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PeepOverlord
Chirping
- Mar 4, 2021
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@U_Stormcrow Yes I can read the mill datesName Names.
We do all the time.
Plenty of threads on the feed forums of new chicken owners whose birds are suffering deficiencies, while feeding them very expensive whole grain organic feeds. Roughly half as many complaining about the powder.
Recommends for fixing both are generally the same. Mix it all with water, serve as wet mash, sprouted, or fermented feed to help ensure they get their vitamin powder and don't select out favored grains in accordance with their position in the flock - just like recalcitrant wild birds throwing all the red millet out of the feeder, so they can get at the white mllet and sunflower seeds...
Also, do you know how to read your feed bag for mill dates???
Apart from the vitamin premix most organic mills are adding to their grain mix to make it a complete feed, the next most common source of dust in feed bags is age and handling. Not just organic feeds, either - TSC's DuMor brand is famous for bags of pellets pouring out like dry grout mix.
I can Name And Shame here?? Well then! Let's get to it:
Mile Four was amazing feed Starter, Grower, and Layer up until recently. My hens and I were huge #1 fans! Even the wild birds and critters snarfed it up. Whatever grains fell (even in pine needles or wood shavings) sprouted and grew (yay more feed!). Since M4 started making all their feeds mainly peas, took out the oats, alphalfa, barley (?) and added waaay too much dust - NOPE.
The hens will only eat M4 scratch feed - except 35% of the bag is powder. And very sadly, none of their feeds sprout anymore
Scratch N Peck was a horrifying experience. Hens walked out of their way to avoid the feeders that had SNP. Short version: When fermenting found LOTS of teeny black seeds that the local co-op ID'd as rapeseed/Canola. When I contacted SnP to ask what the "teeny black seeds in my feed are", they laughed it off, "Oh haha that's just rapeseed/canola. It happens, stuff gets mixed. Not all our products are Organic or non GMO."
Unlisted, non organic, GMO in their feed, and it's funny? NOPE.
Rapeseed/Canola = not USA grown, and bad for laying hens. (one of many links).
The bag I dumped out back is still there. A month of trail cam footage shows nothing will even get close to it. Birds and critters get a sniff and jet away like my hens did. None of the grains sprouted. None.
At least they refunded. After having to be reminded.
New Country Organics "Unmilled Layer Feed" - just a big bag of whole corn and whole peas, with an tiny amout of oats and fish/alphalfa meal.
The hens, bunnies, coons, wild birds or possum: NOT EATING THAT NOPE. Not fermented, dry, or wet. A couple squirrels tried some of the corn and never came back. I have 50 lbs of it laying all over the ground with a trail cam on it.
Also - not a single grain will sprout indoors or out. Not in water, or potting soil, or growth medium, not even with a grower heat mat.
Dead feed/seeds usually = extremely old seeds. or it's been glyphosated ("ripening" "growth inhibitor"), or irradiated (like most store bought food).
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