Non-Soy Feed?

[ContessaKris]

I was talking with a friend today who is sort of interested in having chickens but has such trouble processing soy. She had read and been told that most all feed chickens are given has soy in it. I know nothing about it, so I thought I would ask here. Is that true? And is there a non-soy feed you can feed your chicks and chickens so she could raise them for the eggs?

 

[pjknust]

Soy Free food is available, you just have to find it. I just ordered some pellets from a place in Washington State and they look great. I also ordered Soy Free Grain from a place here in TX and it was full of bugs.
The ideal thing would be to find it locally, coz the shipping will eat your lunch.

pam in TX

 

[ChickenAl]

We just started using a soy free feed. The replacement protein used is fish meal.

An internet search for soy free chicken feed might be able to lead you to find a brand carried close to you. Usually these will be organic feeds and will cost significantly more than the commercially available feeds.

 

[ContessaKris]

I was looking on the internet last night and so far can't find a local seller. Saw a thing saying you could mix your own and it would be about the same as having a big bag shipped to you but it was an article discouraging you from doing so. I don't know why. So it didn't tell you measurements of what to put in. I'll keep digging.

Does anyone know brand names of companies that carry the soy free? That might help me find it locally.

 

[Nambroth]

I too was totally unable to find soy-free locally. The one feed store we have (that is not a big chain) said they would only order it if I could get a bunch of other people to go in on it and sadly I cannot (I don't know any other chicken people locally!). So now I order from Countryside Organics... since I am on the same side of the country as they are shipping isn't killing me (though of course it'd be nicer not to have to ship it at all). It's expensive but so far my experience is that they eat less of it than other, cheaper feeds and thus it goes further and the cost offsets itself a little that way. Of course everyone's experience might be different! Here is their website. It won't hurt to ask your local feed stores if they would consider carrying it! http://www.countrysidenatural.com/

I did a lot of research into mixing my own feed as well. There is a plethora of considerations on nutrition out there! One of the biggest hurdles is getting enough of the right types of proteins. Since I have a small flock and raise them as pets, it would have cost me a lot more to gather all the necessary components (many of which I cannot get locally and would need to order) and it's a bit of experimenting. The amounts I'd need to buy of each component would surely spoil before I used them all with only 7 chickens to feed! For others, finding local grains might be much easier. I can only speak from my limited experience.

It can be 'easy' to miss a nutritional component when making your own food unless you really research into it (and I commend those that do!! I am not trying to imply that it's impossible, people do it and do a great job at it, but it can be hard for someone new to avian nutrition) and while this is acceptable to some and honestly very educational, in the end it was just easier for me to buy a feed (and more reassuring too). If you have a large flock to feed, though, and the time and dedication, there is no reason why you couldn't research into making your own mix.

 

[ninabeast]

We just started using a soy free feed. The replacement protein used is fish meal.

I'm a newbie. I remember reading that one shouldn't give laying hens too much fish or the eggs will taste fishy. No?​

 

[Chris09]

Quote:

The replacement protein used is fish meal

You should not use more than 10% fish meal in you feed.
If you are going to try to replace soybean in your feed then you would be better off using a combination of other bean or peas and fish meat and not just fish meal.

Austrian Peas
Crude Protein 22.9%
Crude Fat .84%

Canada Peas
Crude Protein 23.2%
Crude Fat 1.5%

Maple Peas
Crude Protein 25.3%
Crude Fat 1.1%

Vetch Peas
Crude Protein 26.3%
Crude Fat .9%

Chris​

 

[ThinkingChickens]

Check your local Craigslist. We have an organic and soy free dealer on there. It's more expensive to purchase soy free, of course, but it is available. Is a lot of soy passed through to the egg? I mean enough to have an intolerance to eggs?

 

[ContessaKris]

What a great idea to check Craigslist. I Go there for everything else, why didn't I think of that? I just went and there wasn't anyone but I'll keep checking and maybe one will pop up.

 

[jamband]

soy also causes poor fertility in chickens.


not sure if you want organic but countryside organics is soy free feed.