What do you feed your meat birds to raise Organic Meat?

[galanie]

I have always been told that Organics do not have GMO grain in them. Interesting.

 

[Buster52]

I have always been told that Organics do not have GMO grain in them. Interesting.

Strictly speaking, no. I'm talking about degrees of organic, just like there are degrees of sustainable. My mix is more organic than the non-organic commercial brands, but not as organic as certified organic. However, because no organic feeds are produced in Oklahoma, it is likely that my feed is more sustainable than organic that is shipped in from, say, California.

But I'm certain it contains no animal byproducts that come from factory farms, or any of the poisons listed in the other article.

I don't sell my birds as organic, by the way. Only as pastured. The "mostly organic" is for my own piece of mind only.

 

[eds500]

I didn't see this mentioned in the thread so I'll ask. What do you do to your yard? Do you have a lawn service that sprays for weeds or do you put down a non-organic fertilizer or other substances? Just like the water conversation above, the grass is another way for chemicals to enter your birds.

 

[galanie]

I live in an older neighborhood with a well established yard and it has not been fertilized in some 20+ years. Nor has any insecticide, etc. been applied. I have on occasion spread well rotted compost on it though, so I guess that could count as fertilizer. We just don't need to do all those chemical applications. We've been brainwashed into thinking we need a lawn that looks like a green carpet and you just really don't. Mine looks fine normally. It might be a bit thicker and greener if I fertilized it, but it looks ok as it is to me. I don't "farm" grass.

 

[shadowmane]

It isn't only in the city water ... if one were to test one's own well water, one will be quite surprised with the very similar results. You see, most city water comes from deep wells, much deeper than one's own.

Cities actually get most of their water from rivers and creeks. They treat the water, and re-treat the water, then release it back into the river, where it goes down stream to the next city down the line. Rinse. Repeat. You won't find the antibiotics and other drugs in the water from deep wells. It will have been filtered out by the time it got to that depth.

 

[Buster52]

I didn't see this mentioned in the thread so I'll ask. What do you do to your yard? Do you have a lawn service that sprays for weeds or do you put down a non-organic fertilizer or other substances? Just like the water conversation above, the grass is another way for chemicals to enter your birds.

The only fertilizer that goes on my grass comes from my animals. I haven't used a single chemical on my property for anything since I bought it 5 years ago.

 

[gg706]

It is so sad that we don't have clean drinking water in this wealthy country. The politicians and companies are more worried about big profits than keeping our environment clean! Makes me sick! I think our water here in West Central Georgia is pulled from the Chattahoochee River. My water is probably REALLY bad!

 

[PotterWatch]

We raise our birds on organic feed from Modesto Milling. We do trust that they are an organic source and any grain feeds that we give to any of our animals comes from them. Our cornish x eat about 16-18lbs of feed per bird and are processed at 8wks. The average weight for our birds is around 5lbs, dressed. We put our chicks out on pasture at 3wks so from that age until processing, they eat the feed we give them along with a pretty healthy portion of grasses and bugs. You can clearly see the path they have eaten as we move the tractors around.

We have well water that is highly contaminated from all the commercial dairies that surround us. If you drink it straight from the well, you will definitely get a stomach ache. All of our animals get water that is filtered through two different types of filters and then run through an RO system. The RO system is the only thing that can remove the high levels of nitrates from our water. The pasture loves the water, but it isn't good for animals.

We use no chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides on our land. The only fertilizer comes from the animals. All we add is water.

 

[gg706]

No I don't have my yard sprayed. We live in the country on 2.5 acres. I do occasionally HAVE to spray Poison Ivy or Poision Oak, if I were to let it grow...it would COVER our 2.5 in a couple of years. HOWEVER, I am HOPING the birds would help get rid of it....I was thinking of putting some birds in a grazing tractor in the area of the poison plant spots....Wondering if they would scratch it, dig it...totally destroy it. ??? any thoughts on this.I would prefer to not spray ANYTHING as I also have children playing in the yard.

I didn't see this mentioned in the thread so I'll ask. What do you do to your yard? Do you have a lawn service that sprays for weeds or do you put down a non-organic fertilizer or other substances? Just like the water conversation above, the grass is another way for chemicals to enter your birds.

 

[gg706]

Thank You Potter Watch. The info is very helpful. I am definetly going to need a large moveable pen to graze the Cornish some....they eat ALOT!