Truly Organic Feeding...

[island.girlie]

Aloha,
Can anyone tell me how I can raise my chickens truly organic. I read here that no feed it 100% organic, and I know they like cracked corn I can grow myself. What other options do I have? Can I feed then raw grains and seeds? Can I give them veggies from my organic garden? What is most essential? Will my chickens be healthier on store feed? What are the pros and cons? Thank you very much for your help in advance.

 

[SandraMort]

What do you mean that there's none 100% organic? I get organic from my local grain mill. It looks and smells like real food, it makes me happy! And the birds... well... they don't care. To be totally honest

 

[Chickenmagnet]

If its certified organic feed it should tell you what percentage is organic.
It must by law.

and

My chickens...the ones raised on 100% organic can tell. They wont lay as much if I try to give them non organic feed

 

[greyfields]

island.girlie :

Aloha,
Can anyone tell me how I can raise my chickens truly organic. I read here that no feed it 100% organic, and I know they like cracked corn I can grow myself. What other options do I have? Can I feed then raw grains and seeds? Can I give them veggies from my organic garden? What is most essential? Will my chickens be healthier on store feed? What are the pros and cons? Thank you very much for your help in advance.

I think the USDA organic labeling requirement is for 99% or greater from Oragnic sources, except for exempt products which there are no organic sources.

The term "organic" in the US is a well defined set of rules on how an animal or it's feed are raised, treated, stored, processed, etc. You seem to be asking more how to raise your animals in a wholistic sense, rather than just pourding a certified organic feed to them, which is a harder question for us to answer (as we all have our own ideas what a non certified 'organic' lifestyle would be for a chicken).

To make your own organic feed:

certified organic grains, which can include cracked corn, but corn is way too low in protien so you'll need some more for bulk

seed meal, this is your bulk protien source, all seed meals are natural products and therefore can be used in making your organic feed (except those which are hexane extracted)

mineral mix, you get these bulk as a nutri balancer (Fetrell for example), which are all natural products and can be used (or are exempt, like salt for example)

Sometimes it can be cheaper doing your own feed, sometime store bought is a better value. It depends if you can buy and store large quantities of the components at the time of year when the price is the lowest.​

 

[Amy'sOrganicEggs]

There definitely is Organic feed available. I get mine from a local farmer who mixes their own. You just have to ask around. My hens were fed organic feed since, well, birth. They have never had any sort of antibiotic or other un-natural additives in their food, and they are gorgeous, happy hens!

 

[island.girlie]

Well that's a relief. When I read that no feed is truly organic, I was so bummed.

greyfields:
Thanks for the detailed list of stuff I could mix. I will call all the feed stores on the island and do a price comparison. Hopefully I can find a good deal. Yey!

 

[balticbabe]

Quote:
What brand is it and where did you get it? I just switched to the organic my local feed store sells and the girls don't seem to like it.

 

[greyfields]

Oh I guess if the question is can you truly get certified organic poultry feed, then yes you absolutely can. I thought you were making a nuianced argument.

 

[Sequin]

If you are planning on selling your eggs, however, you cannot actually call them organic eggs. Organic eggs have to come from chickens that were hatched from hens that were raised cert. organic AND have been raised organically. Or so I have heard. I am sure others on here probably know more than me though.

 

[greyfields]

No. Organic hens and broilers do not have to come from organic birds. In the case of poultry, they must be fed & managed organically from their 1st day of life onward.

In cows, is from the 3rd trimester onwards (or maybe it's 2nd).