NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

Yesterday I spent all day cutting out rectangles and sewing a quilt top for a baby present. No computer breaks.

Since I started gardening in the early 70s I have tried to be as organic as possible. I have composted and don't use pesticides. I have used herbicides early in my time on this land because it was too much to deal totally organically at first. But now I'm back on the straight and narrow.

The GMOs starte in the 70s, and Europe at that time said no way, but the US forged right ahead, and so now yes, most corn and wheat are affected. I just got a seed catalog from Bakers Creek Heirloom Seeds, and in their Intro they back up your thoughts, JLaw, "Since the inteoduction of GMOS crops , farmers have seen drastic declines in populations of Honeybees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Frogs, fish and other wildlife are also in decline." In another spot in that catalog they state that they used to carry two dozen varieties of heirloom corn, but since they started testing for GMOs in their seeds, in 2006, they had to discontinue half of those strains as they had been contaminated by cross pollination with GMOs. They refuse to sell GMOs.

Does the bag state certified non GMO? It is hard to keep them out, as one field can be accidentally crossed with one nearby. To be sure, each seed lot must be tested, which I would imagine could be costly...I am ever the skeptic on the issue of organic, GMO etc front.

When I first started the slugs were winning. Now I let the chickens clean things up in the fall and I use DE on dry nights and sprinkle it around the base of plants. Though some think it doesn't work, I know for a fact that it does. I once had a slug on a plastic feed jug. I sprinkled him with DE and low and behold he was dried to smithereens. I suppose you can spray the DE dust on the underside of leaves and it would stay dry enough to kill soft bodied cooties.

My point? There are many organic remedies out there.

My hope is not to eradicate every bug but at least enough so I get most of the crop.

 

[JLaw]

Jlaw and Glass---I have also been looking into non gmo. It is possible to find seed from true heirloom plants that have not been cross pollinated by bees. They arent cheap. I also came across an article about a farmer whose non gmo corn was refused by a european country as it tested positve for gmos. Turns out that in the middle of one of his fields, bee had cross pollinated the corn with gmo corn.

Off to the pharm. Have a good one!

Feel sorry for that farmer. That has to suck having whole crop ruined because of a few bee's doing they're job.

Yesterday I spent all day cutting out rectangles and sewing a quilt top for a baby present. No computer breaks.

Since I started gardening in the early 70s I have tried to be as organic as possible. I have composted and don't use pesticides. I have used herbicides early in my time on this land because it was too much to deal totally organically at first. But now I'm back on the straight and narrow.

The GMOs starte in the 70s, and Europe at that time said no way, but the US forged right ahead, and so now yes, most corn and wheat are affected. I just got a seed catalog from Bakers Creek Heirloom Seeds, and in their Intro they back up your thoughts, JLaw, "Since the inteoduction of GMOS crops , farmers have seen drastic declines in populations of Honeybees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Frogs, fish and other wildlife are also in decline." In another spot in that catalog they state that they used to carry two dozen varieties of heirloom corn, but since they started testing for GMOs in their seeds, in 2006, they had to discontinue half of those strains as they had been contaminated by cross pollination with GMOs. They refuse to sell GMOs.

Does the bag state certified non GMO? It is hard to keep them out, as one field can be accidentally crossed with one nearby. To be sure, each seed lot must be tested, which I would imagine could be costly...I am ever the skeptic on the issue of organic, GMO etc front.

See this is what all I'm wondering because a lot of people trying to do gmo free food for chickens but to me seems like that would be hard unless they test every piece of plant they put in the bag if a bee can cross pollinate the plants part of the field might be ok while the other part might have gmos and if they don't test that part of field your feed aint gmo free now. Looking at wiki they posted this "As of 2013, roughly 85% of corn, 91% of soybeans, and 88% of cotton produced in the United States are genetically modified.[17]" With so little % gmo free makes me wonder how they are able to make gmo free foods for humans and chickens.

But the main think I'm wondering is why a lot of people are on a kick about chickens not eating it, but do they them selves not eat any gmo foods? Just seems like a big kick to do on chickens but I've only found a few lists of companies that are gmo free and a lot of stuff I wouldn't think was gmo but actually is. Seems it would be very hard to not consume gmos at all. I don't think I could do it seeing you drink a pop you consumed gmos.

So why feed chicken gmo free food? I guess that's my main question. whats the point of doing it if your going to be eating gmos in everything else already?

Sorry was drunk last night looking up stuff but I've been wondering what the gmo stuff was and find it good to learn about. Makes me wonder how the gmo cross pollinating works with other stuff like does it affect different flowering grass or trees after a bee has been on the gmo corn or other gmo plants.

Sorry so much wondering and thinking walking my brain in circles should see the wear path in the rug lol.

 

[Cass]

GMO Stand for Genetically modified. Monsanto (darn their hide) decided that they would play with Mother nature and modify the genetics of plants to make them more resistant to certain pests and diseases. Now, in theory, this was a good thing for farmers. They got bigger yeilds from the same feilds. In actuality it is keeping farmers from saving their own seeds because Monsanto holds the "patent" on the GMO seeds that they made/modified and sold.

The battle rages about whether GMO food is harmful to those who consume it. It may or may not be the case. It is still corn and wheat and soybeans....just resistant to some pests and diseases. What GMO seeds ARE harming is our farmers. Monsanto is a BIG company and will sue any little farmer that saves their seeds from year to year and doesn't buy new from Monsanto and their distributors. That is the biggest problem, in my opinion. GMO seeds are driving small farmers out of business.

As far as Corn and wheat are concerned, they are both wind pollinated. So if your neighbor plants GMO seeds and the prevailing wind is toward your non-GMO feild then you are going to have cross pollination and if Monsanto finds GMO in your crop of non-GMO product they sue you. For big bucks. And you go under.

So, if for no other reason, buy non-GMO when you can because it is helping to keep our smaller farmers in business. And it is preserving genetic diversity in our crops. Imagine the famine there will be if some disease or pest evolves to the point that is can take out/eat Monsanto's GMO corn. It's not gonna be pretty. Corn is in EVERYTHING in one form or another. If the corn crop fails 2 years in a row you best be buying bigger guns and lots of ammo, cuz there is going to be rioting in the streets and looting of anything that looks eatable. (Including our chickens, ducks and turkey)

In conclusion, I would like to say the gentic modification in and of itself is not bad. As with anything in a capitalistic society, it is what BIG BUSINESS does with it that is bad. Genetic modification of stem cells to cure cancer is not being fought about. Just Genetic modification of our food....and I suspect that those who are leading the charge against GMO's in our food are not doing it because of what it may or may not do to our bodies; they are doing it because what it IS doing to our farmers and the food supply gene pool. They just found something that hit a nerve to get people to rally around--GMO food is harming our children. (And the jury is still out on that concept)

Stepping off my soap box and going to plant some non-gmo tomatoe seeds cuz I can't wait for spring to get here.

 

[rancher hicks]

GMO Stand for Genetically modified. Monsanto (darn their hide) decided that they would play with Mother nature and modify the genetics of plants to make them more resistant to certain pests and diseases. Now, in theory, this was a good thing for farmers. They got bigger yeilds from the same feilds. In actuality it is keeping farmers from saving their own seeds because Monsanto holds the "patent" on the GMO seeds that they made/modified and sold.

The battle rages about whether GMO food is harmful to those who consume it. It may or may not be the case. It is still corn and wheat and soybeans....just resistant to some pests and diseases. What GMO seeds ARE harming is our farmers. Monsanto is a BIG company and will sue any little farmer that saves their seeds from year to year and doesn't buy new from Monsanto and their distributors. That is the biggest problem, in my opinion. GMO seeds are driving small farmers out of business.

As far as Corn and wheat are concerned, they are both wind pollinated. So if your neighbor plants GMO seeds and the prevailing wind is toward your non-GMO feild then you are going to have cross pollination and if Monsanto finds GMO in your crop of non-GMO product they sue you. For big bucks. And you go under.

So, if for no other reason, buy non-GMO when you can because it is helping to keep our smaller farmers in business. And it is preserving genetic diversity in our crops. Imagine the famine there will be if some disease or pest evolves to the point that is can take out/eat Monsanto's GMO corn. It's not gonna be pretty. Corn is in EVERYTHING in one form or another. If the corn crop fails 2 years in a row you best be buying bigger guns and lots of ammo, cuz there is going to be rioting in the streets and looting of anything that looks eatable. (Including our chickens, ducks and turkey)

In conclusion, I would like to say the gentic modification in and of itself is not bad. As with anything in a capitalistic society, it is what BIG BUSINESS does with it that is bad. Genetic modification of stem cells to cure cancer is not being fought about. Just Genetic modification of our food....and I suspect that those who are leading the charge against GMO's in our food are not doing it because of what it may or may not do to our bodies; they are doing it because what it IS doing to our farmers and the food supply gene pool. They just found something that hit a nerve to get people to rally around--GMO food is harming our children. (And the jury is still out on that concept)

Stepping off my soap box and going to plant some non-gmo tomatoe seeds cuz I can't wait for spring to get here.

This is not the only thing. Another purpose of GMO's is to create plants resistant to weed killers. In short to be able to "target" weed kill. So while the spray my kill the targeted weeds it has no affect on the desired crop. ex. corn.

Now there was a reverse lawsuit against Monsanto claiming that Monsanto's GMO plants were "polluting" if you will non gmo plants.

However Monsanto has more money and IMO &*()& $%^& to win this suit. Monsanto is not beyond suing so I have to be careful what I say. Watch Food Inc. If you have not already.

The desired affect is so Monsanto can monopolize and "own" all our food seed. Just as it does our soy. THIS is one reason folks want soy free feeds.

THE PRACTICAL POULTY MAG. has an article about the UK 's Aberystwyth Univ. trails in feed free of soy. "

Birchgrove supplies the university with over 4,00 eggs per week and, in a commercial trial for a research project with the Institute of Environmental and Rural Sciences, it's feeding hens a layer mash where most of the protein component is provided by yellow lupins, instead of the usual soya protein. Soya traditionally makes up a considerable percentage of poultry feed and using a home-grown alternative, which doesn't affect egg quality, contributes to assured provenance and sustainability." "to replace imported soya in their diet."

Rising feed prices are a common theme in the PP mag. I'm not sure what the "yellow lupin" is.

 

[JLaw]

Nice write up there cass I didn't know about the suing going on with this also. I did see that you can patent the gmo plant but didn't think of people suing over it. I would think since nature is moving it around that it wouldn't be sueable at all.

Learning a lot about here glad ya'll are so sharing on what you know.

Like glass hen said about the one company going from 12 to 6 seed types that are gmo free. I wonder how long until there is no more gmo free plants?

I know natureberry farm has gotten they're feed mill to make gmo free chicken food but never understood why they would want it but now I see some points on it. I still need to look more into it I think.

 

[JLaw]

Rising feed prices are a common theme in the PP mag. I'm not sure what the "yellow lupin" is.

I googled it and looks like some sorta yellow flowering bush almost like a weed. I'm not sure what part of plant they would use. I also saw a pink one so maybe I'm seeing the wrong thing.

 

[rancher hicks]

I googled it and looks like some sorta yellow flowering bush almost like a weed. I'm not sure what part of plant they would use. I also saw a pink one so maybe I'm seeing the wrong thing.

I have tried to grow Lupins but they are not easy. They do come in other colors. I just figured that what they grow in the UK might be a "species" of lupin but not necessarily the Flowers we plant in our gardens.

 

[rancher hicks]

Here you go, It's very interesting and I would consider using a feed that used this if it works out.

Feeding Lupins to Poultry

Small and Backyard Flocks January 25, 2013|Print

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The seeds of the lupin plant, also referred to as lupins, can be incorporated in poultry diets, but the recommended level of inclusion varies depending on the type of lupin and the poultry species in question. The lupin species most typically incorporated in livestock diets include white lupin (Lupinus albus), blue or narrow-leafed lupin (L. angustifolius), and yellow lupin (L. luteus). Unlike soybeans, lupins do not require roasting before they can be fed to poultry.
The main antinutritional factors in lupins are alkaloids, which together with phytates, protease inhibitors, and lectins have led producers to restrict the use of untreated lupin grains in feed. Breeding for low alkaloid content has resulted in the development of so-called sweet lupins. Sweet lupins can make up 40% of broiler diets with no adverse effects on growth, feed efficiency, or carcass characteristics.
The use of lupins, even sweet lupins, has been somewhat restricted by the level of pectins, indigestible cell-wall polysaccharides, in lupins. Undigested pectins increase the viscosity of the bird's digestive tract, which in turn reduces dry-matter digestibility, reducing feed efficiency. Pectins also increase water-holding capacity, which leads to increased water intake and wet droppings. Reducing the amount of lupins in feed can mitigate wet droppings.
The amino acid profile is similar for all three colored lupin varieties, although yellow lupins are higher in cystine content than the blue or white varieties. The amino acid digestibility of lupins is similar to that of peas and beans (about 85%). The hull represents about 25% of the whole seed. Dehulling lupins increases protein content and energy utilization. Enzyme supplementation (with pectinases) of whole-seed and dehulled lupins improves utilization of the nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP) present.
Lupins are adapted to grow in nutrient-poor acidic soils, so most lupin production takes place in areas where other crops struggle. Australia is the dominant producer of lupins, accounting for around 85% of world lupin production. Lupins are also produced in the United Kingdom and western Canada. The high price of organic feed has hampered the development of organic poultry production, resulting in increased interest in organically-grown lupins as an alternative feed ingredient.

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[why do birds]

How old are your little ones ?
right now all they need is the chick starter . That is especially formulated for them .
Dont worry ...at first they will eat bedding , paper , until they figure out what is food ..
So dont expect them to know lettuce is food

.
After a while they figure out you are dropping food...
want to have some fun ? put some dry dirt in the bottom ..mine were in a plastic bin
I think they were 2-3 weeks old in this Video

He just told me it is not GMO corn ..he said it is just plain corn . I dont know what they add for protein ...
THAt is a good Point though ...they need more in the winter as they dont get it from bugs & such
I can ask next time ..it will be a while before I go ..I do add sun flower seeds & milk / yougurt to their diet ..
Barski Brothers Farm Supply

3354 Depot Road
Auburn, NY 13021 - View Map
(315) 252-0761 phone # if you want to call

Ah got it! Thanks for the info!

NICE VIDEO! Wow you have some adorable chicks!
Is this diatomaceous earth? They have it at TSC? I was watching you tube videos about homesteading and someone said there's white diatomaceous earth but TSC has brown diatomaceous earth. Any difference? Is it clean and good for them? I'm afraid to expose them to real earth, I don't want them to get sick. I'm worried if a wild bird touches the ground and my 3 little ones are exposed to it they could get sick. We didn't have them vaccinated against anything. They are pure from hatching eggs. They live in our bathtub on the 2nd floor of the house. We clean their little paper towels at least once a day. I'm waiting for them to get big enough to fit into chicken diapers so they can walk around the house. We have a little cardboard box with woodchips and another box with a chopstick through it for roosting (Silkies are Asian birds right?) So far we have a container with grit, 2 small containers with chick starter, distilled water with ACV and probiotics, paper towels and wood chips. Should we buy them the diatomaceous earth? Thanks so much for the advice!

 

[Cass]

Yeah, Rancher, I forgot about the whole weed killer thing. I saw the show on Monsanto and their practices years ago so much of what I knew has been forgotten. I mainly remember that Monsanto is trying to corner the market on farm seeds, which is why they are actively seeking out farmers that try to save seeds from year to year (just trying to make a profit, those poor farmers). Once they find "seed savers" they test their seed for GMO properties and SUE the small farmers for owning seeds that are under their patent. Makes me angry as all get out. Like someone said "how can they sue when mother nature is doing the pollination"? Hmmm? But they DO sue and they DO win. And they DO put small farmers out of business. Which is exactly the reason that I don't buy GMO seeds of any kind and I try to avoid Burpee seeds also. (Cuz they patent their hybrids and could do exactly what Monsanto is doing, if they aren't already)

If you research Monsanto, you will find that they already own most of the seed companies. They let those companies keep their own names, of course, but the seeds are from Monsanto and the profits go back to Monsanto. There are very few seed suppliers that aren't in bed with Monsanto in some fashion. It's pretty disgusting, to be sure. And a couple of years of crop failures are going to ruin the USA. Ok, maybe it'll take 5 years, but once the reserves are gone, we are as sunk as the titanic. Everything in this country is dependant on the wheat, corn, soy and cotton produced here. Even our gasoline.

Keep canning folks. And learning how to live without supermarkets. Knowledge is power.