Making your own forage cakes

[Egg_newton]

I got a few ideas I'm going to try. I have to get my DE ordered. I will let you guys know how it goes. If it is successful I may make a bunch to take to Chickenstock next month. To be continued...

 

[Egg_newton]

The flock block uses molasses and the forage cakes uses gelatin. I hope molasses isn't a laxative. Chickens poop enough the way it is.

 

[gritsar]

The search feature is your friend

:


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=111647

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Gritsar ~ I want to personally thank you for causing me to stay up all night combining everything in my cupboard leaving absolutely no oatmeal for my human family for breakfast. I appreciate it immensely but my human family on the other hand is not going to be so pleased. This will just prove to them that I am in fact as nutty as they thought I was.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Ummm, you're welcome? My DH always wants to know why there is never any bread for sandwiches, although we buy two loaves a week. I dunno. I'm guessing bread eating trolls?

 

[ArizonaNessa]

 

[Peaguy]

Quote:
I too thought molasses was a no-no because of the laxative effect thus sweet feeds were ruled out. hmmm
been thunking bout suet cakes this winter didn't realize the fat was bad and didn't think about the rancidity
Thanks to Diana, dhlunicorn I am trying to figure out a good delivery method for milled flax for my birds and was just beginning to think "Duh Suet cakes sprinkled with flax meal" How would one go about feeding milled flax or flax meal I mean it is basically flax flour.....
You guys are sure cutting into my mt limited brain cells trying to find an "acceptable" delivery method!

 

[ArizonaNessa]

I don't know about how to deliver the milled flax but did you know that if you feed too much flax it will give the eggs a fishy taste? How much is too much? I have no idea

I would think that you could just mix it into the regular feed. I pulverize calf manna to a flour consistancy (sp?) and mix it into their crumbles. Why do I pulverize it? Because I don't feed pellets. I only use crumbles.

Edited to ask: Why not just use flax seed? Why does it have to be milled?

 

[Peaguy]

yes, more than 10 % flax is the no no area. According to Diana, unmilled/unprocessed flax seed will deliver a type of cyanide. It is safe as long as it is milled and heat processed. I will have to look up her PM with the info and forward it to you if tyou would like? Diana is such a huge fount of information and it is so wonderful that she is sooooo willing to share it with us. I wish we lived closer , or I made lots of money!!! I would love to meet her or travel to meet her someday. She has been a huge help to me on a number of issues.

ETA info from Diana.....

Diana's post to my topic about Flax seed.

"Flax seed is used in poultry diets once it has been milled into a meal ... feeding raw flax seed is something I would not personally choose to do based on the information here:
http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/avian/pfs21.htm
"....Flaxseed may be processed by mechanical expellers or solvent extraction and the residual linseed meal is available as an animal feed ingredient. Linseed meal is an important feedstuff for cattle but its use in poultry feeds is limited.

Flaxseed contains a cyanide containing glucoside, linamarin, which releases hydrogen cyanide under acidic, moist conditions in the presence of an enzyme, linase. Under normal processing conditions involving high temperature treatment, linase is destroyed so that the subsequent release of hydrogen cyanide is not a problem. ....."

See this site for a supplement specifically for poultry (pass the cost on to your customer)...
http://www.enrecoanimalnutrition.com/retail/"

Last edited by dlhunicorn (06/26/2009 5:03 am)

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Awesome info. Thank you so much for helping me to learn something new. I just love learning as much as I can and here at byc I learn something new each and every day.