Is the olive oil feed worth it?

[TeePants]

Our chicks arrive in the first week of September so I’m trying to decide what starter feed we go with.

I saw MPC has an olive oil feed, but it’s absurdly expensive. I tried to research it myself and I dunno what a PUFA is or why I should care, but I did see some claims that the chicks and chickens on an olive oil feed are stronger and healthier.


We do have scratch and peck branded feeds available locally which are corn and soy free and seem pretty great. Whats the point of an olive oil feed versus something like that?

Last time we had chickens I think we just fed either Layena or Dumoor.

 

[Altairsky]

No point in olive oil feed, since olive oil is as bad as any other oil.
The good oil is extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil that is not extra virgin is not a healthy oil, it's just an expensive scam with false health claim.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I've never heard of olive oil feed. I can't imagine it would be in any meaningful amount (and like @Altairsky said, EVOO is the true healthy oil). That said, I sometimes give my birds a vitamin-boosting treat that includes a few drops of NOW Foods Vitamin E oil. The base for that is extra virgin olive oil.

Scratch and Peck makes a nice crumble, but my chickens eat so much garbage (mulch, plastic, anything they're not supposed to be eating) that it's hard to justify the price of organic. I do use their Grower Mash as the base for fermented feed, but one bag lasts a long time.

A nice compromise for an affordable base feed is something like Kalmbach's Non-GMO 20% Flock Maker. The best part of using an all flock feed is that you can continue feeding it for life (just add oyster shell on the side at 16+ weeks).

 

[TeePants]

I've never heard of olive oil feed. I can't imagine it would be in any meaningful amount (and like @Altairsky said, EVOO is the true healthy oil). That said, I sometimes give my birds a vitamin-boosting treat that includes a few drops of NOW Foods Vitamin E oil. The base for that is extra virgin olive oil.

Scratch and Peck makes a nice crumble, but my chickens eat so much garbage (mulch, plastic, anything they're not supposed to be eating) that it's hard to justify the price of organic. I do use their Grower Mash as the base for fermented feed, but one bag lasts a long time.

A nice compromise for an affordable base feed is something like Kalmbach's Non-GMO 20% Flock Maker. The best part of using an all flock feed is that you can continue feeding it for life (just add oyster shell on the side at 16+ weeks).

The eating garbage is so true. I also plan to give them kitchen scraps and parrot chop scraps - my parrots don’t usually finish their breakfast, which is mostly peppers, greens, quinoa, etc.

 

[Altairsky]

Scratch and Peck makes a nice crumble, but my chickens eat so much garbage (mulch, plastic, anything they're not supposed to be eating) that it's hard to justify the price of organic.

This is so true, I didn't think of this.
My chickens eat so much random plastic, organic food is pointless. Especially in summer they have this habit of eating the heat reflecting sheet on the coop roof. Can't remove it or they'll end up cooked so I have to let them eat it. That's quite a lot of plastic.

 

[FrostRanger]

PUFA is polyunsaturated fats, some people are avoiding them, it's basically the latest fad diet (not that they don't have some good points and some people do benefit), pay no mind to it and just get your birds a quality feed that's reasonably priced. I personally feed kalmbach flock maker to my girls but as long as the feed is nutritionally sound the brand doesn't matter. Fads come and go but proper nutrition is timeless