Thoughts on corn in poultry feeds.

[Chicken Mama48]

Hi BYCers!

I am a feed manufacturer, and I have been active here (Off and on) for about 7 or 8 years. Over the years, I have noticed an increasing opinion that corn is not a good ingredient for poultry feeds. I often see posts that point out corn as a “filler”, or that it is only used because it is cheap.

I am very honestly curious about the basis for these thoughts, and I am very interested in opinions, and data that supports it. As a manufacturer, I want to be as informed as possible, so that I can make appropriate decisions for future formulations. I am curious if I should be looking at offering a corn free option or not. We do currently offer some soy free options, but the advantages to that were easy to identify. There is a lot of science behind the advantages and disadvantages of using soy. I saw good reason to offer an option excluding soy products.

From my perspective- We use corn, because it actually has one of the best nutrient profiles that align with the energy needs of poultry. We definitely don’t use it as a filler. It is actually used as the complete opposite of a filler. It is actually one of the most energy nutrient dense ingredients available for livestock feeds. It’s also far from being the cheapest ingredient available for use as the energy portion of the rations. Small grains are much cheaper to use, with the exception of milling wheat (Milling wheat wouldn’t be used by a feed mill anyway. They would only be using wheat that didn’t make food grade). Barley, oats, rye, spelt, soft red wheat, etc., are typically cheaper.

I appreciate any input that can be provided! And thank you in advance for all of your views!

-Eric

I don't know about others but I don't like corn and my chicken feed because I'm allergic to corn as I am to Soy. I have to find chicken food that does not have these items in because then I can't eat the eggs or the meat. Chickens are like people they are what they eat. I would gladly Buy at a reasonable price feed that did not contain corn or soy. I had a feed at one time and it recently has changed and I don't know how long it is before I can eat my eggs again.

 

[Chicken Mama48]

My chickens love corn (as a treat). They get Kalmbach 20% grower feed with OS on side. 1st ingredient: corn.

As a customer of a feed manufacturer, I expect to buy a feed they will do well on. This feed seems very good for them. As a customer, I would expect the feed company to have done their R&D to produce a good, animal appropriate feed.

Chickens have been eating corn for a long long time. Corn does not worry me. But, based on my educational background in a STEM field, including an advanced degree in a field relating to human foods, I don’t easily fall for a bunch of internet crazy theories. However, GMO is an area of specific concern, bc that can be used in positive and negative ways. But, back to the feed company...as a customer, I would expect to get a good/healthy feed that would not harm my animals. I don’t personify or humanize my animals, so I’m not anticipating their beaks curving into a smile either if I were to provide them with a certain feed with certain ingredients.

FWIW, maybe you need to rename “corn” on your label as “maize fruit” or “seed of the maize plant” or “maize nutrient kernel”. kinda like various natural food companies use “evaporated cane juice” for sugar. It sounds so much healthier! I should go into marketing....

The corn that is in today's chicken food is not the same as the chickens used to eat when it was the main food. It has been altered in many ways that we still are not sure of. Being allergic to corn I have to watch every single label, corn syrup, cornstarch, corn flour, corn, anything that says corn I cannot eat hence with my chickens eating corn I cannot eat the eggs or the meat so corn is not healthy. I am not the only one I work at a job that I talk to people daily on their allergies what they can and cannot eat corn soy wheat are the main things that people have trouble with.