Why do some act like Chicken Scratch should be avoided like the plague

[Judy]

I won't feed any feed that does NOT have animal protein.

Chickens are omnivores. They love bugs, worms, mice, snakes, you name it. I see nothing natural about vegetarian feeds, not from their viewpoint.

 

[Judy]

I would never buy Dumor feed, unless I was really desperate. Worst possible example of formulated feed, IMHO.

 

[AnnesChicks]

While fairly new to chickens, things are going really well. Fat sassy hens, and the eight of them produced 104 eggs for their first full month of laying! Needless to say I am not changing a thing.

I do free feed layer pellets from a hanging feeder inside their coop. I fill it once a week. They started with Purina Layer pellets, but to save a couple bucks I bought Dell's brand ~ they are not as enthusiastic about it so I am switching back.

They get about a cup of scratch (corn & grains) daily, some in the am and sometimes in the pm. Plus kitchen scraps and a couple armloads of grass/weeds per week.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
Unfortunately, most of the animal protein in formulated feeds are ground up chicken feathers and offal.....I don't particularly care to feed some diseased chicken left overs from some commercial grower back to my own flock. If it were bugs or even fish I wouldn't mind....but parts of other dead animals I will pass on.

Here's an interesting little article about this:

http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agri...agriculture/they-eat-what-the-reality-of.html

"Rendered feathers, hair, skin, hooves, blood, and intestines can also be found in feed, often under catch-all categories like "animal protein products."​

 

[mechagrue]

I have to agree with Beekissed. Certainly I would never try to feed my chickens a vegetarian diet. Like ddawn says, bugs are not a vegetable!

But when you're talking about the formulation of a commercial feed, protein is protein, whether it comes from animals or vegetables. I prefer feed with vegetable protein, because the kind of animal protein that ends up in chicken feed is... not good.

It's ground up chicken feathers and offal if you're lucky. And that's all I'll say about that right now, since I'm in the middle of eating breakfast.

 

[Chris09]

You do know that most "organic" grain is fertilized with
Feather meal, Meat meal, Fish meal, Bone meal and Blood meal and all that good stuff... So most chickens eat it one way or another.


Chris

 

[Beekissed]

I hesitate to believe that animal disease can be transmitted through plant roots and their nutrient exchange system. All those fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc. that the plants convert into energy.....I don't think microorganisms are tagging along those cellular pathways and emerging into the new seed!

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I was referring to the metaphorical, theoretical "Grandma" from the OP, but yes, you are right. I used to stress out about it, but after so many years I have gotten pretty relaxed! Chickens are tough little survivors!

However- the ONE caveat I have to offer- NEVER feed them moldy or clumped up feed. It grows fungus extremely fast and can kill them.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Just so that you know phosphorus, potassium is not a source of energy in plants.. Nitrogen and carbon dioxide is the source of energy for plants...

All animal byproduct is heat treated before it is used in animal feed so that would kill any disease that might be there...

Chris

 

[bigtooks]

I was getting between 15 and 19 eggs a day with 1 year old layers...i have 21...feeding scratch daily basically as a treat...they have layin mash 24/7..plus free range for couple hours a day...as soon as it started getting hot the egg count dropped to 7-8 a day...i quit feeding scratch and in 2 days egg count was back up to 16.

i won't feed sctratch no more this summer...only to my young chicks