new research debunks trad views on nutrition

[Perris]

Not sure if grass is better than intended bugs.

But they aren't always intent on eating bugs. Sometimes they want to eat grass, and can be very selective about it too, as @RoyalChick noted recently on one thread or another. And I'm pretty sure that in one area of my lawn at the moment they're intent on mycelium rather than grass or bugs. I took this photo yesterday; they've been working that patch intensively for about a month. As you can see, plenty of grass about, and the well-worked area is well defined. It also happens to be where, in years past, fairy rings of mushrooms and assorted other fungi come up. Silver birch, cherry, spruce, camellia, and a few other tree roots extend into the area.

 

[RoyalChick]

But they aren't always intent on eating bugs. Sometimes they want to eat grass, and can be very selective about it too, as @RoyalChick noted recently on one thread or another. And I'm pretty sure that in one area of my lawn at the moment they're intent on mycelium rather than grass or bugs. I took this photo yesterday; they've been working that patch intensively for about a month. As you can see, plenty of grass about, and the well-worked area is well defined. It also happens to be where, in years past, fairy rings of mushrooms and assorted other fungi come up. Silver birch, cherry, spruce, camellia, and a few other tree roots extend into the area.
View attachment 3755326

Most of the time I have no idea what it is they are eating - except when it is big like a mouse.
But a few times it has been very obvious.
As @Perris said, right now they are specifically looking to get new grass shoots and they are clearing away old dead grass to get at it. I don't have a monoculture lawn so I have no idea what grass it is, but some of them were right around my feet so I am sure it is grass.
There are only two other times when I have been sure what they were eating. Once was Plantain. I don't mean the banana like things, I mean the lawn weeds - Plantago sp. I think normally they find these a bit tough and cruise right by, but a couple of years ago they had a real Plantain obsession. Now it happened that two of them had diarrhea at the time - no idea why - and it also happens that Plantain husks are the source of psyllium (which regulates bowl movement for both diarrhea and constipation). This is probably totally fanciful, but it did occur to me they were self medicating.
The final time when I was sure was a bit odd and it was when Maggie had a heavy molt and she stopped eating commercial feed entirely. The only thing she would eat were earthworms. She would stand out in the pouring rain near the drip edge where the drumming of water drops brought them to the surface. No idea on that one!

 

[Shadrach]

I've linked to that Irish Agric Board paper on the nutrition in grass a few times, on a few different threads here, but it seemed the message had fallen on deaf ears. Good to see it's getting some traction at last, and perhaps coming from you it will reach further!

That is a horrible paper to read.
I'm quite pro commercial feed under the right circumstances. Yes, most of it is pretty low in quality but as is often mentioned, a lot of research has gone into developing these feeds. Evidence, the fact so many chickens eat it and have survived to average age for breed does indicate that poor quality or not, it is good enough to keep the chicken alive and from what I can tell, reasonably healthy.

What I do find disturbing is the claim that feeding chickens anything but commercial feed, or in combination with, is putting their health at risk and diluting the chickens daily intake of nutrients. Think for a moment what this implies; no ranging, no forage, no treats etc.
It's nonsense and provably so.
Then there is this wonderfull word "optimal". How exactly are we measuing this and exactly what are the penalties of a sub optimal diet; two less eggs a year, ten less eggs a year; eggs laid per year is the common yardstick when performance is calculated when it comes to chickens. I haven't noticed a lot in the claims of better health though, or at least none that can be taken seriously.

The debate has become polarised and that's not good for educating.
There are many people on BYC who are interested in providing an alternative feed to commercial feed for their chickens. The best way of increasing the traction of alternative methods of feeding and keeping chickens is to provide some well written and reasearch article on the topic, much like the one you've already written. It's had a lot of views and it's well rated. Best get writing then Perris.

 

[Shadrach]

I have meat mutts that are part CX and eat like pigs. They have a poultry yard that is about 150 x 600 ft to wander about. They get fed 20% all flock or 28% to 24% turkey starter when I have poults. Veggie scraps and what ever they dig up.
The ones that have a body like a CX tend to start dieing off at 18 months. This was when I was also feeding a mash and some would pick out corn. Usually Full of liquid and sometimes liver is enlarged and surrounded by more fat than usual. I since have added a English orp rooster, until the jakes killed him, and then a standard dark Cornish rooster. They aren't dieing off as young. Is it the food or the CX genetics? Or both

I don't know much about meat birds. I've never kept them. I don't like the fact that such a breed exists although I can see the logic in keeping them.

 

[Shadrach]

I think this really hits the nail on the head. For decades the common nutrition mantra was 'eating fats makes you fat' and 'eating a high cholesterol diet give you high cholesterol.' The studies behind those were flimsy at best and mostly financed/promoted by people who profited from it ... especially those selling high sugar and highly processed food. But, if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes 'fact.' (Especially if you help write the textbooks!)

I buy into the idea that quality saturated fats such as butter and coconut oil are very healthy options. Pardon me if I share too many Mercola articles in a day ... but this one has some great info on fats and take particular aim at Linoleic Acid as being worse for your diet than sugars.

Back to your point, Shadrach ... if would be VERY interesting to see which fats lead to fatty liver syndrome. As, I'm doubtful that they were healthy fats.

I knew the world was coming to an end when I found basil and pine nut pesto supposedly authentic Italian recipie made with sunflower oil.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I knew the world was coming to an end when I found basil and pine nut pesto supposedly authentic Italian recipie made with sunflower oil.View attachment 3755506

^^^ should be criminal.

/edit I should say, for budgetary reasons, I make basil (from my garden) and pistacchio (purchased) pesto with olive oil (will be a few years before I can press my own). But I don't pretend its authentic. Just tasty.

 

[Shadrach]

^^^ should be criminal.

/edit I should say, for budgetary reasons, I make basil (from my garden) and pistacchio (purchased) pesto with olive oil (will be a few years before I can press my own). But I don't pretend its authentic. Just tasty.

You're doing better than I am. I'm eating the chicken feed (I bought a lot of pulses, grains and seeds experimenting with the mix which I'm now working through to give me some cupboard space) and the chickens are eating my slices of roast beef as a supplement. Obviously I'm not the right person to be talking to about the economics of chicken feeding.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You're doing better than I am. I'm eating the chicken feed (I bought a lot of pulses, grains and seeds experimenting with the mix which I'm now working through to give me some cupboard space) and the chickens are eating my slices of roast beef as a supplement. Obviously I'm not the right person to be talking to about the economics of chicken feeding.

Hell of a swim across the pond, but I'd be happy to make you dinner if you were to come visit once basil is back in season. How do you feel about rabbit?

 

[Shadrach]

Hell of a swim across the pond, but I'd be happy to make you dinner if you were to come visit once basil is back in season. How do you feel about rabbit?

Love a bit of poached Coney. Puff pastry crust on a thick rabbit stew does it for me. I'll bring some proper whiskey.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'd be happy with a bottle of Newcastle.

and to bring this back on topic (ish), of course I'll make the pasta with eggs from the flock.