no animal by- product feed- help please!

[minnesotachicken]

Whoo! I think I hit a hot topic! I honestly have done my own research and make the informed choices for me and the ones I care about, be it my family or pets. Ignorance can be bliss.... I was a vegan for 5 years and now have eaten meat for 1 year. Life is easier this way. It doesn't make it right or less disgusting, though! I know commercial and factory farming practices have become worse for consumers in this time period, not better.

Thank you all for your input. It makes me very happy to know that people are staying informed!

 

[minnesotachicken]

I am happy to know where my eggs come from and what my hens have or have not been exposed to. We should all be proud of that! I simply wanted to know where other members had found by-prouduct free feed. I know fish meal is mostly farm raised fish and has it's own set of problems.

Is Mad Cow Disease in the USA? Absolutely. Is it a latent virus that appears when it pleases or from enviromental sources? We will never know......

I know my eggs in my backyard from my darling gals are much healthier and more fresh than those at the supermarket, and alot more fun, no matter what "brand" I chose to feed!

 

[JetBlack]

Quote:
And then what will you give the chickens for their protein needs?

 

[Organics North]

Katy, it is a free country believe what you want, farm as you want. I personally think we should stop using tax payer dollars to subsides Concentrated feed lot farmers cheap feed.....CORN.

I love debate, and personally find strong disagreement with many of your statements....... HOWEVER the OP asked a simple question.

I want to switch to organic feed or feed w/o animal by products. It seems noone around here carries it. Where does everyone get theirs? Do I need to mix my own?

Minnesotachicken,
I am quite sure that any certified organic feed will meet your criteria.
It is my understanding that a chicken feed that is certified organic can not contain any mammalian products. So that only leaves fish meal or NON GMO soy for protein. If non GMO soy is the main source of protein then synthetic amino acids such as Methionine need to be added.

I personally find myself in a quandary, because fish meal is not a sound environmental choice as a feed. Over harvesting in the worlds oceans is a serious problem. Yet I want to limit or eliminate our families consumption of not fermented soy. (Whether it be non GMO organic or not..)

So I spend a fair amount of time making my own feed. Not to convenient, and I still use a small amount of fish meal or organic soy on a rare occasion. I am working away from using either. Minnesota and Wisconsin have a over abundant whitetail deer population, so I am moving to supplementing the grain diet with Venison. I feel I am doing the environment good by fully using deer I harvest and collecting left over venison from hunters that want to clean out their freezers before hunting again.
Nope not allowed if I want to be Certified Organic...

It is alot of work, but the "industrial farm system" that has nearly taken over our countries agriculture can be bucked. I commend your effort, and the best of luck to you.

ON​

 

[JetBlack]

There's a great book called "Backyard Livestock" that is probably available in your library. There is a great section about making your own chicken food. How much of each, to add, and everything.

Sometimes, I don't make photocopies. I just take an actual photo of the pages I want

In the library, turn the flash off.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
And because it's in a film or in print that makes it true?

Did you look at the article I provided a link to?

They don't give healthy animals antibiotics for no reason. It makes no sense for them to.

They do indeed give "healthy" animals prophylactic antibiotics...but you don't wish to hear that. That is fine, each to his own contaminated foods.

I'll still attempt to NOT feed my animals something I wouldn't put in my own body, as it will eventually get there when I in turn eat them~and you continue to eat commercially raised foods.

I don't know whether it's 100% true or not.....just an article I had read from someone who is on the "other side" of the issue than I am, but was willing to go see it with their own eyes....not only get their facts from someone else's perspective.

I agree it's every one's right to feed themselves and their families and animals as they see fit....whether it's vegetarian, vegan, organic or as most of us do.....the healthiest way we see fit. I don't personally care how nor is it my mission to change your mind on how you want to do things.

What upsets me is when blatent misinformation is stated as fact to support one side or the other.....such as your statement about antibiotics. Unless you are at every feedlot everyday of the year you have no clue as to what they do or don't feed to the cattle. It makes no sense from a economic standpoint to risk what little profit they stand to make by adding meds to the feed when they aren't needed and risk having a whole shipment of beef contaminated. And despite what most animal right's advocates would have you believe the majority of the people connected to feedlots do care about the welfare of the animals that are under their care.

Am I naive and believe that there is nothing that needs to be changed? No I'm not...there is no perfect industry no matter what product they are producing.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Just so you know, I've paid in waaaaaaaaaaaay more tax dollars over the years than I've ever collected in farm subsidies.....and I've never collected one dollar in subsidies for corn.

 

[speckledhen]

To get back on track here, Countryside Naturals is supposedly a good organic feed, but I think they are only in Florida, TN, NC, etc, all over here on this side of the U.S. You can order direct, but I imagine it would be quite expensive.


Purina feeds are okay feeds-I've never had a bad quality product from them. Some say there are quality control issues since Land 'o Lakes bought them out, but I haven't had any issues with them. Flock Raiser is good for all ages and their game bird feeds are okay (those game bird formulations do have animal protein)

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
As a working Livestock Nutritionist that works with commercial producers every day of the week my ire gets up when I read universal condemnation of our AGriculture system with the use of blatant lies and misinformation.

Jim

 

[speckledhen]

Folks, let's not debate that issue here. That is an issue for another thread, really.


Usually if you go to websites for the feed brands, they'll tell you what's in them or what's not in them and where dealers are. Some feeds are regional, like Blue Seal, etc.