When was the first "chicken feed" mass produced?

[MatthewsHomestead]

This is why our pigs will be turned loose into the garden with the chickens.... Rooting and turning and fertilizing!

 

[centrarchid]

The transition from free-range supplemented with best diets they could come up with to complete diets allowing more CAFO type production was tough.

 

[centrarchid]

Another potential protein concentrate even back in the early days would be fermentation byproducts from beer and wine. Fermentation processes would be more important for compensating for water quality issues and grain storage.

 

[Floppy Pheasant]

Interesting.... I've wondered about the wheat ,primarily because it was a staple in early civilizations,Matthew,I have seen that show!!! I'm wondering if "table scraps" in addition to active and long range foraging was perhaps ancient civilizations only options?
Also,I would assume back then,broody hens were more prevelant,as mass chicken production was obsolete.

 

[centrarchid]

Interesting.... I've wondered about the wheat ,primarily because it was a staple in early civilizations,Matthew,I have seen that show!!! I'm wondering if "table scraps" in addition to active and long range foraging was perhaps ancient civilizations only options?
Also,I would assume back then,broody hens were more prevelant,as mass chicken production was obsolete.

If the broody rooster approach was real, then numbers of chickens would have larger than most realize in a barnyard setting. I can imagine a herder / flocker setup where an animal master tended a rather large group of chickens that were moved about landscape with additional protection by dogs. Population (human) density was pretty high with less diversions associated with TV's and social media then so predator management was likely a priority with lots of investment.

 

[Floppy Pheasant]

Lol....very true!!.....Social media and TV's were most likely the cause of the current "non broodiness" of modern chickens....you posed an excellent question though,what ultimately caused the "non broody " traits we see now??? Some breeds are still broody but majority are not...has broody behavior been "breed When trying to solve one question,another question pops up.....

 

[Floppy Pheasant]

Question...regarding fermentation processes for beer and wine,was wheat used extensively?? When was barley first discovered and used?

 

[centrarchid]

Barley was also from the Fertile Cresent. Domestication of it also well underway by time chickens brought into same area and Europe. Wheat more used for bread but milling by-products had feed value as well. In some areas things like millet has were used as human food and likely when overly abundant for animals as well.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

... what were chickens fed prior to mass produced chicken feed?? I'm assuming most flocks were primarily free range but would just free ranging constitute a well balanced diet?

The first mass produced chicken feed that I am aware of was dehydrated buttermilk that was recognized as a wonderful baby chick feed say 100 years or so ago. There are old copies of White Leghorn World Magazine (I think it is called) on file at the University of Wisconsin that will corroborate this.

Free ranging is a poor way to raise chickens. That used to be the gold standard for American Games back in the day. The exact phrase was "Farm Walked" But no one back then knew much about how to raise domestic poultry in confinement.. Also 100 years ago no one much knew anything about the nutricional needs of a chicken. Chickens were then mostly left to fend for themselves which is what "FREE RANGE" means much like Texas Long Horn cattle and if the chickens died.... or were killed by drought, famine, predators... etc. well that was expected with free range chickens. It also didn't hurt any that every Tom, Dick, & Harry, not to mention every Tina, Dawn, & Harriet would kill a cute furry predator in the most horrific way as they would crush a bed bug.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Question...regarding fermentation processes for beer and wine,was wheat used extensively?? When was barley first discovered and used?

Barley was and still is extensively used to make beer or other alcoholic drinks other than mead or other wines. Malted barley has an enzyme that when heated or boiled converts the starch in milled grain like corn or wheat into sugar, and sugar is required to brew beer and other alcoholic beverages from grains with a high starch content.

No one has ever gotten rich distilling corn squeezins at least unless they added some BARLEY malt to the fermentation pot. This is also why most of the moonshine is what is known in the trade as SUGAR WHISKY.