Thoughts on organic chicken feed. What is your opinion?

[U_Stormcrow]

Roundup is a known carcinogen.

So is Testosterone and Estrogen.

I invite you to do without them.

Coffee is a Carcinogen. Popcorn. Whitebread toast. Just ask your State. Alcohol. "Corned", "Cured", or Smoked meats. Many Pickles. Many salted fish (setting aside the possibility of high heavy metal toxicity over time as well).

In fact, why don't you do without anything containing anything on this list.

The Dosage is the Poison.

You want to protect the Earth? Then be honest about it - you want a massive reduction in the human population. The rest will follow.

 

[YellowRoseFarm]

I'd like to echo what someone else said, which is that certified organic is a hard standard to meet. It's a divisive issue, I know (as is a lot of chicken information) but I would never advocate for choosing a product just because it's earned the certified organic label. Whatever you choose, it should best serve your needs, your flock's health, and your pocketbook. Because chicken keeping should be for everyone.

I weighed a lot of options because I have a smaller flock (10) and it's not too cost-prohibitive for me to go with a fancy non-GMO option. But, they can get VERY expensive if you're buying more than 100 lbs a month. Personally, the certified organic label doesn't mean as much to me as the sustainable tag for the reason that choosing certified organic precludes some excellent sustainable small business farming operations. Organic farming is incredibly challenging to implement and it takes 3 years of those organic practices to yield the first 'certified organic' harvest.

I use Grubbly Farms Little Pecks for my chicks and they're non-GMO but not organic due to the fact that it's made with sustainably grown black soldier fly grubs. Their website claims: "Our grubs are naturally harvested (no hormones, pesticides or funky byproducts) and help reduce food waste from landfills." You can read about how they're harvested HERE. That said, I plan to switch to Scratch and Peck when my chickens are at laying age because of the brand reputation, organic label, and the fact that it'll ship with the rest of my Chewy order (they have poultry items now!).

I understand why other backyard chicken keepers use brands like Mana Pro, Dumor, and Purina because they're widely available and you can stop by TSC, Wal-Mart, etc. on your way home. Also, Grubbly Farms, Scratch and Peck, and other non-GMO options don't have medicated chick starter. They have their reasons but, if that's your preference (as was mine for the first 2 weeks), you're going to need Mana Pro or Dumor.

 

[icy_flames]

I use organic no corn no soy layer feed. My hens do very well on it. Unfortunately the brand I buy just went from $56 for a 50 pound bag to $100 for that same size so I am getting ready to change. They will still get a organic feed but it will have corn and soy. Super bummed.

 

[BethTank]

I find it cheaper to mix my own feed, since I buy grains in bulk, and only add pellets for extra vitamins and minerals. That’s my main concern. When I look for pellets, not the ingredients, but the nutrition label.

The mix of grains I make are split peas, oats, barley, millet, flaxseed, sunflower hearts, wheat. (Not in that order) I ferment for 3days then feed with soaked alfalfa. Also grain free dog food for animal protein/fats. The pellets I have in a hanging feeder they barely touch. Also cabbage, and other veggies as well.

I have heard dry cat food (grain free) has a much higher protein content than dog food. I ‘ve used this to get mine through molt with good results.

 

[BethTank]

I have heard dry cat food (grain free) has a much higher protein content than dog food. I ‘ve used this to get mine through molt with good results.

 

[HereForTheChicks]

You can't have no-till farming without Roundup

You can with a broadfork and a whole lotta free time

 

[3KillerBs]

You can with a broadfork and a whole lotta free time

FARMING, not gardening.

The time required to broadfork a field of several hundred acres would be completely absurd.

 

[KRack]

I feed my family and our chickens, organic. Couldn’t tel you why scientifically, just the route I chose that felt most comfortable.

 

[Cat Ballou]

I consider organic a waste of money and effort. It doesn't produce a superior quality product, just a more expensive one at a greater input of labor.

Additionally, the practices that people object so much to -- especially using Roundup -- are the very practices that have enabled farmers to conserve soil and prevent erosion. You can't have no-till farming without Roundup and you can't prevent the erosion and soil-loss that was the big scare-story problem in farming when I was young without no-till farming.



No they don't.

My husband works at a historic site which is surrounded by a large working farm which grows corn, wheat, and soybeans specifically for the animal feed market. It's been fascinating to see efficient, modern farming close up and to learn truth through oberservation.

They absolutely do not spray anything before harvest.

First, spray of any kind would be WET and you DO NOT want anything wet before harvest because the crop has to be dried below a certain percentage of moisture before combining or it will mold in storage and the entire crop will be lost.

Second, it would be a useless waste of expensive products to put spray onto the leaves of the crop to be harvested instead of on the weeds. Farmers are lucky to make a profit at all and they're not throwing money away to no purpose.

Additionally, the weeds they need to kill don't even really sprout and take off until they are no longer heavily shaded by the standing crop -- which would make spraying a standing crop even more useless.

I hope they at least paid you to spread misinformation. Glyphosate is sprayed just before harvest to desiccate crops

https://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/foods-most-likely-to-contain-glyphosate

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/glypho...till-contains-roundup-ingredient-study-finds/

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I hope they at least paid you to spread misinformation. Glyphosate is sprayed just before harvest to desiccate crops

https://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/foods-most-likely-to-contain-glyphosate

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/glypho...till-contains-roundup-ingredient-study-finds/

No more than the plaintiff's bar is paying you for spreading fear. If you don't understand the difference between an allowed level of 310 parts per million (EPA), and 160 parts per billion (some arbitrary figure invented for litigation), there's no hope for you.