what type of grain is in it, like the label below you don’t want it. It is standard commercial feed made from husks, bran, floor sweepings or the dust they vacuum up from flour milling, corn starch and alcohol making process and they glue this and other by-products together into pellets with some sugar and corn syrup or molasses. These ingredients used to make this feed are worse than fines and powder left over in the feeders that hens won’t eat from better feeds; the stuff you throw out, or i give it to my goats. I know one popular organic feed company won’t use their milling dust, instead they sell it to cheap feed makers for hog feed, but some make cheap poultry feed from this material.
The parent company that makes the feed shown below makes wheat flour and soy flour. They use a different brand name for feed, which is their waste product from their flour mill or corn starch or alcohol making companies; though some like Purina built a famous animal name brand name too. So you can guess the “grain product” in the feed is wheat bran and soy meal dust. They mix the dust with horrible things like: hydrogenated vegetable oil, dextrin sugar, starch, condensed fermented corn extract is the liquid fraction obtained from the corn steeping process in ethanol manufacturing.
Kaolin is hydrated aluminum silicate clay, probably to help stop the diarrhea this food causes; all things you make sure are not in food you buy for yourself.
Then they add some part of pork to it and animal fat with preservatives and bone meal, gross. That stuff is not even legal to add into goat, hog horse or cattle feed because of disease potential. This means there is not enough protein or oils in the grain “products” and byproducts and plant “products” so they have to boost levels of protein and fat with the meat and fat. They are called “products” because they can’t be called grain or plants anymore because they are altered, fractionated in the process. Other brands may say middlings, screenings, brewers spent grains, etc.
And no probiotics just a fungus aspergillus. This is like trying to live on Mc Donald’s for your hens. Can you believe they make hen feed out of this and most people don’t care or don’t bother to read the label and find out what it is?
BRAND XXXXX EGG LAYER RATION For Laying Poultry - INGREDIENTS: Grain Products, Plant Protein Products, Processed Grain Byproducts, Calcium Carbonate, Porcine Meat and Bone Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved with BHT), Monocalcium Phosphate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, DL-Methionine, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Sulfate, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine Hydrochloride, Kaolin, Cellulose, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Dextrin, Starch, Condensed Fermented Corn Extract, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract
Because my hens are on real whole grains or cracked grains, not just pellets or mash, I give them gravel even though they are on pasture to be sure they get plenty so their gizzards can grind up all the grains well so they get more from their food. And limestone gravel and oyster shells too of course.
I find if I feed them by midmorning I get less mess in the coops under their roost at night than if I feed at night. But often I give them extra in the early eve when I collect their eggs if they have cleaned up all their food. Or I put more fodder in the left over fines in their troughs. Especially in the winter when there is not as much grass and bugs or the pasture is snow covered or frosted, they need more feed and green fodder those days.
I put bands on my hens legs so I know where I bought them and their age and can identify them if I see them laying or getting out so I clip their wings etc.. I used the coiled plastic leg bands but they don’t seem to stretch as the legs grow and some have grown in or irritate the leg, so I now only use loose zip ties. Maybe I did not stretch out the bands enough so they were looser. And a couple hens pulled them off. But the colored tiny zip ties are cheaper and easier to get on.
I keep a worm bin for my garden where fruit and veggie waste, some of the straw and manure from pens and grass clippings all go in for the worms to make rich vegetable garden additive. I also have a huge compost pile of chipped up leaves branches, dirt, and heavy manure and straw. The hens dig in it for worms which they love as a treat.
I use pieces of linoleum or laminated paneling on the floors of the coop so I can pull it out once in a while and wash it all off. This protects the floors from staining and soaking up feces. Also I am going to do that on some ledges I have around the sides of one coop because I get tired of putting straw or shavings on the ledge, then they poop in it or knock it all off daily and I have to clean it and replace straw so the feces doesn’t stick to the wood.
I have used both fir shavings and straw in the runs and coops. Straw seems to hold up in our wet weather better in the runs and the hens like hay or straw better in runs and nest boxes. Seems to absorb more wet and waste. I throw a couple flakes of straw in the runs, they scratch through it, spread it out for me. It composts better also.
In the nests boxes I use green astro turf so I can pull it out and clean it if they break an egg or mess it up much. Then put shavings or hay or straw on top of it, but often the hens move all the straw out down to the astro turf and lay on it. They love it.
I move the waterers from the runs into the coop on freezing nights which works if it is not too cold or only freezes one night. But after a few freezing nights in a row, even in the coop with a heat lamp it freezes.
My nipple waterers freeze up in the winter and are worthless so I finally got a heated waterer which is a hassle to fill, but it saves me hauling hot water from the kitchen to thaw out all their waterers every morning. I still do that and thaw out the extra waterers, but I can wait and do it later when I feed and only really have to thaw out one other outside waterer they can all share.
I only clip the wings of birds that tend to fly over the fence. I have some low gates and 4' fencing in some places. Usually only the Leghorns try but occasionally others do. Its like clipping fingernails so don't be afraid. Watch a video online and see how easy it is and where to cut. It will last until they molt. Start with just one wing only and see if that stops them. I like them to be able to fly to get away from predators and some like to roost in tree branches if you have those near your coop or run. In my coops I use real tree branches 2-3" diameter for roosts. Powder them with DE.
I had clear tarps over the runs, which are 7x13 chain link dog kennels, with PVC pipe bent in an arc to support the tarp and keep water and snow off but they wear out in a couple years and leak and then the run floor gets wet and the food. And in heavy wet snow, 1 foot in a couple days, it has collapsed the PVC pipe and tarps. So now I use PVC or Polycarbonate corrugated plastic roofing even though I had to build a wooden frame to support it. I like clear plastic rather than galvanized or green so they get more natural sunlight since I get so little in the little valley we are in and being in Wa. we get little sunlight in the winter. For heavier snow I would suggest galvanized corrugated or metal roofing panels.
Crazy stuff: My hens would rather roost on tree branches out in their runs than I the warm coops and they want the highest branch up at the top 6 feet, even in the freezing winter. So when its freezing I take the roosts out of the runs so they have to go into the coops to sleep and roost inside where it is warmer and I get better egg production than when they sleep in the freeze. I use 2 ½” real tree branches for roosts inside as well as in the run.
I had one hen that laid an egg every night from the highest perch and let it drop to the floor under her. So I piled lots of straw under her roost spot and the eggs usually didn’t break and I could save them. She finally stopped.
When I get a broody hen I lock her up alone in a run with only a perch and no nest for 3 -4 days and they come out of it and go back to normal life and laying again. Some say soak them in cold water.
If the goats or Llama leave a lot of hay in the bottom of their bin feeders, the hens fly up and will lay eggs in the hay, so I have to check and clean out the bins if there is any left.
Most hens are fine but I like White Leghorns that lay more and large eggs but they are lighter and more flighty so I have to clip their wings once a year if they are flying over the 4 foot fence or gate. Occasionally a Gold Star also. They like to climb up to the top of the straw or hay bales and lay eggs in them.
My grandfather kept banty hens and guineas loose on his little farm when I was growing up. On my property I got tired of hens after a 6-7 years, wanted more time freedom so stopped for a couple years. Then started back up a few years later because I got tired of lousy store eggs and wanted eggs from organic all day pasture raised hens with no chemicals and non-GMO whole grains. I simplified my system so if I want to leave someone else can feed and collect eggs.
Now I do it the easy way only buying 4-9 month old pullets instead of raising chicks. I get a few pullets every two years to replace the aging hens as the big eggs from old hens start to get runny whites or the coyotes thin my flock.
And I set up the coops and runs near the house so it is easier to get to than our barn far away. Large waterers and feeders, (though I am usually out there daily anyway). Started with 6 hens, but soon was up to 28 - 30; I mean 26; darn coyotes. Why don’t the hens run back to the coop when the coyotes come? I lose a few hens each year, but then the coyotes loose a couple each year too. (;-) Thanks Mini Ranch!
And then the Osprey or Falcon got a few one fall. And the bald eagles rarely grab one.
I got a new hen once who in a couple days seemed to get pneumonia and could barely breathe. I thought it was just stress or shock from the move but the next day she was the same. Thought for sure she would die, wouldn’t eat, just laid there breathing heavy. Probably bronchitis. So I mixed up some respiratory and immune herbs and vitamins in water and mannose extract from aloe and made a thin gel I wiped in her beak each time she took a breath, maybe 12 times. She had to swallow it to get it out of her mouth. I did this 2 x day for a few days and she cleared up, started eating and was fine after that. I did the same on one other hen who stopped eating and was just laying on the ground all day. She revived and was fine in a day.
I had a couple hens eating feathers so I added extra fish meal to their wet sprouted grain and to cooked rice or left over oatmeal and this stopped it. That is when I realized the benefit of extra fish meal for protein. Feathers are high protein and when hens need it they eat them. Some people give cat food.
Working with people’s health for over 35 years as a natural physician and as a professor of natural medicine to other doctors and holistic veterinarians has given me opportunity to learn all kinds of safe methods for prevention and reversing health challenges in animals as well as people.
So if you have any health issues arise with your animals or yourself or kids, feel free to ask me for some solutions.
For my hens I use the best Organic certified non-GMO whole grain, Barley, Triticale, Pea and also these grains freshly cracked and mixed into feed with Camelina meal and Fetrell vitamins minerals and probiotics. Info on this feed is below.
But even with that and free pasturing all day hens need additional calcium in the form of free choice crushed Oyster Shells, Crustacean meal which is shrimp and crab meal, Limestone grit or Kelp meal are essential for hens. I also sprinkle Crustacean meal on their damp or wet food too.
I also add Kelp meal because I want them to have lots of minerals from a plant source that is easier to digest.
I add fish meal to help them get extra protein especially when molting so they don’t molt as much or go through it faster and easier. And brewers yeast.
Even though the feed I use has Camaelina meal with 9% oil containing omegas like Flax seed, I add Flax seeds too for extra Essential fatty acids, Omega oils and to have high omegas in the eggs. Not all my hens like these and they don’t always eat them all up if I add too many, but I still put them in with their feed.
Also several days a week I add a little BOSS, Black Oil Sunflower Seeds as a good nutrient source for oils and protein and as a treat because they love them. Not too many or they will be too full to eat all their other good feed.
Regularly I add a little Millet just for variety. I cook it and eat it as cereal or mix with Quinoa for me too.
If I have left over hot cereal or cooked rice from our kitchen I dump that into the fines left in the feed troughs and stir it in. I also soak the Scratch, or any whole grain and put it on leftover fines to help them eat it all up.
Grit or gravel is important to add free choice even if they free range and can get some rocks, it really helps them to digest up their whole grain, scratch, and our real grain feed. They need rocks in their gizzards to grind up the food smaller so they get more nutrients out of it and this saves you money on feed as they are more nourished and eat less. Maybe they get enough rocks if they free pasture, but I know for sure they eat the grit about 1/5 of what they eat in Oyster shells. I just put them both in a hanging feeder or dog dish free choice.
I add raw live apple cider vinegar with the mother in it and some liquid trace minerals into their water. And coral calcium powder. This increases calcium and minerals in the water they get and ACV also keeps the algae down.
And I add Lime – calcium and magnesium, Soft Rock Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Azomite volcanic rock dust, and Glacial Dust, which are extremely fine powders full of readily absorbed minerals, to my veg garden and on the pasture grass where the hens eat, so that we all get more minerals in what we eat. If you have an area of grass dirt or pasture that gets too acid from all the hens waste, Lime on it will help sweeten the soil again and neutralize the acid. This higher nutrient soil gives them more calcium and other minerals to make better shells and bones when they eat the pasture grass.
I use DE (Diatomaceous Earth) mostly in the dry seasons on the ground in their runs, in their coops and nest boxes to keep mites and fleas away and smell down under roosts. And I put it in their Dirt dust baths they dig. For my goats and llama, in their bedding and I rub into their fur every couple months.
I dust all new pullets or hens that I buy with DE. I keep them in their own run right next to the other hens for five days so they acclimatize and get used to the other hens. This way there is almost no fighting and minimal pecking order scruffing by the time I let them out together. Pullets I keep separate until they are laying.
Some add a little DE to damp or wet feed periodically to help kill off internal parasites but it won’t help worms.
I also use some Zeolites (PDZ) or Stall Dry a Montmorilinite clay with DE in it, for smell as it absorbs ammonia.
I get the soil amendments, minerals from an Organic Ag supplier in Oregon in 50# sacks. I can get you 5 or 10 pounds of any of these if you want so you don’t have to buy a 50# sack too.
I also make a great natural safe essential oil and herbal extract mix that can be used to get rid of mites and fleas from animals, hens, prevention and to eliminate them.
If they look like they have mites I spray them and especially their legs with some Cedar oil mixed with other parasite herbs that I mix up: Citronella Lemon Grass, Lemon Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Neem and a few other special herbs. I used this and got rid of leg mites on one older hen I bought that had them. Never had a problem again even though I had seen the mites in the coop, but it got rid of them all after spraying the nests and coop.
The herbal and oil blend is also good to spray down the coop when I do a major run clean out 2-3 times a year.
DE is tiny shells and work by cutting the exoskeleton of small insects when they crawl on it. Worms and fungus don't have those so it is of no use against them.
But it never hurts to put DE around the coop and nests and garden. Or even in feed occasionally.
I add Cayenne and Garlic and Ginger powder on to wet hen feed so it sticks for a few days monthly and ACV into their water. They don’t taste the cayenne and I never have worms and the cayenne helps keep the rat and mice out of the food and feeders. It helps keep them warmer on freezing too. I don't like to give the cayenne when it is real hot in the summer so I leave that out. I also give cracked whole Pumpkin seeds to the hens periodically and goats eat them too.
And for my goats I use a parasite herbal tablet that we take every few years. I just give them 1/3 dose for people in a handful of grain and make sure they swallow because sometimes they spit it out.
I use Neem oil, Cedarwood oil, Lemon Eucalyptus, Citronella, Cajeput, tea Tree and some other essential oils I mix up as a mite, spider, insect and parasite preventative in the runs and coops and it will drive mites out for a couple months. Dilute with water and Spray on wood so it soaks in especially around the edges of the coop or run area. I also spray it on the straw bedding for my goats and a little on their tail and hair.
For my clients with serious parasite or worm problem people or animals I make a stronger herbal blend with Artemisinin which is the active ingredient extracted out of Wormwood, along with Garlic, Pumpkin, Mustard, Black Walnut, Capsaicin from Cayenne and Clove. Why do you think people eat cloves??? It isn't for the taste, that's for sure, as far as my taste buds go.
I mix these up as liquid herbal extracts to add on to feed also. Only use for a short time then drop the Artemisinin and continue with the rest.
You can repeat in 7 weeks for a week or 2 to be sure to kill off any parasite eggs. Then you should be good for a few months.
May depend on your soil and manure levels in the soil. Adding lime to the ground near the coops and runs is a good idea to sweeten the soil, neutralize acid and provide higher cal mag levels in the grass.
Grapefruit seed extract and Caprylic acid from coconuts, Pau D'arco, Tea Tree, Usnea or undecylinic acid are great for fungus, ringworm etc. Feeding coconuts to the hens is great too if you can get a good cheap source.
I have lights on from twilight to 9:00 pm and back on at 5:30am to dawn in all but June, July and Aug to keep a consistent length of time they have daylight a time that it gets dark all year round. They still go to bed earlier in the fall winter and spring but the light may keep them awake or something, anyway they lay better and still get 8+ hours of dark which they need! I only use the heat lamp when it is freezing or close.
Whole grains are harder to digest than cracked grains. Soaking, sprouting or fodder does make the whole grain and cracked grain easier to digest, fermenting is even better. But they cannot get all the nutrition they need from some wheat or barley fodder. Fodder is a good addition to the feed especially for those who cannot free range, but a 1 or 2 grain fodder is not a complete or well-balanced feed. When you fodder, protein is converted to carbs, lowering final protein content of the grain. The sprout leaf is feeding only off of the nutrients in the seed and just increases in water weight with no net gain in nutrients.
I sprout the Whole Triticale, Barley and Peas and grow some all the way to fodder (like wheat grass 3”) especially in the winter or for pullets or hens when I first buy them because I quarantine them for a while, so they don’t get to go out free pasture all day like the others. In the winter the wheat and peas don’t sprout as well but they do get soft and are easier to digest; but to grow fodder or ferment I have to bring it inside the house. I use Triticale instead of wheat because most wheat is GMO and even organic may be contaminated.
For sprouts, fodder, Fermented or other damp or wet Feed, just before I put it in their troughs, I sprinkle the Kelp and Fish Meal powders on them and extra “Fetrell vitamins minerals and probiotics”, Mineral salt and periodically Crustacean Meal which is crushed up crab and shrimp left overs that contains lots of cartilage and much softer shells than oyster so it is easier to get nutrients. Some of the left over fines from the feed also stick to the wet sprouts, fodder or fermented feed, which helps use up the more of the feed and they get more of the nutrients.
I ferment some of their cracked grain feed, and seeds for 3 days to make the protein easier to digest and increase enzyme and probiotic levels as well as reduce anti-nutrients or nutrient inhibitors in the grain. I only feed a small amount they will eat all of in 30 min. or it molds. I give them dry feed to eat the rest of the day so they have access to feed each time their crop empties. You don’t want fermented feed laying around a long time, it goes bad and they won’t eat it later, so it is wasted. So give most of their feed dry or give fermented feed 2 x day at least so they get enough, as they cannot eat a full days grain in 30 min-1hr. It stores in their crop and they chew it up in the gizzard, then they need to refill their crop again and repeat often during the day.
If you ferment feed that has vitamins and mineral in it, these may wash off so you may want to sprinkle some Fertrells vitamins minerals over the fermented feed when you feed it as I do.
I fodder periodically and mainly for quarantined hens and pullets who don’t free range all day. But don’t be fooled into thinking you are turning 1 lb of feed into 8lbs of feed as some say. You still have 1lb of feed and 7 lbs of water absorbed in it. As the seed softens and sprouts, it only feeds off of the nutrients in the seed reducing what was in the grain and some of the protein is converted to carbohydrate lowering the final protein content of the feed. The protein is what is expensive in feed and you want the proper amount.
So foddering is just to get them some greens. They still eat the unsprouted grain too which has soaked or started to ferment and is still the main source of nutrition in fodder. Of course they eat less, because it is full of water and more fiber. So be careful of not ending up with too little protein in their diet. Just soaking grain overnight makes it easier to digest as will sprouting for 2-3 days. So there is no need to wait all the way until you get fodder, grass unless they have no access to grass or greens. Some add a little alfalfa mini-pellets or hay to their feed if they are not on grass. I use kelp meal, so much better.
Baby chicks need to eat chick feed, a blend specially formulated for their growth and development. You can soak or ferment some of the feed but only what they will eat in 1 hour or less because it molds. Then dry food should be available all day for them so they can eat when they are ready for more. Best is a cracked real grains mix rather than crumble which is crushed pellets.
Layer feed should never be fed to chicks, not even as an emergency ration. It has a high calcium content that is toxic to chicks and will cause bone, liver, and kidney problems or cause death.
If you try to make your own chick starter you must be sure to get proper protein, vitamin and mineral levels and not just feed some grain or fodder. If chicks are off of a properly balanced feed ration for more than a day or so, it will adversely affect their growth and development.
For the first few days, sprinkle feed on a flat surface like a paper, so that chicks can learn to eat, then move to a chick feeder. Open dishes are not the best choice of feeder for chicks. Chick feeders should prevent feed spillage and wasting, and prevent contamination with litter or droppings. Elevating the feeder after the first few days helps.
Chick grit consists of very small stones, like coarse sand, similar to parakeet grit. It should not contain oyster shell or other forms of calcium because too much is very detrimental to chicks. Grit also helps if you are using wood shavings as litter, it will help prevent crop impaction if litter is ingested. Most store-bought chick grit preparations already have oyster shell in them. Read the label.
Chicks can go out on grass or range on warm days at a couple of weeks of age if not chemical sprayed and grit is provided with their feed. Chicks should only be allowed to range on clean ground, preferably where no adult chickens have been for 6-12 months to prevent bacterial or parasitic infestations.
Chicks should be fed 20% protein chick starter until 4-6 weeks of age then they can be switched to a Grower/Developer or Broiler feed that is also 20% to a max of 21% protein, too much causes growth problems. 18- 20% protein is needed for optimal development. Continue that until the first egg is laid. At that time, they can be switched to 16% – 18% layer feed.
Chicks and Hens develop best and produce more eggs when they are able to eat whenever they want, as their crop shrinks they can refill it often, and get a variety of sources of grain and seeds not just 1 or 2.
Over the 20+ years I have been raising hens for eggs I have done a lot of research and experimentation on feed. As a natural health practitioner by vocation I am extremely aware of the effect of diet deficient in nutrients and the need for supplementation because of the lack of nutrients in our soils and commercialized growing and processing of foods. Knowing that you are what you eat ATE, that is why we raise our own hens.
I want the best nutrients in my hens so the eggs give me maximum food value and the least toxicity possible. And definitely nowadays I don’t want GMO grains, genetically modified that can cause severe illness to your animals and you. If you research GMO dangers on google you will see.
Have you heard of GMO? Genetically Modified Organisms are now becoming more common in our food supply and in the food supply of our animals as well. The problem is not just that these lab induced genetic mutations have not been tested well on animals and people, but that many people are getting sick as are animals and many of them are even dying from eating GMO crops as you will discover if you watch some videos on GMO foods.
Have you heard of Gluten intolerance or leaky gut syndrome and a myriad of other new conditions rising up in our digestive/elimination systems? Much of this is due to these new foreign foods our bodies have not adapted to digesting. Studies have shown GMO grains have damaged in the intestines of Pigs. You would do well to avoid all GMO foods and ask restaurants and storekeepers if the foods are GMO or not and press them to purchase GMO free foods. Labeling of GMO or at least non-GMO foods is something not required at this time and hundreds of millions are being spent by food companies to prevent labeling. California has a bill up right now to require foods to be labeled as GMO; hopefully it will pass and start a trend for all states to follow. It is so well proven that the crops are unsafe the Russian government and several other European and Asian countries recently proclaimed they will no longer be buying crops or seeds from Monsanto and Dupont that are GMO.
Fortunately there are responsible farmers who are still choosing to grow non-GMO crops and organic foods. And thankfully here in the Northwest there are some growing crops for our animals that are non-GMO. Some carry non-soy and Corn free non-GMO feed because it is very hard to find soy or corn that is not contaminated with GMO.
Another dirty secret is that in food organic companies are allowed to add non-organic in with their organic food if they run out of supply of organic. One NW Feed company had printed 100% Organic on their Layer label but now has a blue sticker covering the 100%. They must have been caught or chose to do this because their products are not really all organic. But they still label it organic. So even spending more for organic does not assure a chemical free product. Manufacturers are legally allowed to use non-organic ingredients in food or feed when their suppliers run out of organic until the next growing season and still call it organic.
I have used Scratch & Peck Naturally Free Layer feed corn and soy free, but my hens tend to not clean up all the fines from it so there is a lot of waste. I tried a lot of other organic feeds and pellets, Cascade and other brands. They don’t like the organic pellets as much but will eat them. I have used Buxton pellets which are not certified organic but use those same clean practices and is certified non-GMO. But pellets have added sugar or molasses and the grain is so finely powdered that it oxidizes and loses its nutrients quickly. Pellets are heat processed can cause loss of even more of the nutrient value and enzymes.
I have used Cascade, McGill, Montana Big Sky Organic feed, loved the formula of grains in it, but it is powdered mash not crumble and the hens don’t clean it up much better than the S&P, they still left a lot of fines behind, so too much waste for me.
One nearby farm started milling non-GMO feed recently but they use lots of whole Oats in their feed. Whole Oats have anti-nutrients that inhibitnutrient absorbsion and require expensive special enzymes added to the feed to break them down but generally aren’t added. Ruminant animals can handle these anti-nutrients but poultry can’t eliminate them so they inhibit some vitamins and nutrient assimilation as well as not being healthy for hens. Also Whole oats with the harsh fiber may stick in their crop or fill up the hens so they can't eat as much high nutrient dense feed and it also speeds their bowel transit time, if you know what I mean. And many animals and hens just don't like the oats anyway. The anti-nutrients aren’t even eliminated by fermenting, so it will compromise their diet. Whole oats are not good food for hens, maybe cooked or rolled oats. Check here for proof: http://www.extension.org/pages/70159/including-oats-in-organic-poultry-diets#.U6uOyrH_pIo
Or here http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/living-with-phytic-acid/
The key is to get non-GMO, organic if possible or chemically free grown whole grains or freshly cracked grains that still have nutrients in them. Once powdered or pelleted they lose much of their nutrients, especially E, in a few days. I want certain grains in the feed like Peas, Camelina, Barley, Triticale, vitamins minerals and probiotics, even though I supplement these on my own. Peas are a great high protein and have mannose which is great for immunity. Camelina is high protein with lots of good omega oils for healthy animals and eggs.
No Wheat, Soy or Corn because it is near impossible to guarantee non-GMO with those even if labeled organic.
So be sure to use only non-GMO feeds especially for animals providing food for you, but even your precious loved pets will experience a healthier life if they get the cleanest feed. To learn more about the dangers of GMO crops please watch and pass these videos around; the second one is shorter and you get the facts on what it does to your health. There are many other good ones linked to this as well. The science and evidence is overwhelming. Watch some videos on the internet on the dangers of GMO food and feeds
You may want to try this experiment yourself. I got some left over regular GMO feed with a couple hens I picked up and continued to use it up on them as I gradually switched them over to the non-GMO feed I use with my flock. But once these hens got a taste of the non-GMO feed they would no longer eat the GMO feed they had been raised on. I didn’t understand at the time so I gave some of their food to my other hens in another pen and they wouldn’t touch it. I thought this is nuts these hens don’t know the difference. So I didn’t let them out to free range for a couple days and only gave them the GMO feed and they wouldn’t touch it. I finally let them out to free range for a couple hours the next day because I was concerned they were starving. Then back in the pen for another night and day with only the GMO feed and they still wouldn’t eat it. So I finally got it that these hens know the non-GMO feed from the GMO. So I added a pan of their good feed beside it and they gobbled it up leaving the GMO. More proof to me, just say NO to GMO! For me too.
Recently I found farmers who are as picky as me about feed because they eat their animals as well as sell them and have friends and customers who raise show animals and want to win at fairs. They want real high quality clean healthy chemically free Non-GMO feed!
They also got tired of all poor quality organic and non-GMO feed that was available. Many feeds use the husks, bran and dust waste from flour mills, all the fines and powder that are floor sweepings or vacuumed up dust, which loses any nutritional value quickly. It’s not really grain, but often listed on the label as just “grains” or “grain by-products”, screenings or middling, and they glue it together into pellets or crumble with some sugar and corn syrup or molasses in a heat process, that causes more nutrition loss. Some add clay, oyster shells and gravel grit which cost far less than grain feed, so we get less grain / $ and still have to buy more shells to put out free choice anyway.
No wonder hens run like mad to you if you throw some scratch. They are starving for real grain. My hens don’t even come to me when I go out because they are not starving; unless they find I have been dropping some special treat, pumpkin seeds, veg scraps, watermelon etc..
So this farm started milling their own grain fresh daily with new milling equipment which does not grind grain so small that it has a lot of fines & powder the chickens won't eat. It cracks grain very coarse very little to be wasted and keep more nutrients longer. Some husks off the cracked grains and camelina meal will be left but hens eat less of this feed and are well nourished so it so it is not a waste and actually costs less.
This farm found local farmers that grow good quality clean chemically free grains they are not certified organic farms, but use those methods & saves the hassles & paperwork for organic registration, and the government employees interfering with them all the time and invading their privacy, which keeps costs down and they avoid harsh chemicals to give us good healthy feed.
All at-risk ingredients are tested on a per shipment basis, using Romer Labs RUR-HS Bulk Grain Qualitative-Strip Test. This method tests for the presence of the CP4-EPSPS protein, which identifies Monsanto Round-Up Ready Seeds. The accuracy of this test is quoted as being capable of detecting the presence of GMO seeds in a concentration of as little as 1 GMO seed in 600.
So each batch of grain is Certified non-GMO, and the mill is inspected for this so they can’t cheat.
This mill even verifies the Camelina meal is non-GMO and is grown 2 hours away has 9% oil in it to give extra Omega oils like flax seed so the vitamins minerals and probiotics stick to the feed. Some feeds don’t have probiotics or even vitamins added.
Some food and feed companies do not require farmers to have organic certification as long as they are committed to non-GMO crops and don’t use the harsh chemicals. This is often called Eco–Cert, or Natural Chem Free farming and keeps costs down. The most popular NW feed labeled Organic is not really 100% organic anyway because when manufacturers run out of Organic they can use non-organic until the next harvest and still label it organic.
Why use cheap GMO feed that costs only $.34 cents (per dozen eggs) less than our clean non GMO feed?
Your hens would lay better and longer no doubt on the better non-GMO grain too, so hen cost would go down. And you will likely feed less of this product so it would be cheaper probably and your hens are healthier as are their eggs for you.
For example one popular layer feed sells for $16 / 50# sack, so for $5 more per 50# sack of our real food cracked grain feed the extra cost is $.02 ½ cents per ¼ lb serving per hen per day, avg 6 eggs a week. It would only cost 34 cents per dozen eggs to not have your hens eat and not have you and your neighbors eat GMO grain. You are what you eat ate.
But with the testimonies we get this feed probably ends up costing less because we feed less and the hens are healthier and live longer and produce more eggs longer. Your hens would lay better and longer no doubt on the better non-GMO grain too, so hen cost would go down. And you will likely feed less of this product so it will probably cost less ultimately and your animals are healthier and their eggs are healthier for you. Our testimonies show you get more and better eggs:
“My chickens look better than ever and lying more eggs, thanks again”.
“I have one hen who is 10 years old. She was laying an egg every 2 or 3 weeks. She's up to 2 or 3 eggs a week now”
“One of my regulars came by this morning. He says there's quite a difference in the eggs. They are much richer. That coincides with the change in feed. So, outside verification! Yea! Good stuff!”
Commercial Org Farm - “The hens seem to love it and egg production has gone up. So we are very happy about that!”
“My pigs used to eat all the feed still cried for more, were hungry; now they don’t finish it all and no crying for more”
“I had a chicken that hadn't laid an egg in 5 months or so that laid two eggs so far this week!”
“Thanks for the chicken feed, they really like it. My goats love this feed too once they got used to it”
Whole grain will last for centuries. They sprouted grain found in King Tuts tomb. But once you crack the grain it begins to lose nutritional value. The Vit E and other antioxidants get used up preventing oxidation. The more you powder up the grain like with pellets, the faster it loses nutrition and goes bad. People who grind their own grain for bread etc. know this and make small batches or freeze any extra flour to slow the oxidation and rancidity of the flour. The flour you buy in a bag at the store to make bread or, well it’s a Wonder if you get anything but calories from it.
The feed we get is cracked fresh, hasn’t been sitting in a mill warehouse or distributor or feed store, so it hasn’t lost much. Also being bigger chunks not powder, the outside edges begin to lose nutrition but what is still inside the chunks of grain stays fresh longer. So this is a far superior feed than pellets or crumble and it shows in their health and the reduced amount you have to feed as well as their production.
For my Hens & Goats I don't want to order large amounts of feed all at once that sit around a long time & get old & lose nutritional value. So I pool together with a group so we can order mill direct a ton at a time wholesale monthly so we get fresh milled grain and our cost with freight ends up around $21/50# sack for what I was paying $26-$35/ 40# sack for.
It is worth it to do this to obtain the best clean, nutritious, and regionally-produced food possible for our animals. Remember you are not just what you eat, but what you eat ATE.
Besides Premium Layer they also have Starter, Grower/Broiler, Dairy Goat and Hog too. And they sell the whole grains for sprouting and fodder. Barley, Triticale and Peas for $16/50#
Besides Premium Layer they also have Starter, Grower/Broiler, Dairy Goat, All Purpose, Hog and Scratch too.
And they sell the whole grains for sprouting and fodder. Barley, Triticale and Peas for $16/50#
I don’t know of any other west coast provider of good whole or freshly cracked non-GMO grains like this and my chickens prefer this to any other feed and our cost is less. Others like it better than anything else they have tried. So far everyone who has tried it re-orders.
Be sure to use up your old feed and only introduce this feed during the last 3 days because once your hens start eating this grain they will not want the pellets and junk feed. For hens it is best not to feed this free choice at first when switching them over, because they will. Some hens like one grain more than others and they will choose. When they were used to a feed that may have had yummy sugar in it they may be picky till they get a taste for this real food, so make them eat it all this up before adding more feed to their feeder. Only feed as much as they will eat that day, don’t over feed. If there is a little camelina or peas left don’t add more feed, make them eat this up or just add a little feed so they have to finish up all of it. They will learn when its gone they get more. You will save on feed this way too.
This way they get used to the taste of all the feed and then after several days of doing this, if you don’t have a problem with rats and birds, and want to go back to free choice feeding, they should be used to eating all of the different grains and not be as picky.
Remember, unlike Pellets, this is chunks of real grain and as with scratch, it helps them get more from the feed if you buy gravel grit to give them so they can grind up the grain in their gizzards, especially if they don’t free range where they might be able to get enough rocks. But even then I would have some grit available for them.
I use a trough for the loose feed because the round can feeder is for pellets. They spill less in the trough. Also I like the one with the hoop wires that come up from side to side which keeps them from swiping their heads side to side and spilling as much or walking in the trough. They don’t make a long one only 24” or 18” but it’s still worth it. http://www.waremfginc.com/b-detaildisplay.aspx?itemno=12064
But its cheaper here if they still have it http://www.pupdaddy.com/ware-manufacturing-inc.-trough-chicken-feeder-3011172.html
But I made my own on a slant from a 4” water drain pipe that I love. Cutout slots in it for their heads.
A note on Brewers' grains which should not be confused with distillers' grains, a by-product of ethanol production (ethanol is typically produced for inclusion in gasoline). 1st of all they are usually GMO so I would not want to use them. It is vital that the spent grain be dried or frozen, even storing in plastic bags can let enough oxygen in to grow mold which can make the animals sick or kill them. Feed it like fermented feed, only a small amount they can eat in a half hour or hour and toss out the rest. The best use of spent grain is in a compost pile, the worms will love it but be careful mixing with other manure it can produce hydrogen sulfide gas and people have died from dumping brewery grains on manure piles which can accelerate gas production to high levels. Brewers' grains are primarily fed to dairy cattle or hogs where a lot can be used up quickly, but they have some nutritional value for poultry as well. The major problem limiting the use of dried brewers' grains in poultry rations is because of the high fiber content which can give the runs. The nutritional content of brewers' grains varies depending on the grain used (barley, wheat, rice, or corn), the extent of the fermentation, and the type of fermentation process used. For both broilers and layers, inclusion rates of 2% to 20% of the diet have been recommended. A few researchers have indicated that enzyme supplementation can improve the nutritive value of dried brewers' grains in poultry diets, particularly broiler starter diets.
When the label doesn’t even tell you what type of grain is in it, like the label below you don’t want it. It is standard commercial feed made from husks, bran, floor sweepings or the dust they vacuum up from flour milling, corn starch and alcohol making process and they glue this and other by-products together into pellets with some sugar and corn syrup or molasses. These ingredients used to make this feed are worse than fines and powder left over in the feeders that hens won’t eat from better feeds; the stuff you throw out, or i give it to my goats. I know one popular organic feed company won’t use their milling dust, instead they sell it to cheap feed makers for hog feed, but some make cheap poultry feed from this material.
The parent company that makes the feed shown below makes wheat flour and soy flour. They use a different brand name for feed, which is their waste product from their flour mill or corn starch or alcohol making companies; though some like Purina built a famous animal name brand name too. So you can guess the “grain product” in the feed is wheat bran and soy meal dust. They mix the dust with horrible things like: hydrogenated vegetable oil, dextrin sugar, starch, condensed fermented corn extract is the liquid fraction obtained from the corn steeping process in ethanol manufacturing.
Kaolin is hydrated aluminum silicate clay, probably to help stop the diarrhea this food causes; all things you make sure are not in food you buy for yourself.
Then they add some part of pork to it and animal fat with preservatives and bone meal, gross. That stuff is not even legal to add into goat, hog horse or cattle feed because of disease potential. This means there is not enough protein or oils in the grain “products” and byproducts and plant “products” so they have to boost levels of protein and fat with the meat and fat. They are called “products” because they can’t be called grain or plants anymore because they are altered, fractionated in the process. Other brands may say middlings, screenings, brewers spent grains, etc.
And no probiotics just a fungus aspergillus. This is like trying to live on Mc Donald’s for your hens. Can you believe they make hen feed out of this and most people don’t care or don’t bother to read the label and find out what it is?
BRAND XXXXX EGG LAYER RATION For Laying Poultry - INGREDIENTS: Grain Products, Plant Protein Products, Processed Grain Byproducts, Calcium Carbonate, Porcine Meat and Bone Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved with BHT), Monocalcium Phosphate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, DL-Methionine, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Sulfate, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine Hydrochloride, Kaolin, Cellulose, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Dextrin, Starch, Condensed Fermented Corn Extract, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract
Because my hens are on real whole grains or cracked grains, not just pellets or mash, I give them gravel even though they are on pasture to be sure they get plenty so their gizzards can grind up all the grains well so they get more from their food. And limestone gravel and oyster shells too of course.
I find if I feed them by midmorning I get less mess in the coops under their roost at night than if I feed at night. But often I give them extra in the early eve when I collect their eggs if they have cleaned up all their food. Or I put more fodder in the left over fines in their troughs. Especially in the winter when there is not as much grass and bugs or the pasture is snow covered or frosted, they need more feed and green fodder those days.
I put bands on my hens legs so I know where I bought them and their age and can identify them if I see them laying or getting out so I clip their wings etc.. I used the coiled plastic leg bands but they don’t seem to stretch as the legs grow and some have grown in or irritate the leg, so I now only use loose zip ties. Maybe I did not stretch out the bands enough so they were looser. And a couple hens pulled them off. But the colored tiny zip ties are cheaper and easier to get on.
I keep a worm bin for my garden where fruit and veggie waste, some of the straw and manure from pens and grass clippings all go in for the worms to make rich vegetable garden additive. I also have a huge compost pile of chipped up leaves branches, dirt, and heavy manure and straw. The hens dig in it for worms which they love as a treat.
I use pieces of linoleum or laminated paneling on the floors of the coop so I can pull it out once in a while and wash it all off. This protects the floors from staining and soaking up feces. Also I am going to do that on some ledges I have around the sides of one coop because I get tired of putting straw or shavings on the ledge, then they poop in it or knock it all off daily and I have to clean it and replace straw so the feces doesn’t stick to the wood.
I have used both fir shavings and straw in the runs and coops. Straw seems to hold up in our wet weather better in the runs and the hens like hay or straw better in runs and nest boxes. Seems to absorb more wet and waste. I throw a couple flakes of straw in the runs, they scratch through it, spread it out for me. It composts better also.
In the nests boxes I use green astro turf so I can pull it out and clean it if they break an egg or mess it up much. Then put shavings or hay or straw on top of it, but often the hens move all the straw out down to the astro turf and lay on it. They love it.
I move the waterers from the runs into the coop on freezing nights which works if it is not too cold or only freezes one night. But after a few freezing nights in a row, even in the coop with a heat lamp it freezes.
My nipple waterers freeze up in the winter and are worthless so I finally got a heated waterer which is a hassle to fill, but it saves me hauling hot water from the kitchen to thaw out all their waterers every morning. I still do that and thaw out the extra waterers, but I can wait and do it later when I feed and only really have to thaw out one other outside waterer they can all share.
I only clip the wings of birds that tend to fly over the fence. I have some low gates and 4' fencing in some places. Usually only the Leghorns try but occasionally others do. Its like clipping fingernails so don't be afraid. Watch a video online and see how easy it is and where to cut. It will last until they molt. Start with just one wing only and see if that stops them. I like them to be able to fly to get away from predators and some like to roost in tree branches if you have those near your coop or run. In my coops I use real tree branches 2-3" diameter for roosts. Powder them with DE.
I had clear tarps over the runs, which are 7x13 chain link dog kennels, with PVC pipe bent in an arc to support the tarp and keep water and snow off but they wear out in a couple years and leak and then the run floor gets wet and the food. And in heavy wet snow, 1 foot in a couple days, it has collapsed the PVC pipe and tarps. So now I use PVC or Polycarbonate corrugated plastic roofing even though I had to build a wooden frame to support it. I like clear plastic rather than galvanized or green so they get more natural sunlight since I get so little in the little valley we are in and being in Wa. we get little sunlight in the winter. For heavier snow I would suggest galvanized corrugated or metal roofing panels.
Crazy stuff: My hens would rather roost on tree branches out in their runs than I the warm coops and they want the highest branch up at the top 6 feet, even in the freezing winter. So when its freezing I take the roosts out of the runs so they have to go into the coops to sleep and roost inside where it is warmer and I get better egg production than when they sleep in the freeze. I use 2 ½” real tree branches for roosts inside as well as in the run.
I had one hen that laid an egg every night from the highest perch and let it drop to the floor under her. So I piled lots of straw under her roost spot and the eggs usually didn’t break and I could save them. She finally stopped.
When I get a broody hen I lock her up alone in a run with only a perch and no nest for 3 -4 days and they come out of it and go back to normal life and laying again. Some say soak them in cold water.
If the goats or Llama leave a lot of hay in the bottom of their bin feeders, the hens fly up and will lay eggs in the hay, so I have to check and clean out the bins if there is any left.
Most hens are fine but I like White Leghorns that lay more and large eggs but they are lighter and more flighty so I have to clip their wings once a year if they are flying over the 4 foot fence or gate. Occasionally a Gold Star also. They like to climb up to the top of the straw or hay bales and lay eggs in them.
My grandfather kept banty hens and guineas loose on his little farm when I was growing up. On my property I got tired of hens after a 6-7 years, wanted more time freedom so stopped for a couple years. Then started back up a few years later because I got tired of lousy store eggs and wanted eggs from organic all day pasture raised hens with no chemicals and non-GMO whole grains. I simplified my system so if I want to leave someone else can feed and collect eggs.
Now I do it the easy way only buying 4-9 month old pullets instead of raising chicks. I get a few pullets every two years to replace the aging hens as the big eggs from old hens start to get runny whites or the coyotes thin my flock.
And I set up the coops and runs near the house so it is easier to get to than our barn far away. Large waterers and feeders, (though I am usually out there daily anyway). Started with 6 hens, but soon was up to 28 - 30; I mean 26; darn coyotes. Why don’t the hens run back to the coop when the coyotes come? I lose a few hens each year, but then the coyotes loose a couple each year too. (;-) Thanks Mini Ranch!
And then the Osprey or Falcon got a few one fall. And the bald eagles rarely grab one.
I got a new hen once who in a couple days seemed to get pneumonia and could barely breathe. I thought it was just stress or shock from the move but the next day she was the same. Thought for sure she would die, wouldn’t eat, just laid there breathing heavy. Probably bronchitis. So I mixed up some respiratory and immune herbs and vitamins in water and mannose extract from aloe and made a thin gel I wiped in her beak each time she took a breath, maybe 12 times. She had to swallow it to get it out of her mouth. I did this 2 x day for a few days and she cleared up, started eating and was fine after that. I did the same on one other hen who stopped eating and was just laying on the ground all day. She revived and was fine in a day.
I had a couple hens eating feathers so I added extra fish meal to their wet sprouted grain and to cooked rice or left over oatmeal and this stopped it. That is when I realized the benefit of extra fish meal for protein. Feathers are high protein and when hens need it they eat them. Some people give cat food.
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HeritageGoose13
Songster
- Apr 24, 2015
- 1,201
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That is the longest post on this website I have ever seen.
- Jan 20, 2015
- 696
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That is the longest post on this website I have ever seen.
seriously! Incredibly long. No way I'm readin that lol. My thumb got tired just scrolling!!!
Don P, is the fish meal you use Non-GMO as well? It probably comes from fish fed on GMO corn.
Thanks Don! This is a lot of great information! I live in south Texas and it seems to be hard to get some local non GMO grains here around, but I will venture out and search online. I discovered lots of tiny little bugs in my nonGMO layer feed, which came in the bag. I don't know if the chickens eat them even, however I will try to make my own feed with supplements. (That's not the only reason though
)
Thanks again! Great info especially for a newbie like me
Thanks again! Great info especially for a newbie like me
beginnergirl
Songster
Sidhe13
Chirping
I disagree with the regular use of garlic in chicken diet. It is great for all kinds of parasites and I do use it....ON OCCASION! Long term or too frequent use with cause anemia in most animals, including chickens. Be careful.
jonezjollyfarm
Songster
I'm very curious about this? Any good links to get started. We have a bunch of flower pots that we put dirt in and grass seed and the chickens gobble it up.
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