Heritage Feeds for Heritage Breeds

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
If the price of your commodities and feed have not fallen in the past month or so you need to question your supplier. The price for corn and soybean meal have dropped considerably since August.

With the debt crisis in Europe and the continued idiocy in our Government the prices have a good chance to fall a bit more, though we won't return to the sub $3 corn prices.

Jim

 

[KenK]

I paid $10.99 for 50 pounds of shelled corn this afternoon. Compared to $12.99 for a 50 # bag of scratch that had cracked corn, wheat, milo, black oil sunflower, and popcorn.

I wish I had noted the price before I got home. I think they jack it up for all the deer hunters this time of year.

 

[Jake Levi]

I keep coming back in my search to whatever is produced locally and can be utilized as the bulk of the diet. That will vary much depending on the area of the country, but there is no magic universal mix for all chickens everywhere around the world.

We are blessed with two grains here in the US that are raised in nearly every state with only a few exceptions and that is corn and oats, with wheat coming in close, those 3 grains can make over half a ration and as much as 3/4s . Add in barley where its cheap and you are on your way. Then something to edge up the protein, add minerals and you are close to your complete ration.

This section here has a number of threads on ingrediants to balance out rations and to increase the nutritional density, this is what we need to be looking at.

I was in two feed stores this afternoon, the 'best buy' in the two was a layer ration, 14% protein, at $28/100 lbs, I donot consider that a good economical buy. That is in Wa State. Earlier this fall I was buying the same level of protein in Mi at $16/100 lbs. For almost $30/100lbs it becomes much more cost effective to raise your own grain, or buy it direct from the farmer and make your own.

Much to think about on all of this, but our heritage breeds were for the most part developed on small general purpose farms across the country, raised on what was grown locally, often on the farms with the farm flock.

It could be to go to our future with heritage breeds we will do best to go back to where and how our breeds were developed.

 

[welasharon]

Is anyone here familiar with an 11 way scratch? I asked on facebook about what pigeon feed the feed store carries and she said they have Prograins and Nutrablend. Then she added the bit about having the 11 way scratch with the cracked corn being the largest sized grain in it. I was interested in using a pigeon feed as a base maybe? Thoughts? Directions?
sharon
ETA: Chris I was thinking to use the pigeon as a base as you suggested. I had to go back and look.

 

[Jake Levi]

Its been a few years since I did pigeon rations but two major ingredients are corn and peas. I dont know what they are using now, I do recall corn, milo and peas. If doing it now I would also add BOSS.

 

[welasharon]

Quote:
Chris09 has posted a picture of pigeon feed a few pages back and that intrigued me. I can't get to the feed store till Thurs or Friday and I'm having surgery Friday so I may not be coherent so I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do and let my daughter know so she could buy it. I guess whatever I go with I can figure out how to deal with it. I could not even find 11 way scratch on google.
sharon

 

[Jake Levi]

I think its a store name, probably claiming 11 grains, which is overkill, I believe in nutritional density but any more then 5 grains and you dont really know what you have.

I am thinking 30-40% corn, 15% oats, 15% wheat, 10% BOSS, 5% meat meal, 5% minerals, thats what I have used before and they did well on it, I fed oyster shell free choice on the side, I am going to price this out here in Wa. You can also add whatever produce is in season, meat and table scraps.

 

[welasharon]

Quote:
Makes sense. About what protein percentage is that? I am such a newbie to this. Also what are you using for minerals and what for meat meal?
sharon

 

[Jake Levi]

I dont know if either mix is available here, in Wa, in MI I used a fish meal made from fish processing of Great Lakes fish, I didnt use it on layers as it will give the eggs a fishy taste, but was able to get a total 17% protein ration to the whole mix, the grains averaged around 12% and the fish meal brought it up to the 17%. Total cost was around $13-14 a hundred. Well worth it. Here I will look into both the fish meal and meat meals. Soons I find something I will post sources here.

I have read that both corn and wheat are up this fall.

 

[Farmerboy16]

I am subscribing to this topic.

I have over 5 acres of corn which will be harvested soon, and will be milled, and would like to stay away from laying mash, to a better type of feed for my breeders. This topic is great! Thanks Jake!