how to get hens to eat ground soy?

[rockethoe]

we get organic ground soy, and mix with cereal grains (oats and wheat usually) and some seaweed meal, and calcium. We don't really grow corn here, and fishmeal is very expensive here. I have tried making mixes with field beans and field peas to boost the protein but they can't eat that high a percentage legumes in the mix that they need to to reach the protein intake.

when I feed them the ground soy, they leave a good percentage of it behind. how can I get them to eat it? the most obvious way is to add some sort of liquid and make it stick together better, instead of a dust, but I'm looking for the least labour that can be applied on a larger scale (150 laying hens).

 

[Al Gerhart]

Why would you do this instead of feeding a proper commercial pellet or crumble? Do you think you will have more knowledge and capabilities than the feed mill that is following best practices and testing the components?

 

[Penpal]

Where do you live?

 

[rockethoe]

Why would you do this instead of feeding a proper commercial pellet or crumble? Do you think you will have more knowledge and capabilities than the feed mill that is following best practices and testing the components?

no, in fact I conducted tests in different pens a couple of years ago with lot of different mixes etc. even fermented and sprouted feeds. yes the pellets from the mil have a better performance (partly because the hens cant just leave the soy!). however, its currently at nearly a grand a ton for organic pellet where I am. whereas, I can grow my own organic scratch grains, and add the organic soy, a mix like that works out at 100 a ton, with ≈85% performance of the pellets.
EDIT: you realise that you are on the part of this forum where this exact topic is discussed? what did you expect? hundreds of posts just saying "buy pellets. buy pellets."?

 

[rockethoe]

Where do you live?

im in ireland. also in the eu there is laws against feeding farmed animals to farmed animals (an overreaction to mad cow disease) and fishmeal isn't certified as free from farmed fish, so fishmeal isn't an option for anything except fertilising the garden.

 

[Barnette]

Why would you do this instead of feeding a proper commercial pellet or crumble? Do you think you will have more knowledge and capabilities than the feed mill that is following best practices and testing the components?

Little passive aggressive there...

 

[WingItRanch]

That's a tricky problem. I'd tend to agree with you that adding water would entice them but it might not be feasible for you in this situation. How large scale are talking? Is your operation a commercial one or just a lot of chickens for your family and community?

 

[rockethoe]

That's a tricky problem. I'd tend to agree with you that adding water would entice them but it might not be feasible for you in this situation. How large scale are talking? Is your operation a commercial one or just a lot of chickens for your family and community?

we're commercial, but a very small operation. between 60-150 layers at a time.

 

[WingItRanch]

we're commercial, but a very small operation. between 60-150 layers at a time.

I understand fermenting it wouldn't exactly be as feasible but would it work if you were to wet it down? Just adding water would probably be your best bet to keep waste down and ensure they're not eating around it.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Little passive aggressive there...

Passive aggressive is not answering the two valid questions and instead claiming asking valid questions is passive aggressive.