My husband is questioning the feed....

[ChickenAl]

Here's what is in the feed we use;
OrganicCorn • OrganicRoastedSoybeans • OrganicWheat&WheatMidds • OrganicWholeBarley • Limestone • Salt(minedwithnoadditives) • Probiotics–OMRIapproved • DiatomaceousEarth • Vitamins&TraceMinerals

 

[crayon]

Quote:
I think you are totally miss reading what I am saying- I am not posting about sodium- but the quality of my feed. How do we get the girls to eat more "natural" less "processed".

Also- you did bring up salt- they plainly add salt as stated in the ingrediants. Now- if it falls in the "required" min/max- is besides the point. You stated they do not ADD any- and they do.

My husband is not going angry or anything - but questioning what is best for the girls. I think that is noble and not that he needs to take a chill pill. If we didn't question things how in the world would we be doing the very best for them?

 

[Animalian]

Every day my hens get:
-free ranged all day in a grassy yard
-some scratch that has vitamins & minerals mixed in. It kind of sticks to the seeds.
-Leftover vegies, pasta, fruit, smashed/roasted egg shells and oats every morning and night, warmed up when it's winter.

I also give them meat two or three times a week to boost their protein, normally a few pieces of beef per bird or a handful of mealworms each.
My hens lay well and have never got sick on this diet.

I don't really like pellets because it's a bit of a mystery whats in there, but I do feed it to my growing pullets until POL because, after all it is technically 'complete feed' and I want them to grow up properly, and they can be fussy with other foods I offer.

I would see if you can get the vitamin boosted scratch and feed that to them in winter with the leftovers etc. You can ask at the local supermarket if they will save all their vegetable scraps for you rather than throwing them out, you can get a LOT of feed for free that way. In winter I would give them more meat because they won't be catching all the bugs they do in summer if it snows where you are.

 

[crayon]

Quote:
Oh ChickenAl- I love that you "GET ME!"

What brand? I wonder if I can get it ordered- we live in no mans land!

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I think this was more my point- not the sodium (it was just an example)..... And more like- could there be something better for the girls? Not just buy what is presented in my face the first time.


THANKS ChickenAL

Well, they sell a whole grain mix of game bird food at my TSC. It looks like good stuff, but I haven't tried it yet. It's twice the price of standard feed. Remember the chickens aren't going to live/produce very long no matter what you feed them. Your money is best spent keeping predators out, honestly. I've only got 2 of my original 6 chicks left (they are over 2 years old though, and still cranking out eggs). They've been fed just about everything over the course of their short lives. Purina feed, Dumor feed, local milled feed. Ranged on the yard/grass, table scraps of all kinds, old bread, I've used deer corn, BOSS, wild bird seed, sweet feed, etc for "scratch" treats. I've cut their layer feed with whole or rolled oats or 12% all stock feed. The thing about chickens is that they can eat just about anything.
I'm pretty sure my grandma's chickens lived on a coffee can of scratch and whatever kitchen scraps she brought them every day - and they didn't even get out to range either. Mine produce better than hers coz they do get layer feed available 24/7, but the point is that the chickens can live on almost anything.

 

[ChickenAl]

Quote:
Oh ChickenAl- I love that you "GET ME!"

What brand? I wonder if I can get it ordered- we live in no mans land!

Nature's Best #625 grower crumbles by Kreamer feeds in PA. We started with Green Mountain of Vermont, but the girls did not like the pellets. The listing of the ingredients are actually from their internet site for broilers, but the bag label has better info, and we are feeding the grower.

I am sure you can find a local source for organic feed that has ingredients you will like. I am not too keen on the soybeans in the feed but it seems to be in most of them and the ones with fish meal have issues of the fish going rancid. Green Mountain is supposedly coming up with one that has no soy in it. I'll be waiting for that and still searching for some other feeds continuously. It does matter what we feed them, and I really do understand your husbands concerns.

 

[egg_tastic]

Ask around at feed stores(non-branded, ma/pop type), local hatcheries, local grain mills, etc. I have a local hatchery that sells food from a mill. They are excellent feeds with all-natural being offered. Cheap too, at the most-expensive being $10 for all-natural laying crumbles in 50lb bags. Personally, I don't like to feed any TSC brands.

 

[Oregon Blues]

See all the "chemical" stuff listed below the salt? I've looked every one of them up. Each one is a vitamin or mineral that your birds need for good health. They are not "stuff"

I'm not so keen on the idea of all the screenings and leftover distillers grains and middlings and odd things, but they are actually nutrition containing food items. I switched to a locally milled poultry food that is made with whole real grains, and the birds actually poop out a noticeable increased amount, which means they aren't utilizing it as well as the commercial feeds.

I think it is fine if you want to buy more expensive food. Just be aware that the commercial stuff really is not bad.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Added note, here. I feed a bit of dry cat food so that my ducks can get some fish protein. Chickens and ducks are not vegetarians and do better if they get some animal protein.

 

[KenK]

Am I the only one that thinks people would be better off, in general and on average, if Purina made "People Chow" and it was formulated to give all the nutrients a human needed and if you were x feet tall you would get y ounces of it to eat per day?

How many are here that are determined to give their chickens the most awesomest, sustainable, local, no corn, no soy, gulten free, organic chicken feed available, and eat twinkies and the like themselves?

I know we manage our dogs weight to the ounce but since we are the keepers of the asylum, our waistlines tend to bulge from time to time.