new research debunks trad views on nutrition

[Morrigan]

I believe that commercial all-flock of at least 18% protein is my best insurance of good nutrition, but I also believe in the value of offering green stuff and a good variety of options. I value the chickens' ability to reduce household waste by consuming the trimmings from meal prep and the leftovers that get shoved to the back of the fridge and forgotten

This is pretty much my philosophy as well. I use flock raiser as my base but don't worry about it being diluted by food waste, grasses, weeds, insects, etc. I think fresh food is not only good from a nutritional stand point, I think that it helps with the mental health of the chicken as well. They like to forage, scratch and work over larger food items like squashes. I also value the reduction of food waste.

This whole thread has been very interesting. My two cents is that I suspect that there is quite a bit of variation across chickens for what is an adequate, much less, optimal diet for them. Chickens are descended from breeds that evolved all across the globe and even now are kept in different environments for different purposes. Although I am pretty confident that feed companies have come up with the cheapest feed recipes possible for keeping a commercial layer in acceptable health for 2 years, I am less confident that this works as well for dual purpose birds, hens that go broody, roosters, etc.

I've always assumed I could make homemade feed that is better then the "bare minimum for good health" that is in the commercial feed, but to be honest, that would require a level of sourcing ingredients, expense and work that I haven't been willing to undertake. So I give them commercial feed and liberally supplement through forage, yard waste and scraps.

I think of it this way. I'm sure if it were possible to study accurately (and thankfully it is not) I'm sure there is a generic diet that would be considered adquate for most humans and a way to make that diet using the least expensive ingredients possible. Although I would gratefully accept such a ration in lieu of starvation -- or in lieu of a grossly deficient diet -- I am happy to take my chances with a varied diet. I also think that there is tremendous variability amongst humans as to what is a good or workable diet. Some people thrive on veganism, others keto. Some do poorly with gluten. Some people even seem to do OK eating fast food as a staple. I can't imagine chickens are so very different.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm sure there is a generic diet that would be considered adquate for most humans and a way to make that diet using the least expensive ingredients possible. Although I would gratefully accept such a ration in lieu of starvation -- or in lieu of a grossly deficient diet -- I am happy to take my chances with a varied diet.

I have long remembered an article I read decades ago where people were attempting to come up with the least expensive, most readily transported, complete human diet possible for use in disaster and refugee relief.

IIRC, it consisted of a fortified flour, fortified dry milk powder, and raw cabbage. There may have been some kind of cooking fat provided and I *think* that one of the secondary goals was that it would require minimal preparation since cooking fuel was not likely to be available for long-cooking items such as dry beans.

 

[Geena]

I enjoy eating a varied diet too, although I generally avoid salt, sugar and gluten. But I've always wished for a "complete" human kibble of sorts that I could munch on when I'm not very hungry and don't feel like cooking. I usually just drink a protein shake at times like that, but they contain too much sugar for my liking.

 

[saysfaa]

... if it were possible to study accurately (and thankfully it is not) I'm sure there is a generic diet that would be considered adquate for most humans and a way to make that diet using the least expensive ingredients possible. ...

The sad part is how likely it is that such a diet would likely be healthier than the high sugar diet too many people eat.

 

[Morrigan]

human kibble

It would be an interesting set of ingredients. Oddly enough, I suspect that at the end of the day it would resemble chicken feed -- with wheat and corn for carbs, soy for protein and some type of vitamin supplement.

 

[3KillerBs]

It would be an interesting set of ingredients. Oddly enough, I suspect that at the end of the day it would resemble chicken feed -- with wheat and corn for carbs, soy for protein and some type of vitamin supplement.

Some kind of enhanced hardtack, I suppose.

Getting sufficient fiber and fat into it without making it too bulky or too apt to go rancid would be tricky.

 

[BeefQuesoritto]

I enjoy eating a varied diet too, although I generally avoid salt, sugar and gluten. But I've always wished for a "complete" human kibble of sorts that I could munch on when I'm not very hungry and don't feel like cooking. I usually just drink a protein shake at times like that, but they contain too much sugar for my liking.

Not really relevant to the thread, I guess. Sorry, yall.

Such a thing sort of exists as the product Soylent, but there's also an interesting batch of DIY recipes hosted on the website completefoods.

Most of them use some kind of grain as a base. Like corn flour, wheat flour, or oats. Then protein powder for, ya know, protein. Bulk powder vitamins. And then either water and an oil, or milk as the liquid portion.

Some of these guys live full time on these diets, or at least claim to. I've made a batch or two of the keto chow kind (because I have all the ingredients), and it was pretty good.

 

[Geena]

Not really relevant to the thread, I guess. Sorry, yall.

Such a thing sort of exists as the product Soylent, but there's also an interesting batch of DIY recipes hosted on the website completefoods.

Most of them use some kind of grain as a base. Like corn flour, wheat flour, or oats. Then protein powder for, ya know, protein. Bulk powder vitamins. And then either water and an oil, or milk as the liquid portion.

Some of these guys live full time on these diets, or at least claim to. I've made a batch or two of the keto chow kind (because I have all the ingredients), and it was pretty good.

I've seen the soylent products. To me they are just glorified and overly expensive protein bars which themselves are (IMO) just vaguely better than candy bars.

Thanks for the link! I'll check out some of those DIY recipes.

 

[Sally PB]

Soylent

It's people! It's people!

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

[NatJ]

I've always wished for a "complete" human kibble of sorts that I could munch on when I'm not very hungry and don't feel like cooking. I usually just drink a protein shake at times like that, but they contain too much sugar for my liking.

I've never tried protein shakes, but I use a glass of milk for the same purpose.

Cow's milk is not a perfect food for humans, but last time I checked it could give all my protein with about half my calories and a reasonable selection of other necessary things. (The protein/calorie ratio obviously changes depending on the fat content of the milk, and the activity level of the person.)

The most obvious problem with cow's milk for human food is that it's low in iron, and has no fiber at all. So if I'm going through a stretch where I drink a lot of milk, I make an extra effort to have iron-rich and fiber-rich foods at reasonable intervals.