What is your opinion of organic feed?

[wings]

I have hens that I will eventually be getting a surplus of eggs from, so I'm starting to consider organic feed. I know I won't be able to advertise my eggs as completely organic because I feed them scraps, but I would like to make an improvement. I have a few questions:

1. How much does organic feed cost compared to normal layer feed?

2. Is it wrong to advertise my eggs as part organic, if my hens get non-organic scraps and didn't have organic feed as chicks?

3. How much more can I reasonably charge for organic eggs?

4. Is it really worth it, in terms of ethics, the environment, and fiscal spending?

I would love anyone's opinions, even if you don't have any facts!

 

[AHappychick]

A lot more in NY I pay over $23 a 50 lbd bag

Yes that is wrong but instead you can say feed both certified organic feed and non organic feed Or just say " all natural"

Check what your local grocery stores sell them for but agian if your chickens are not raised from hatch to lay on only certified organic feed it is agaist the law to lable them as organic

That depends of what your opinions on the matter are. It certainly is more costly but over time becomes less so and more self sustainable so less expensive in the long run.

 

[silkiechicken]

I don't think organic is worth it.

Rules differ from here to there, but to my knowledge, if your hens free range or touch the soil, the soil even has to be cert organic to say the eggs are. You can buy organic eggs from the store, but how much better is it if the birds are raised in wire cages and shipped in organic feed form 4000 miles away, vs "free ranged" and fed non-organic local grown feed?

I would say raised naturally, or happy hens myself.

 

[wings]

I'm not going to make a business out of selling them; just selling them to a few friends.

 

[wings]

Quote:
That's what we call them: HAPPY HENS!

 

[geareduplyn]

I label mine Eggs From Organically Fed Hens. Eggs by definition are organic.

 

[SewingDiva]

Quote:
That's what we call them: HAPPY HENS!

I completely agree!

If you give them Blue Seal (a local New England product btw, the company headquarters is in NH) your girls will be getting a very high quality feed. Blue Seal does have an organic line, but for what I’ve seen it's about double the price of their regular feed.

I personally think that if you give them regular Blue Seals layer pellets along with a well supplemented diet of fresh greens and plenty of free ranging you will have beautiful, sturdy and delicious eggs. You can't call them organic but you can call them fresh and natural; people will clamor for them.

Phyllis

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
Actually Blue Seal is owned by a Family Conglomerate based in Muscatine, Iowa.

 

[DaveMN]

I had thought about going organic but the cost of feed was prohibitive.
i buy layer feed from Fleet Farm for $11 per #50 bag. I was using Homestead layer because it does not contain rendered animal protein but the price last time i purchased was at $16 per #50 bag and was suppose to be going up.

I bill mine as cage free - antibiotic free chickens. I saw this on a carton in the stores and decided it sounded good to me.
In the stores (non-wally world) here they sell for around $2.80 and the organics in the store are $3.50 with some places being $4.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Dave:

Where were you purchasing your Homestead feed from?

Our price is much lower than that.

Jim