What to feed to avoid corn

[rosawoodsii]

The more I look into both our and our animals food supplies, the more determined I am to get out of the prepared food loop.

Since almost all preformulated feeds contain corn, and unless I buy organic (which is very, very expensive) I'm going to get GM corn in it, what kind of grains can I feed to make sure my chickens are well fed? I realize I'll have to mix several grains, but I figure I can sprout some and give the rest dry and then they'll get greens, too. So far, oats, wheat, and barley are non-GMO, and I know I can feed those, but in what proportion and what should I add to it:

 

[edselpdx]

I can't answer your questions specifically, but avoid soy as well if you are striving to avoid GMO's. I'm lucky to have a local place that sells locally sourced non-GMO organic feed for $14/bucket, which is reasonable for my small backyard flock. Good luck in your endeavor!

 

[cassie]

Why you would want to avoid corn is beyond me. But that said, corn and barley are the two grains with the most energy. Buy a text on animal nutrition and see if you can work out a balanced ration from it. Soy is used for protein. I don't know why you would want to avoid that either. Other meals used for protein are linseed and cottonseed. Good luck.

 

[buglit]

Quote:
She said that she wanted to avoid corn because the majority will be genetically modified as well as soy. I guess that she doesn't want to give Monsanto more control over our lives than they already have.

I think that we might have to go back to look at what our great grand parents fed their chickens. It was probably corn that they grew themselves and greens from the garden

 

[Teach97]

If you want to avoid all GM grains...you will have to buy from the source or plant your own. Grain is dumped together and mixed and the odds of getting GM grains is about 100%. Production agriculture like we have in the US could not feed the world w/o that technology. To have a plant that is resistant to round-up saves so much in other input costs that many farmers take advantage of it. I would bet most organicically grown crops use GM seeds. The cost savings are so great. I am sure you can find some but be warned you are gonna pay for it. Good luck

 

[buglit]

Interesting. After reading The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollack, viewing, Food Inc., King Corn, The Future of Food (all avail on Netflix), and following law suits against Monsanto, I agree that unless you grow non-gmo corn / soy yourself or get it from a local source (that has not been cross pollinated by Monsanto treated corn across the street), there are not many options

 

[just one of the peeps]

you might also do some research on quinoa it has a high protien content and is chock full o' essential amino acids.... there is a feed recipe here http://www.greenerpasturesfarm.com/ChickenFeedRecipe.html that uses it.

 

[rosawoodsii]

Quote:
Wheat, oats, and barley are not (yet) developed and approved as GM crops. And no, organic crops do not and cannot use GM seeds and still be labeled organic.

Interesting comment about Roundup-ready crops. According to the latest data world-wide, they end up using four to five times as much pesticide as non-RR crops. Now if you're an advocate of cheap food, go for it. I'd rather spend my money on healthy food than on medical care for me or my critters. GM-fed livestock have a much higher abortion rate, birth defects, and illness. The research is out there if you want to take the time to google it.

And I do grow most of my own food. If I had the resources, I'd grow my livestock feed as well.

 

[Teach97]

nevermind...

sometimes I type and then realize it is wasted

 

[Wifezilla]

I don't like giving money to Monsanto. If you do, good...go ahead. The thing that I object to is the near impossibility of AVOIDING IT if that is your choice. BIG red flag right there.