Need a No GMO, No Soy, NO PEAS feed. Halp!

[NatJ]

@U_Stormcrow Hey maybe I can lend you my old guy neighbor who insists on throwing cat fish heads, tails and guts, leftover dinner bones and gristle, occasional sammiches, cajun sausages, etc over the fence "for the chickens its good for them let them have it".
Gee, can't wait til he starts chucking deer parts over
I had to aim a wifi cam over there so I can run out and try to clean that stuff up before the gargoyles descend on it and it turns into the chicken version of fight club.

Why don't you want them to eat it?

I do not think he should give it to your chickens without your permission, but it does sound like stuff I would be willing to feed to chickens.

 

[PeepOverlord]

Why don't you want them to eat it?

I do not think he should give it to your chickens without your permission, but it does sound like stuff I would be willing to feed to chickens.

@NatJ I didn't mind if they ate it once in awhile, but I mind him chucking a pile of food over my fence every day and I definitely hate the flies and fire ants it attracts and I hate the *smell* within a few hours on a hot humid day. I've had to completely put a stop to it now that I saw night predators on the ip cams, sniffing around that area, even though I'm obsessive about cleaning every particle up before nightfall.

 

[PeepOverlord]

I think @cluckmecoop7 makes her own grain... Maybe that'd be an idea?

@Lacy Duckwing Yes! It's pretty much come to that. I have a source for organic, non irradiated, Non GMO grain and the Fertrell Poultry nutri mix. But math-ing out how much of what is really really giving me a headache.
@U_Stormcrow linked me to some great info and charts.... but the *math*

 

[NatJ]

@NatJ I didn't mind if they ate it once in awhile, but I mind him chucking a pile of food over my fence every day and I definitely hate the flies and fire ants it attracts and I hate the *smell* within a few hours on a hot humid day. I've had to completely put a stop to it now that I saw night predators on the ip cams, sniffing around that area, even though I'm obsessive about cleaning every particle up before nightfall.

Those sound like good reasons to me

 

[allenw]

@Lacy Duckwing Yes! It's pretty much come to that. I have a source for organic, non irradiated, Non GMO grain and the Fertrell Poultry nutri mix. But math-ing out how much of what is really really giving me a headache.
@U_Stormcrow linked me to some great info and charts.... but the *math*

Figure a simple ration and then work up to a more complicated multi ingredient ration.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Fertrell's NutriBalancer is intended to be mixed at a 3% rate - 3# per 100#, or 60# per (standard) ton. Did you mean their Organic fish meal?

If so, start with 20% fish meal. Now add as much of your cheapest organic grain (likely corn) as you can till one of your targets just meets minimums. Add your next ingredient until another target just meets minimums. Etc until you've reached your 100% mix. If the addition of something takes a target below minimum, back out some of the cheapest ingredient (corn?) and up the best non-Fish meal (likely your most expensive ingredient) source for it. This will help you find the most cost effective feed meeting your target needs. If, somehow, you reach your 100% and are still above targets, back out some fish meal and replace with the ingredient lowest in your "excesses".

Sadly, brute force iteration is your best solution to this particular problem.

Or post what you are working with in a fresh thread, with your intended targets, and ask the community for help. Someone with a spreadsheet might spare a few minutes to give the problem some thought.

 

[PeepOverlord]

Fertrell's NutriBalancer is intended to be mixed at a 3% rate - 3# per 100#, or 60# per (standard) ton. Did you mean their Organic fish meal?

If so, start with 20% fish meal. Now add as much of your cheapest organic grain (likely corn) as you can till one of your targets just meets minimums. Add your next ingredient until another target just meets minimums. Etc until you've reached your 100% mix. If the addition of something takes a target below minimum, back out some of the cheapest ingredient (corn?) and up the best non-Fish meal (likely your most expensive ingredient) source for it. This will help you find the most cost effective feed meeting your target needs. If, somehow, you reach your 100% and are still above targets, back out some fish meal and replace with the ingredient lowest in your "excesses".

Sadly, brute force iteration is your best solution to this particular problem.

Or post what you are working with in a fresh thread, with your intended targets, and ask the community for help. Someone with a spreadsheet might spare a few minutes to give the problem some thought.

@U_Stormcrow The Fertrell I found is sold by the same place I buy organic grain. And in small/affordable quantity.
Just reading your math made my brain blue screen. It's not that I can't math, I just rly rly don'y *want* to. (unless the math involves money - then I'm Stephen Hawking).

Cheap grains aren't really an option. I refuse to use soy or corn. I'm Allergic to soy, so are some of my egg customers, and corn is garbage. Don't anyone @ me. I said what I said.
Using your charts, Fertrell's Soy/Corn alternative info pdf and feed.org, I'll come up with something.
I don't think I should start a thread of my mix, becasue whatever I make doesn't need to be as exact or perfect as what someone else's caged chickens need. My 8 hens have dawn to dusk free range of 1/2 acre and they regularly get chia, flaxseed, mealworms, aragonite calcium, fruits, veggies, flowers, table scraps, stolen cat food >:[ and plenty of human-edible weeds.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Didn't mean to add drama. I see I was wrong. I apologize.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

@U_Stormcrow The Fertrell I found is sold by the same place I buy organic grain. And in small/affordable quantity.
Just reading your math made my brain blue screen. It's not that I can't math, I just rly rly don'y *want* to. (unless the math involves money - then I'm Stephen Hawking).

Cheap grains aren't really an option. I refuse to use soy or corn. I'm Allergic to soy, so are some of my egg customers, and corn is garbage. Don't anyone @ me. I said what I said.
Using your charts, Fertrell's Soy/Corn alternative info pdf and feed.org, I'll come up with something.
I don't think I should start a thread of my mix, becasue whatever I make doesn't need to be as exact or perfect as what someone else's caged chickens need. My 8 hens have dawn to dusk free range of 1/2 acre and they regularly get chia, flaxseed, mealworms, aragonite calcium, fruits, veggies, flowers, table scraps, stolen cat food >:[ and plenty of human-edible weeds.

Oh yeah, 10# at a time is much more practical! Very best in your efforts

 

[Folly's place]

This has been interesting, although there's no way I'm going to make my own feed at home!
The Freedom Rangers from Pennsylvania are terrific, have had them several times. And their New Hampshires look interesting. Maybe next year, if the post office gets better...
Mary