Live Earth Humate? and my own feed recipe

[WildflowerJLH]

I would consider staying with a commercial feed, if they made feed that I like. I can get corn and soy-free and organic, but whole grain is impossible to find!

 

[Speceider]

There's a reason they don't sell whole-grain feeds. You cannot control the intake. Certain birds will selct different grain and not receive enough nutrition. It's meaningless having a 20% protein diet if they only eat the wheat, which is around 14% protein and lower in certain amino acids, making it an effective 10% protein.

Clint

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Some of the feeds being mixed up at small local feed mills are mixed with whole grains and either cracked or uncracked corn. It's the huge feed producers that produce pellets and crumbles. Sometimes, you're at the mercy of whatever is available in your own area, unless you mix your own.

I think the biggest problem with whole grain feeds is the powder mixes sifting out of them. I used to have the feed mill add just a little bit of molasses to our sheep feed, to keep the vitamin and mineral mix incorporated into it. It was tasty, too. At least, that's what the sheep and the chickens that tried to get the bits falling from the sheep's mouths seemed to think.

 

[WildflowerJLH]

For anyone who was interested in the humate question, this is the response that I got from Modesto Milling:

"I has over 50 natural occurring trace minerals and ads to palatability "

That being said, it is not approved by the CA State Dept of Food and Ag, so MM has removed it from their recipes.

 

[wingsofglory]

Must really depend on the area.

Here in Palmer Alaska, the local mill makes layer that contains only barley and salmon meal. Just last weekend I was asking them about this.

In Kona, Hawaii, there was only one choice for layer pellets. But there were about ten choices of different whole grain mixes for chickens.

 

[WildflowerJLH]

Quote:
Of course! This is a question of trying to get whole grain, organic, soy and corn free feed at a reasonable price and without having to buy 2000 pounds at a time. Freight from Hawaii would take that whole gran mix out of my price range.

 

[wingsofglory]

I don't think it was manufactured in Hawaii, was shipped in from the states = so therefore it is made in the states.

I googled "commercial whole grain chicken feed" and found lots of choices.

One is a listing on Craig's List for 50# for $25 = contains no corn or soy. contains: red wheat berries, lentils, yellow split peas, rye, oats, wheat, barley, flax seeds, millet, black oil sunflower seeds, kelp, oyster shell and grit.

Another is www.lionsgrip.com/producers.html. Skip down page to Half Moon. Plus lots of other possibilites, too many for me to go through.

"Must depend on the area" - I did not mean for you to ship it in. Was referring to a traditional market not allowed discussion on these boards, without discussing it.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I mix my own feed (see my BYC page if you are interested).

I was wondering about the kelp you have listed there. Do you mean kelp meal?

If it is kelp meal that you are referring to, I have read that you should aim for 1-2% of the total feed mix. Here's one source:
http://www.agriorganics.com/agriculture.php?Pid=37

Also, flax seeds are around 20% protein, I have read. Here's one source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flax

 

[WildflowerJLH]

Quote:
Thank you very much! The kelp information is just the sort of thing that I am looking for! I will read that later tonight and make adjustments to my formula.

I used 37% protein for the flax seed calculations based onthis website. It is commonly referenced here at BYC for protein calculations. I will contact my supplier, and see if I can find out what they have as protein content, as I am sure it can vary like everything else.

 

[WildflowerJLH]

Quote:
I see! The mix I am looking at will cost less than $0.50/#. I will look into the Half Moon Feed, but since they are in WA with no dealers in CA, I would be looking at shipping costs, again. I will dig more for a local-enough supplier of whole grain feed.

There are lots of people here on BYC that make their own feed, so I was really looking for feedback from some of them, more than I am looking for reasons to buy a pre-mixed feed.