Heritage Feeds for Heritage Breeds

[Jake Levi]

From scraping with my hands flakes of alfalfa, and from under the bales, they clean it right up. I put in a couple quarts at a time, for a dozen hens.

 

[CluckyJay]

Subscribed.

 

[Jake Levi]

Welcome to the discussion ! Jump in anytime.

 

[Pony Trotsky]

Quote:
Me too.

I'm also a horse person keeping chickens on an old-fashioned farm, and I really like this way of thinking about things.

Thank you!

 

[Jake Levi]

Well, for a number of reasons I think the old-fashioned way of a lot of farming thinking is going to become the new-fashioned and most economical way to do things.

For many the price of commercial feeds is way beyond the make or break on livestock enterprises, including poultry. We cant compete with the large factory broiler or layer operations on feed, and our prices are much higher on a retail level then theirs. For the same end products.

This week I am going to be collecting grain prices from local(40 mile radius) grain dealers to find out what is doable.

It is just something that has to be.

 

[Chris09]

Jake,
There is a route you could go to make things a little easier,
Wile you are out getting prices on grain check and see if any of the mills have a all grain pigeon feed, it will range from 13 to 21 present protein and is a very good mix of grains.
If it something that you like then all you would have to do is add a good poultry Vit/Min mix, meat/bone meal and have it ground to a course mash and either add molasses or oil to cut the dust and act as a binder, you shouldn't need that much molasses or oil to do the job.

Here is a list of ingredients that was in a pigeon grain that I used at on time.
Canadian Peas, Popcorn, Maple Peas, Milo, Wheat, Oat Groats, Red Proso Millet

Chris

 

[Jake Levi]

Hi Chris

Good idea, on the mix anyhow, I doubt if there are many pigeon fanciers up in wet Wa, but many of these grains should be available. Thats what counts, and the prices.

I did some surfing today looking for hand grain mills, what I have found so far is small electric kitchen ones, not the big hand operated one like my grandparents had. I used theirs many times grinding grain for their chickens. Thats on the order of what I am looking for. The kitchen ones make nice fine flour for baking.

I will post what I find out, looking forward to hearing what you folks input on this and your ideas are.

 

[welasharon]

This is what I am looking to do as well. I want to feed my birds feed as close to what they would eat naturally as possibe. I free range them all I can but I need to provide them with feed for when they are penned. It is difficult to balance the need to free range with the need to protect from predators. I am not convinced that mass produced comercial feed is what my birds need for optimum health and longevity. I hope to keep these birds for many (10+) years. One of the things that bothers me about the comercial feed is the texture. I feel like they should have more real bits of food, with varying textures that would simulate more natural grazing. The pigeon feed slightly ground seems like it would provide that with the nutrients needed added. Am I off base in my thinking?
sharon

 

[Jake Levi]

I think that you are right on !! Varied size has to help digestion .

Next year I am planting a number of greens for them, kale, chard, spinach, and more, this fall and winter they get alfalfa chafe to clean up, and they do, it is amazing how much that they will eat, but then the Icelandic developed in a country with very little grain and most of it went to feed people.

 

[welasharon]

Well since I am in Florida we grow bugs and plants with equal vigor so that will help. I will check around to see what I can find but I think I will go this direction. Comercial dog food almost killed my lab. I now feed him a raw diet. The chickens should be even easier!
sharon