Medicated Feed ? Safe? Organic?

[gckiddhouse]

I feed organic.

My chicks don't get medicated feed. I put raw apple cidar vinagar in their water as a natural anticeptic along with a little organic molases. I also will give them yogurt as a probiotic (organic) or kefir. IMO if you are going to go with no meds, then you should be proactive in helping them have a healthy ability to fight infection like probiotics and natural remedies. I can't remember, now, where I learned to do all that. I am sure it was largely here on BYC.

I don't have my yard sprayed with chemicals and I don't let my husband fertilize the grass unless it is one I approve of. We use the soap/salt/vinegar solution for weeds.

I used to give them only organic scraps, but I have given up on that. I give them good healthy organic-or-not scraps.

I get my organic feed from azurestandard.com. It is a full line grocery that delivers via truck. I order through a co-op and pick it up at a drop site. I can't tell where you are, but they are out of Oregon. Something like that might be a good option if you can't find a place to buy it. If you are going to buy a bunch at a time, a feed store might be willing to order it in for you. There are certainly web sites that sell it, but you will pay shipping. I have always wanted to try a corn/soy free feed, but haven't found one that would fit my budget. I try to sell eggs to help pay for the organic feed which is twice as much as non organic.

Would love to hear other tips...

 

[bibliophile birds]

depending on where you are, organic feed may be hard to find. it seems that the southeast, where i am, is the worst. i get my feed through a local buyer's club for Countryside Naturals, which is out of Virginia.

organic certification allows for medicated chick feed as well as chick vaccinations. you have to remember that they are certifying a lot of large scale operations that simply wouldn't succeed without cocci and Marek's innoculation. i don't like it, but it's allowed.

i didn't have my chicks vaccinated or feed medicated feed. i introduced them to the outdoors slowly (an hour or so a day for 3 weeks, starting at 3 weeks old). this let them build up a cocci tolerance slowly without overloading their fragile systems. i also gave them organic yogurt mixed with organic cheerios every day during that period. i didn't lose a single chick. we're 6 months in now and they've still had no chemical treatments, not even wormers (i do pumpkin and wormwood treatments for worms), and they are all still alive and healthy (except the couple we processed and put in the freezer, of course!).

what it comes down to is doing whatever makes you feel the most comfortable and safe. there was a small window when i had a pullet that was limping badly where i was terrified that she had Marek's. for 4 days i was in a panic and swore i would vaccinate the next batch of chicks. naturally, it wasn't Marek's at all- she had dislocated her knee. this just showed me that i was doubting myself and letting "industrial thinking" creep in. i won't vaccinate or medicate my chicks in the future because i can see that what i'm doing CAN work.

good luck. keep us all posted!

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

I think the latest news from the world of actual science is that yogurt is not good for chickens and the pro-biotics contained therein are not even applicable to chickens' guts.

 

[gckiddhouse]

Quote:
I've often wondered about that...

My chicks that were hatched with a broody last year were fine. All healthy and strong. They were born in the coop area in the dirt and such. I think we aren't doing them any favors by hatching them in such "clean" environments.

 

[Chris09]

The thing is I don't know too many feeds if any that are Certified 100% Organic.
Countryside Naturals says that the feed they sell is Certified Organic but they don't say that they are certified 100% Certified Organic.

100 Percent Organic:
This label can only be used on products that contain only organic components. This means that there is nothing contained within the item that is not completely organic.

Organic:
This label can only be used on products that contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients or components. Products with this label may contain up too 5 percent of ingredients that are not organic.
[i/]Thats 5 lbs out of a 100 lbs tha can be non-organic ingredients or 2 1/2 lbs out of 50 lbs.[/i]

Made With Organic Ingredients:
This label can only be used on items that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. This certification means that although the majority of ingredients used in the product are indeed organic, there may also be as much as 30 percent of ingredients that are not organic. That's 30 lbs out of a 100 lbs tha can be non-organic ingredients or 15 lbs out of 50 lbs.

Look closely at the organic labels on food and other products Just because an item has an organic certification, it does not necessarily indicate that the item is completely organic.

Chris

 

[musson]

Quote:
Do you have a source for that? I would like to read about it.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Quote:
Do you have a source for that? I would like to read about it.

This is the thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=40213&p=2

And this is the quote from that thread, post #18:

Quote:
Why am I not surprised that so many BYCers refute science?

 

[pardenx3]

I never fed medicated to our last babies a year ago, and they were fine. I think the medicated feed is more of a personal preference. JMO. You can buy certified organic feed but it tends to be pretty pricey.

 

[Xanatos]

I do live in the southeast, Central North Carolina, ugh. Any one have any ideas on good feed in this area? I've thought about growing mealworms and I've heard they are very cheap. Also I've looked into the new BIOPOD invention that grows black soldier fly larvae/composts your organics quickly and produces mature larvae for the chickens.

 

[Organics North]

Quote:
Are you sure? It is my understanding organic certification allows for vaccinations, but feed must be certified organic. I am unaware of any certified organic medicated feed?

Here is my source: http://www.mosesorganic.org/attachments/productioninfo/fspoultry.html

"Hormones or antibiotics are not allowed in organic meat production. Medicated feed may not be fed. Health issues should be treated through prevention, as most poultry diseases are very difficult to treat. Cleanliness is the best form of defense in disease management."


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