Protein Percentage Question - Organic Feed

[Gritkicker]

Alright, well thanks guys. I'll cut the scratch out, at least down to a minimum. It wasn't a big mason jar actually, it's one of the small ones, but still. I'll cut the scratch for now. The problem I'm having with them now is that they love to hang out by the actual bird feeders and eat the black oil sunflowers.. there is no breaking them of it. Grr.. this really peeves me because I'm trying to grow them organic and non-gmo, but I have no idea how much of that stuff would be in the store bought 50lb bags of BO Sunflowers. They don't spend all their time there, but it's definitely the go to spot when they're released from the coop. Luckily, I don't feed the birds a ton and the raccoons clean up the leftovers at night, but still they are getting more than I want them too. Maybe I should put up a little chicken wire around the feeder.. I just know Raccoons will tear that down if I do.

You guys are so passionate about this, so many ways of feeding them all kinds of treats.. I might try the sprouts for them, but I don't really have a lot of room in the house where I'd want to do that, I might do it outside.. I'd actually really like to plow a little piece of property and plant it there and lead them to it, but then again I'd have a lot more than sprouts much sooner than I'd want I bet.

I work at a feed store and one of the customers comes in a buys a lot of winter barley for her ducks, it's pretty cheap stuff like.. $20 for a 50lb bag, is this a good plant to sprout for them? Keep in mind, I can probably have whatever I want ordered so I'd like to know the best and cheapest option. I'll check out and see prices for forage oats where I'm at and go from there.. thing is, where do you draw a line between calling stuff organic and not? That's a problem for me. If you sprout something, would you consider it organic at that point or what? I imagine it has to be really good for them regardless. I just want to be able to call my eggs Organic and Non-GMO..

 

[newmarch2014]

I also have a little patch of pasture grass in the garden that they cannot get to but I can cut. If they were able to get to it they would demolish it in a day.

 

[barkinghills]

I think in order to say your eggs are organic and non-Gmo you need to start by feeding ALL organic feed, so if you want to sprout forage seed for them, it needs to start out as organic seed when you purchase it. There are specific legal definitions of organic, which probably include having the land they free-range on being certified organic as well.

Also, someone said corn scratch raises the body temperature of chickens, which is not correct. It provides them with extra energy in the form of calories, which will be converted to fat if it exceeds their caloric needs.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Your chicks need to be fenced away from the wild bird feeders, because they are feasting on those (organically grown?) sunflower seeds, and getting exposed to too much wild bird poo. Is your scratch feed organic too? If not, feeding an organic chick starter seems like a moot point to me. Adding other grains (organic?) whether fermented or not, complicates their nutritional profile even more. 20% chick starter- grower is fine for them, with 10% or less other stuff, until they are laying well. Then consider a layer feed, and don't forget the oyster shell on the side. It's very difficult to achieve official organic status; look up the requirements! Mary

 

[Gritkicker]

Welcome! Your chicks need to be fenced away from the wild bird feeders, because they are feasting on those (organically grown?) sunflower seeds, and getting exposed to too much wild bird poo. Is your scratch feed organic too? If not, feeding an organic chick starter seems like a moot point to me. Adding other grains (organic?) whether fermented or not, complicates their nutritional profile even more. 20% chick starter- grower is fine for them, with 10% or less other stuff, until they are laying well. Then consider a layer feed, and don't forget the oyster shell on the side. It's very difficult to achieve official organic status; look up the requirements! Mary

Yes, my scratch is organic non-GMO as well, it's Nature's Grown Organic with the MOSA tag. I actually called and asked because they didn't label is Non-GMO, apparently anything with the MOSA tag is Organic and Non-GMO. It is 8%. The only thing they are getting is the dang B O Sunflowers, but a meager amount. I can't imagine them finding too many whole shells and getting too much. I'm really not too worried about being able to "OFFICALLY" label the eggs organic and non-gmo, it's just how I want them to be for me and for the few people who might be buying them around my house, neighbors and such. I only have the 10 hens so I don't imagine I'll be selling too many eggs. I'm not eating a lot of eggs right now for the sole purpose that I don't get burned out on them, lol. I can't wait for mine to start laying. Another treat they get now and then some probably find terrifying, but Dubia roaches.. they go absolutely NUTS for them. Those get all organic food too, they actually eat the chick starter and whatever scraps I have from my garden. They're a rare treat though.. like, maybe weekly.

Thanks again, it's nice hearing everyones take on this and different feed methods, but as far as my original question I guess I'll be sticking with the 20% chick starter until they are 18-20 weeks and I can switch them to the organic layer.