Organic Feed without soy = slow growth?

[WVDan44]

Hey Organick

Thanks for the post. Very interesting. Yes it is Countryside I was referring to. I saw organic feed on SS website and called the local one. The clerk said they don't keep it in store but can order it. So, give your store a call and ask them; I'm sure they can get it for you if it's the kind of feed you want.

 

[Illia]

Amaranth, Quinoa, Fishmeal, - To me, those are trusted and very good sources of protein in feed. Amaranth and Quinoa also have the plus that they're ancient seeds (not grains) with high mineral content, too.



Also, someone mentioned about not trusting non-GMO crops. Very true, as if you consider, people who certify their food to be Organic and thus non-GMO, how do they truly know?

There actually is a company out there though that genetically tests all their Corn seed they sell ( Baker Creek Seed ) In fact they will take a whopping 5 lb sample of kernels just to look for even one, which can very easily contaminate the whole supply in good time.

We grow our own corn, tested negative for GM genes, and keep the "breeding" plants in a greenhouse where we personally pollinate (shake) the plants, so there's VERY little chance someone's crop can contaminate ours. Which is unlikely anyway, as most corn varieties commonly sold are hard to grow out here without extra heat from a hoop or greenhouse.

 

[just2rosey]

Alfalfa has been mentioned a couple of times as a protein source, but remember GM alfalfa entered the market last year. It is no longer a trustworthy protein source unless it is certified organic or GM free. I have been buying Blue Seal organic, and allow my chickens to free range. I don't have any broilers yet, just dual purpose breeds and I plan to butcher the extra roos.

 

[jamband]

The countryide has alfalfa in it too.....their site says 30 broilers will need 2 bags of starter and 7 bag grower.....

has anyone used the countryside on meat birds?

 

[Nessmuk53]

I just butchered 47 Jumbo Cornish crosses on Sunday. They were fed Countryside Organic feed once off of the starter from SS. I haven't eaten one yet so I can't comment on flavor.
The largest cockerel was 7 lbs dressed. They were 8 weeks old Sunday when we butchered.
Organics are expensive as all get out and I am considering raising the next batch on feed from the coop over in the valley. They have a store very close by to me.
I ordered a ton of feed when I purchased and got a quantity discount (1K each of layer and broiler), but it is still more than I think I should be spending again.

 

[jamband]

you say the largest was 7 lbs but on average what were they if you did 47? i mean 7 lbs dressed sounds pretty big. did you feed them 12 on/off or 24/7? did you free range them or? organic is expensive but I guess you pay for lack of pesticides, chemicals, and GMOs..

 

[Nessmuk53]

I only weighed a few, but I would say that 5 1/2lb would have be a pretty safe estimate of the average weight. There were a few small pullets in the mix. I had them in a 10x12 tractor that I moved daily and fed them through the day. I watched them eat an awful lot of crickets in particular (The field they were in has a lot of them). I filled up their feeders on average 4 to 5 times a day. They also went through large quantities of water. It was warm, but I swear it was around 10 gallons a day. When it wasn't raining I also had fans running on one end of the tractor. They loved to sit in front of them.

We had 52 birds and lost 4 early on and another to something that grabbed one through the wire and killed it (never got it out of the tractor though). This prompted a second offset layer of wire all the way around. So if I add up my costs I figure it cost me 11.80 per bird to raise them organically. In light of the fact that some stores here near Charlottesville VA charge $25 per organically grown chicken, I guess that price is OK.

 

[Nessmuk53]

I should add that the birds went through 2 50lb bags of starter and 39 bags of the broiler feed. So it was around 1,050 pounds of feed total. And there were 4 of the exceptionally large cockerels. The smallest pullet was only about 4 pounds dressed.

 

[jamband]

that sounds good overall I would think for weight.....mc murray says the males dress 4-5 in 6-8 weeks soo. Good to know. Thanks for sharing that info.

 

[jamband]

I should add that the birds went through 2 50lb bags of starter and 39 bags of the broiler feed. So it was around 1,050 pounds of feed total. And there were 4 of the exceptionally large cockerels. The smallest pullet was only about 4 pounds dressed.

wait 39 bags or 19?? 39 would be like 2k lbs of feed???