Soy-free Poultry Feed

[miss_thenorth]

I have low thyroid also. soy is a no-no for me too. But then, even if I didn't have thyroid issues, from what I've been reading lately about gmo foods- I would avoid it like the plague.

For those of you who mix your own--what do you do/use?

 

[bibliophile birds]

Quote:
i'm planning on starting in the spring, so i've been researching like mad. i've got some great links on my BYC page. the ones from the Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives are really wonderful.

i think the mix i'm going for will be:
6 parts wheat
3 parts corn
3 parts barley
3 parts peas
2 parts flaxseed
2 parts fishmeal
1 part kelp

my birds are pastured, so i'm sure adjustments would need to be made for those that aren't. i'm also looking into Nutri-Balancer for a vitamin and mineral supplement (it's in the Countryside Naturals i buy now) as well as some probiotics.

 

[anthonyjames]

bibliohile birds,

The recipe you put up. Is there anything else required and is it hard to find those thing? I am guessing it will need to be ground or can you just mix and serve?

I wouldn't mind trying to mix my own feed but I also want to keep my cost down.

 

[bigredfeather]

After seeing this post last week, I talked to my feed mill about soy-free feeds. They told me they have 6 different broiler blends that can be made soy-free. I think I am going to try a batch of Freedom Rangers next Spring, feeding them one of the soy-free mixes in combination with free ranging in my fenced in woods. I'm hoping they can pick-up enough bug protein to compensate for the higher priced feed.

Do you think the meat will taste different if they have no soy in the feed?

 

[bibliophile birds]

Quote:
i'm not an expert at all, so i can only tell you as much as i know. for me, that's the recipe that i feel will work. but there are tons of different options. the Pearson's Square and Kim's Rectangle on this page will show you how to figure out the right mix of whatever you are using. seriously do a lot of reading on the subject though. the links on my BYC page are things that have helped me a lot.

most of the stuff i listed should be easy to find if you have a good feed store or mill in your area. some things, like the kelp and the Nutri-Balancer, may need to be ordered. if you have the ingredients available, mixing your own will usually save you money. we feed all organic, and, unfortunately, in the Southeast that means big $$. almost everything i want i have to have shipped to me. but even with the higher price tag, mixing my own will save me money.

that's all dependent on how fast you can use it all up. some things you will have to buy in 50 lbs bags even if you only use a little in each batch. if you can't use it all before it goes bad, then you might not be saving yourself much money. if that's the case, see if someone in your area will split bags with you or if your mill will mix your specified batch for you (like bigredfeather's) and sell it to you in more manageable portions.

as for grinding, there's a lot of different opinions on that. some people would say you shouldn't feed whole grains while others, myself included, think they are great. chickens have the ability to eat whole grains but they aren't usually used to them. you'll probably want to ease them into it so they don't gorge themselves the first day on whole grains and get an impacted crop before they are used to dealing with them.

 

[bibliophile birds]

oh, there are also some people who feed the ingredients separately, cafeteria style, and let the chickens decide what they need when they need it. i've not done much reading on this, but it's an interesting idea.