Organic feed for Broilers

[al6517]

Quote:
Well said, I too don't see the hype in Organic feed. for those of us that live in the country and have access to pasture and free range our birds great. But why buy Organic feed for a very high price when regular commericail feed is just fine. yeah I understand the whole organic "concept" but I for one can't wrap my arms around it.

AL

 

[rstampa]

Quote:
Isn't that what *most* commercial feeds use as their primary protein source???

Pat

Fish meal is great but a good feed organic or non organic doesn't use soybean in their grain.
Here is just one of many that doesn't use soybean. And I don't think Purina does either but I not quit sure.

I buy my feed countryside Natural Products Brand myself.
Here is the link. http://www.countrysidenatural.com/home.php?cat=4

Here is another brand with no soy bean added. http://www.cocofeed.com/cocofeed.htm

 

[rstampa]

The OP was just asking a simple question. And out come all the cynics.
Stop putting something down that you don't know anything about. Just stick to feeding your yogurt eating chickens and stop aggravating everyone else with you unsupported theories.
It's not your chickens that you should be concerned about it should be yourselves.
You are what you eat. And if you want to pesticides, hormones, fertilizers and God know what else they put on and in our plants and animals that's up to you. So don't knock organic if you don't know anything about it.

 

[bibliophile birds]

Quote:
I buy Countryside as well when I don't have the time to mix my own or if I can't use up a huge batch before it goes bad. It's great. Since there are NO organic mills around me, it can be hard to find quality feed that doesn't cost a fortune to ship. Countryside has Buyers Clubs, so we all pool our orders and share the cost of shipping. Shipping ends up coming out to about $3/ 50 lbs instead of around $40/ 50 lbs.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Perhaps the concept of an internet forum has escaped you, but I'd say that if one doesn't want their opinions discussed and/or debated, they shouldn't post them. It seems to me the original poster wanted the pros/cons and differing opinions on organic feed and that's exactly what they got. And regarding "not knowing anything" about a topic, you may want to check your own post- there are no hormones added to chicken.

 

[theOEGBman]

In my Poultry Science class last semester, we did this as part of a project. We raised 25 broilers on organic feed and 25 on regular ol' broiler crumble. We processed them all and the organics were considerably smaller than the others, sometimes almost a pound smaller. They tasted just the same, but werent as large. That could also be due to the fact that the nipple water system leaked into the organic pen and they got chilled, but just a thought.

 

[bibliophile birds]

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no, there aren't hormones added directly to chickens, which is one of the things that make them such a wonderful food source for backyard farmers to work with. the problem is that there are hormones being transferred to your flock through their food, as well as chemical substances that affect hormones in their (and your) bodies. you don't need to inject hormones into your chickens to create a problem.

think of this example: DDT was widely used as a pesticide up until the 1970s. it was spectacularly effective in controlling insect populations and was important in ridding Europe and the US of malaria. but the problem was that it was killing a lot more than insects. like, eagles.

Quote:
now, chickens were not as susceptible to DDT as birds of prey. the point, however, is that there is never a fail safe way to know that the chemicals used on crops today won't have a terrible impact on the health of your flock and yourself down the road.

and those chemicals sprayed on crops don't just go away. they build up in the soil and run off to contaminate someone else's land and pollute the water table. DDT can stay in the soil for 30 years and is still found in almost all human blood samples even though it's use was banned in the early 1970s. and notice how this "pesticide" really effectively killed cats? which significantly increased the populations of rodents, who are disease carries?

there just has to be a point where we, the consumers, start to realize that every single decision that is made in Agribusiness is important to our own lives. and the best way to speak out against this type of farming practice is to speak with your wallets.

eta: i know technology and standards are a lot higher than they were when DDT was being used, but that just isn't a good enough argument that pesticides, herbicides, and the like should be still be used.

 

[seramas]

atlargeintheworld,

You bring up a very important point, "speak with our wallets". Most of the DDT was purchased by the everyday home owner as is most of the insecticides ....and what ever being sold today. My neighbor uses systemic insecticides on his yard to this very day. When it was outlawed in our state he bought enough to last 10 or so years. My fear he is poisoning the water table.

He is not a minority, but part of a majority of uncaring or unknowing people. Most don't care beyond their own immediate wants/needs. They will probably some day awaken to late to do anything about it. I wonder if they will just say, “Oh well.”!?!?!

 

[Peruvian]

seramas - while I appreciate your scientific input to the discussion, you're a little off base. There are several 'organic' certifications according to the USDA. 100% organic means just that - nothing but organic ingredients. Certified organic (same label as 100% organic just to confuse consumers!) can be up to 5% non-organic ingredients. Corn, apples, and a few other crops have essentially been subsidized out of organic growth on a large scale. Smaller producers that don't use petro-fertilizers can't meet the demand (see the discussion on page 3 by the 5th gen. farmer) so some mills have to use what's available to them.

Your comments about 'unknowing' people make it that much more important for those of us that take the time to learn about such things to make the right choices. I know I'm not "saving the earth" by choosing the organic feed over the non-organic, but I am taking a swing at ensuring that there is a continued choice.

 

[jaku]

Oops