Need advice on soy-free, corn-free feed

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm glad you tagged me as I should update my recommendation here. We no longer use NCO after 2 bad totes. I'll try to find my post about why in another thread and link it.

Your comment is HERE.

 

[AgnesGray]

Your comment is HERE.

Your skills looking stuff up never cease to amaze and impress! Thanks!

 

[AgnesGray]

And HERE is what we're using now.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and since I'm not appealing to my own authority in making these pronouncements, here's some reading.

USDA/NRCS (written by authors from Purdue and Univ of Maryland)

Only adult layers under commercial conditions were recommended for Met levels of just 0.3% - with a caveat*

and here's the caveat, from page 9 (emphasis mine - you will note those levels are well above the 1994 layer recommend):

Laying Hens- In the case of laying hens, CP and amino acid formulations are largely over-formulated with the hopes of getting a return in either egg size or egg number. Unpublished research from by Applegate et al., however, suggests that 15.3 g of CP (858 mg Lys, 450 mg Met, 585 mg Thr, and 638 mg Ile) is sufficient to maximize egg weight and production from 25 to 45 weeks of age versus birds fed corn/SBM diets containing 16.15 g of CP (874 mg Lys, 409 mg Met, 627 mg Thr, and 684 mg Ile). Although this 5.6% reduction in N intake doesn’t seem like much when the lower CP diet is fed, it results in a $1024 USD/100,000 hens difference in daily feed cost (ingredient pricing similar to turkey example) and a 13.6 kg reduction in daily N intake per 100,000 hens.

Would you prefer a different source? How about UGA?

Maybe you would prefer a non-US source, a meta study of other studies.

and you are certainly welcome to read the individual studies making up table 7 - I've looked for and read several of them myself.

The studies making up table 8, while interesting, are less directly useful, as they measured total sulphur amino acids (Methionine and Cystiene), rather than just Methionine.

and as someone who attempts to be an honest information broker, I will even offer that the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology still publishes a reccomend for layers in the 0.3 range, but not broilers or "dual purpose" birds - relying on old studies (pre-2000), some of which were TSAA rather than Met measurments directly (like the Table 8 studies mentioned above)

I could continue, but I hope this provides an adequate example of the information on which I have based my opinion regarding needed Methionine levels in poultry diet, and the broad modern agreement that 0.3% is too low for optimum performance. Or, you can trust your own authority.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Your skills looking stuff up never cease to amaze and impress! Thanks!

You are too kind. It was an easy search for "NCO" by poster "AgnesGray", and a quick skim of the hits. You provided all the info needed to find it in seconds. If it hadn't worked, I'd have repeated with "New Country" as my term, but assumed you would abbreviate at least once in the post.

I recall reading the original mention myself the day of posting, it left quite the impression.

 

[AgnesGray]

You are too kind. It was an easy search for "NCO" by poster "AgnesGray", and a quick skim of the hits. You provided all the info needed to find it in seconds. If it hadn't worked, I'd have repeated with "New Country" as my term, but assumed you would abbreviate at least once in the post.

I recall reading the original mention myself the day of posting, it left quite the impression.

I remembered it was your thread so searched your threads for "feed". Your way was better. I got to the thread just as you posted it. Pouring coffee now which would have helped too. (maybe - haha)

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I remembered it was your thread so searched your threads for "feed". Your way was better. I got to the thread just as you posted it. Pouring coffee now which would have helped too. (maybe - haha)

I've been up since 4am. Poured a cup of instant, so I could work the coffee maker. Waiting on that now.



Have a great morning!

 

[AgnesGray]

I've been up since 4am. Poured a cup of instant, so I could work the coffee maker. Waiting on that now.



Have a great morning!

Enjoy your coffee and hope you have a great morning as well!

 

[chfriedmam]

OP, what was it you were asking, LOL? Has anyone mentioned Modesto Milling feeds available through Chewy.com and Amazon.com? They have soy-free/corn free varieties and are organic, and competitively priced. They have pelletized and whole-grain feeds. NCO may be closer to you, but not sure about their shipping prices.

 

[ugachickenmama]

My small, local feed store carry's it, I think its 30ish dollars for a 40lb bag?

This is absolutely amazing and speaks to how close you live to Scratch and Peck headquarters.
I am in Georgia and even the distributors listed on their site act like they have never heard of it.
My only option is to order from Chewy or Azure. My work schedule doesn't allow me to use Azure and Chewy is $70 for a 40lb bag.

I am a newbie and did not realize how rediculous the price is - BUT I am in love with the feed and fermenting so I am now scouring the forums looking for a comparable feed suggestion.
UGH.