Is it worth the extra $$

[AntiqueB]

I feed my family and my chickens organic. This is mainly because we are a family of 3, with 2 incomes, and 2 (soon to be 4) chickens. If we were a bigger family, with less disposable income and more chickens, the cost would rapidly get out of hand. Everyone does the best they can, I assume; no one purposely malnourishes themselves or their pets (or livestock).

I choose organic because I see what's allowed and what's banned in the rest of the world, and that shows me very clearly where US interests lie. When I'm in Europe, I feel a lot better eating non-organic food!

I agree with a lot of what's been posted already. The decision is not an easy one, and balance is difficult to keep.

My chickens eat Scratch & Peck grower, with oyster shell on the side. They love the whole grains much more than the Purina crumbles they ate as chicks. Those, however, did help them grow into healthy chickens! I add vitamins to their water to cover any nutritional deficiencies (I'm pretty sure the powder is vitamin supplement, and they only eat that when I moisten their breakfast). They enjoy any bugs they can find in the yard, as well as small daily treats.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Mary are you aware farming was “organic” prior to the 1950s? Chemical companies needed to continue to sell their chemical weapons used during the vietnam war. Dow Chemicals being one of the worst. These “pesticides” were approved by the president at the time, being a friend to some of these chemical companies.
The bottom line is you’re paying more to compromise the health of everyone involved when using these poisons: the farmer spraying the fields, the people living within breathable distance of the spraying, the animals living in their natural environment, and finally the consumer.
Large scale organic farming is already being done all over the world, and had been since the 50s. Telling ourselves the story that “we need pesticides and fertilizers” just isn’t accurate. And the time and effort to grow our food in a safe and sustainable way is far more important that producing more chemical sprayed food than we need or want.

Actually they used a lot of nasty chemicals in the 30s 40s and 50s. which are now banned. Specifically DDT which created around 1940 and was banned in 1972.

 

[PhillyDelcoChix]

With a little luck, you’re either creating your own compost or getting it nearby.

“Certified Organic” is one element...but there are others...locally produced, grass-fed, intensively farmed (hydroponic, mob grazing) etc. that are all things to be considered.

I do make my own compost.
And I agree there are many marketing terms; I know that only CERTIFIED ORGANIC products are being held accountable to a standard.
But I like the direction these items are going because I believe they are taking us in the right direction.
Cows should feed on grass. It’s healthier for them and us and tastes better. Hens allowed sunshine and fresh ground to scratch produce healthier and more nutritious eggs.

 

[Folly's place]

Yes, grass fed cattle are best. BUT, when price at the grocery is the only criterion for purchase, it's much less expensive to use feed lots, another sad story, because of market pressures to sell as cheaply as possible. The same as the difference between Cornishx chickens and more heritage types, and caged egg layers compared to others.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Meanwhile, buying organic vs. other chicken feed is a personal choice.
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

My chickens eat Scratch & Peck grower, with oyster shell on the side. They love the whole grains much more than the Purina crumbles they ate as chicks. Those, however, did help them grow into healthy chickens! I add vitamins to their water to cover any nutritional deficiencies (I'm pretty sure the powder is vitamin supplement, and they only eat that when I moisten their breakfast). They enjoy any bugs they can find in the yard, as well as small daily treats.

Skip the vitamins in the water and ferment their feed or wet the leftover fines. It'll save you money by reducing waste and will ensure the chickens are getting full benefit of the feed. As you noted, in that powder is all the added vitamins and protein that make it a complete feed. Without it, it's really mostly scratch type grains.

 

[WindingRoad]

Believe me, I totally get not having the money for expensive grain, I would never feed organic simply because I go through 50 lbs of grain per day in the summer and 25 lbs + corn and sunflower seeds in the winter and I would be severely in debt if I paid that much for feed. But I also refuse to ever buy DuMOR even as cheap as it is. A good friend of mine once had half their flock die from switching to DuMOR and the next time they tried a large quantity of their flock got horribly sick. I've used it once and the hens stopped laying for a week... I just don't trust them, but I honestly don't trust practically any brand from any TSC around here. They just don't know how to care for the grain properly. I've never received more moldy, bug-infested, or brittle/poorly bagged grain as I have from TSC.
We use Nutrena which we can get for just over $12 here and our birds are healthier, happier, and lay more than they have on any other feed we've fed them(including a period of time when we tried organic).

I buy Nutrena at TSC. More that $12 a bag though. I but 18% year round.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I agree, unfortunately due to current regulations in most cases human food waste is not permitted to be fed to commercially produced animals.

Speaking of animal feed, along with the 11.5 trillion pounds of food we need for humans, we also need to feed our domesticated animals. I wouldn't even know where to begin to calculate that amount. Of course a lot of those animals will be part of the food chain themselves one day, but obviously need to be fed in the meantime. Then the numbers of pets we keep... I would imagine the pounds of animal feed needed well exceeds that consumed by humans.

Depending on the state...in RI, where I live, there are laws around feeding food waste to pigs...but no laws related to poultry (I emailed the Farm Association, who looped in the state vet).

And yes on animal feed...a pretty sizable amount of agriculture goes to animal feed. I saw a hack documentary on Netflixa few weeks ago blaming people eating meat for climate change.

Animals we eat or who provide us food do have a significant carbon footprint (there are ways to lower that such as mob grazing)...but I’ll think about giving up cheeseburgers AFTER we get rid of all the dogs, cats, parrots, lizards and other non-productive animals, who pound for pound have a much higher carbon footprint than livestock.

 

[Geena]

Depending on the state...in RI, where I live, there are laws around feeding food waste to pigs...but no laws related to poultry (I emailed the Farm Association, who looped in the state vet).

And yes on animal feed...a pretty sizable amount of agriculture goes to animal feed. I saw a hack documentary on Netflixa few weeks ago blaming people eating meat for climate change.

Animals we eat or who provide us food do have a significant carbon footprint (there are ways to lower that such as mob grazing)...but I’ll think about giving up cheeseburgers AFTER we get rid of all the dogs, cats, parrots, lizards and other non-productive animals, who pound for pound have a much higher carbon footprint than livestock.

I'd definitely give up cheeseburgers to keep my dogs, but I totally get what you are saying. The pet food industry is huge! Don't forget to add horses to that too, as most horses are pets in this day and age, and, well... they eat like a horse

 

[BDutch]

Somehow I didn't get notices on new comments. This is my respond after reading 4 pages.

Where I live all the non-organic soy and corn that goes into the chicken, pig and cattle feed comes from Brazil. It is not only the poison that is a problem imo, but also the destruction of the jungle/ large scale deforestation and the social impact for the original inhabitants that counts. The number of large scale soy and corn plantations is still increasing.

Another downside is the shipping from Brasil to Rotterdam. This is causing damage to the world too bc of the fossils and pollution with cheap oil they use in these large vessels.

Traders and banks in the Netherlands contribute to undermining our planets ecosystem/ health. And I rather don’t want to contribute in this sickening trade.

If chick feed comes from local arable farmers and mills its a good alternative for organic feed. It’s great if you can buy that where you live. I might do that too if I was able to do so.

The organic feed over here contains no soy but mainly peas to achieve a higher protein.

Ummmm.... not fair, some people don’t have a choice. Your privilege is showing.

For many people It’s all about choices. I see a lot of people where I live with a modest income that buy unhealthy but expensive food for themselves at the take away and all kind of rubbish in 1 dollar shops. Sometimes people with low income have lots of pets that cost them a fortune. If they would choose a more healthy lifestyle and leave out out the crap it is possible for most people to buy more organic food. I am sorry not everyone has enough means to do so.

Last remark for small scale BYC farmers who think organic is too expensive: Where I live BYC keepers who are not industrial farmers, who keep less then 250 chickens and sell eggs from home are allowed to do so without strict control. They can explain/show to customers the feed is without poison and the chickens are free ranging. These eggs will sell for a much better price then standard eggs. This makes it possible for them to buy the more costly organic feed.