Marans eggs on ebay....

[Krys109uk]

What is HOG44? Sounds like pig feed? Corn is predominantly carbohydrate,very low percentage protein & wouldn't be the main source of protein. Most places use mostly soya beans for their main protein source.
Corn, being (I think) the cheapest grain in US, is used as for the base of most feed for poultry. As you say, much corn makes for yellow birds, & fat birds. Wheat being more or less the cheapest grain in UK is used as the base for most poultry feed in UK (though our feeds are very different). Usually some basic carbohydrate needs to be used as the base for the feed then various vitamin/mineral mixes are added, plus various forms of protein.
The feed companies I have approached about custom grinding seem to get very confused when I ask that the feed not be corn based. One wouldn't want barley either, as chickens do not have the enzyme necessary to digest barley.

 

[Katy]

Around here milo is the cheapest grain.

 

[Krys109uk]

What is milo? (It's a warm bedtime drink in UK.

)

 

[Katy]

Quote:
It's a sorghum grain that they grow alot around here and use a lot in hog and cattle feed especially. I feed it as a big part of my scratch for my birds. If you ever buy the cheaper wild bird foods in the store the little BB size orange or yellowish balls are milo.

 

[halo]

Oh THATS milo...the chickies will eat that? I may have to try that, its really cheap here, and the wild birds HATE it.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Really?!

Wild birds here LOVE it!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Wow... I didn't know that about the Barley... guess I'd better get rid of that. I was feeding it to the pigs, but now that they're gone, I've been giving some to the girls as treats. Whups.

I had to laugh at the milo grain/drink scenario.

I don't think I've seen milo up here, only oats, barley, corn, and millet.

 

[greathorse]

I am asking for second opinion on the barley. Not sure about that one. Need a feed expert

 

[Krys109uk]

I shouldn't know a milo plant if I saw one & I couldn't find a pic. I'm somehow imagining something like millet? So do they grind this & use it as a base for chicken feed? Do they have this in all parts of US & is it cheaper in all parts of US?

 

[Krys109uk]

I am asking for second opinion on the barley. Not sure about that one.

My original source for that one was "Diseases of Free Range Poultry" Victoria Roberts BVSc MRCVS.

Pg138 discussing Feed & Nutrition (this is a British book; our feed is wheat based & very different). "........Barley is wasted on chickens as they lack the enzyme to digest it. It is sometimes added to commercial feed with the missing enzyme a barley meal, but waterfowl devour whole barley with relish."

Since first reading this I've had occasion, for a while, to regularly discuss feed & ingredients, their worth & effect with the nutritionist for our, then, feed manuacturer "Countrywide Feeds" & a couple of similar converastions with "BOCM Pauls". Though not usually regarding the use of barley, which was, at that time, the cheapest grain in UK.​