Organic feed at Costco

[meli229]

I also just saw that at my Costco in Santa Rosa.

Even took a picture to show husband! tag says "Organic Naturesmart 16 Layer complete Chicken Feed" 40 lbs for $19.99

This isn't a brand that I've seen before. Has anyone tried it?

 

[Cindy in PA]

It's Cargill's Organic feed. I know they sell it at Agway around here. Price here is $29/40 lbs.

 

[eggsellentfarms]

That would be awesome if they started to stock it at Costco here in Oregon. I go there so often it's scary. I currently try to buy my feed from Cool's Feed and Pet Supply in Albany. They have great service and fair prices. But they are a 9-5 store, and farther away, so sometimes I have to buy from the chain farm and ranch store with much higher prices and much slower service. So in my case, having feed at Costco wouldn't take my business away from my local supply store but the chain store, which apparently has plenty of horse owners to keep it thriving anyway.

 

[marktoo]

I also just saw that at my Costco in Santa Rosa.

Even took a picture to show husband! tag says "Organic Naturesmart 16 Layer complete Chicken Feed" 40 lbs for $19.99

This isn't a brand that I've seen before. Has anyone tried it?

Since you're in Santa Rosa....the Bakers Creek Seed Bank Carries Modesto Milling organic feed. I picked up some scratch there last fall when we were at the seed festival.

 

[meli229]

Since you're in Santa Rosa....the Bakers Creek Seed Bank Carries Modesto Milling organic feed. I picked up some scratch there last fall when we were at the seed festival.

Thanks Marktoo, we actually get Modesto Milling, both scratch & lay pellets, at our local feed store. Its easy to find in Sonoma County. Good stuff, but the price reflects it!

 

[marktoo]

Thanks Marktoo, we actually get Modesto Milling, both scratch & lay pellets, at our local feed store. Its easy to find in Sonoma County. Good stuff, but the price reflects it!

You're welcome! Just thought organic feed might be hard to find. Surprisingly there's only one place around here that carries it & they never have it. Ran up to the mill the last time I needed feed, further than I care to travel but oh well. In the future we'll have to make a day of it & just plan a day in the big city. lol They only charge $23 & change at the mill, the feed store charges $32.00.

 

[Usagi]

That would be awesome if they started to stock it at Costco here in Oregon.  I go there so often it's scary.  I currently try to buy my feed from Cool's Feed and Pet Supply in Albany.  They have great service and fair prices.  But they are a 9-5 store, and farther away, so sometimes I have to buy from the chain farm and ranch store with much higher prices and much slower service.  So in my case, having feed at Costco wouldn't take my business away from my local supply store but the chain store, which apparently has plenty of horse owners to keep it thriving anyway.

*crosses fingers*

I currently have a Costco 5-10 minutes from me. I was just going to get a membership this week. This is going to get dangerous.

 

[Rooster Sunrise]

Can someone post a picture of the Organic Layer feed available at Costco? I'd like to know that the ingredients are. It makes me wary since they come from Cargill. Is there soy in it? Do they offer a soy free version, or a soy and corn free version? Is it pellets, or real, whole grains? I'd really like to get my hands on the label, but Costco isn't really close for me.

Also, I saw Modesto Millings mentioned earlier. I've looked at their poultry feed online, in the organic soyfree which is what I'm interested in, and I only see the extruded pellets. Does MM offer whole grain layer feed? Thanks for your help.

 

[Rooster Sunrise]

So I just found the ingredients for the so called organic layer feed from Costco. It's made by Cargill, peer of Monsanto. Here's the ingredients:

Ingredients Organic Ground Wheat, Organic Wheat Middlings, Organic Soybean Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Organic Ground Corn, Dicalcium Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Salt, Penicillium funiculosum*,DL- Methionine, Sodium Bicarbonate, Choline Chloride, Manganous Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Chloride, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Sulfate, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement,
ingredients-cont Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin.
guaranteed-analysis Crude Protein Min. 16%, Lysine Min. 0.75%, Methionine Min. 0.26%, Crude Fat Min. 2%, Crude Fiber Max. 4%, Calcium Min. 3.2%...Max. 3.3%, Phosphorus Min. 0.6%, Salt min. 2.8%...Max. 0.38%, Sodium Min. 0.19%...Max. 0.21%, * The above guaranteed analysis may vary by manufacturing location, please refer to tag for specific information.

It's an extruded, highly processed at high heat mixture of wheat, wheat, soy, corn and junk. It's like organic cheerios. So, for a $20 bag of 40 lbs, anyone can call their eggs organic and sell them as such.

Very disappointing.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes. While I'm not a fan of the aforementioned corporations, I have to defend the feed somewhat.

All feed manufacturers are in competition to provide all the nutrients that chickens (or any other animal) need in the right ratios at a competitive cost.
To provide a vegetable based feed, it's necessary to add some synthetic amino acids or it will fail to provide the protein chickens need.
Some of the things that are difficult to pronounce are stabilized vitamins which extend the shelf life. Fungicides and preservatives are added so it won't kill the chickens.
The steaming not only kills some of the fungi and other pathogens that are naturally associated with the grains and legumes but that wet heat is also required to ameliorate the trypsin inhibitors that are toxic to all monogastric animals, that's chickens, swine and humans.

Like you, I would love to have an organic feed that doesn't have synthetics, fungicides and preservatives. But that would require replacement of some of the wheat and soy with fish or meat meal. If the vitamins weren't stabilized it would require refrigeration and feeding a few days after manufacture. And the feed would be about $50 a bag.

Try to buy a #50 bag of organic wheat or soy and it will be near the cost of your finished feed. If one were to buy all the ingredients fresh to make a complete ration and cook them enough to remove toxins, they would have to make their feed fresh every few days and it would probably push the $100 mark.

At least the grains and legumes are certified organic so they aren't GMO or saturated with pesticides and herbicides. That's half the battle.