# organic feed



## chicksRus (Jun 17, 2014)

as i have recently become aware of what they are doing to human food with the gmo issue, it has caused me to wonder also about the packaged feed that i have been feeding my chickens. this is an aside, but i was diagnosed with crohn's in feb, and have had to change my diet vastly. there's not much i can eat besides fruits, vegs, and eggs. meats are okay, but since i watched the factory farm documentaries, i can hardly bring myself to buy meat, and certainly not chicken. so eggs have become a regular part of my protein source. up until lately, since the hens have been setting on all of them! anyway, i want to feed my flock the best food that i can get, not just so they will produce the healthiest eggs that they can, but because i love them and want them to have the best nutrition that i can give them. so i need some advice. we buy their feed from a farm/feed/seed store in town, and they say they get it from Southern States. i am in cullman, alabama. the bag says Tucker Mills, i don't have one near me right now to read and see where that is. they won't eat layer pellets, which is a problem of its own. so now that they have been in the baby raising business since april/may, i've been giving them all the starter crumbles, the adults eat it anyway, whether i want them to or not. the starter that this store sells comes in ten pound bags that they've packaged in plain brown paper bags taped at the top. when i asked them where they got it, they didn't have a firm answer on what it is made of, but said they got it from Southern States. i want to know what is in the chick starter, as i want them to have the best possible start nutritionally. also, i would like to have the ingredients be organic, so that i know no chemicals are in what i'm feeding them. pesticides are too widely, too liberally used in our country, and if they would just plant a little extra for the bugs, they wouldn't need to use these dangerous substances. or certainly not in the volume that they do. and if we as americans weren't so obsessed with perfect, large, unblemished fruit, we could have more organic produce at a lower cost. humans can coexist with a certain amount of chemical exposure, but they are finding the main ingredient in Roundup in our tissue and blood samples. and in the water supply. i am not a calamitous person. i'm rather balanced in my views and responses to the world. so i don't believe that i am making something of nothing. so i want to know if anyone knows of a place/company that i can get my chicken food from with piece/peace of mind, knowing that it's the best that i can give them. i look forward to feedback.


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## chicksRus (Jun 17, 2014)

also, i forgot to say that i give them vegs and fruits, oats, grits, quinoa, rice, plain yogurt, no meat or eggs. and since i want to start an egg business, i would like to know what is the best food i can give them that will help them form the best eggs. i am going to start crushing the layer pellets and giving them in this way, because i know whatever is in them is important. i just think they're not all that excited about eating a cylinder with no taste. plus, they could be a bit spoiled, since i love hand feeding them so.


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## cgmccary (Jun 25, 2012)

chicksRus said:


> as i have recently become aware of what they are doing to human food with the gmo issue, it has caused me to wonder also about the packaged feed that i have been feeding my chickens. this is an aside, but i was diagnosed with crohn's in feb, and have had to change my diet vastly. there's not much i can eat besides fruits, vegs, and eggs. meats are okay, but since i watched the factory farm documentaries, i can hardly bring myself to buy meat, and certainly not chicken. so eggs have become a regular part of my protein source. up until lately, since the hens have been setting on all of them! anyway, i want to feed my flock the best food that i can get, not just so they will produce the healthiest eggs that they can, but because i love them and want them to have the best nutrition that i can give them. so i need some advice. we buy their feed from a farm/feed/seed store in town, and they say they get it from Southern States. i am in cullman, alabama. the bag says Tucker Mills, i don't have one near me right now to read and see where that is. they won't eat layer pellets, which is a problem of its own. so now that they have been in the baby raising business since april/may, i've been giving them all the starter crumbles, the adults eat it anyway, whether i want them to or not. the starter that this store sells comes in ten pound bags that they've packaged in plain brown paper bags taped at the top. when i asked them where they got it, they didn't have a firm answer on what it is made of, but said they got it from Southern States. i want to know what is in the chick starter, as i want them to have the best possible start nutritionally. also, i would like to have the ingredients be organic, so that i know no chemicals are in what i'm feeding them. pesticides are too widely, too liberally used in our country, and if they would just plant a little extra for the bugs, they wouldn't need to use these dangerous substances. or certainly not in the volume that they do. and if we as americans weren't so obsessed with perfect, large, unblemished fruit, we could have more organic produce at a lower cost. humans can coexist with a certain amount of chemical exposure, but they are finding the main ingredient in Roundup in our tissue and blood samples. and in the water supply. i am not a calamitous person. i'm rather balanced in my views and responses to the world. so i don't believe that i am making something of nothing. so i want to know if anyone knows of a place/company that i can get my chicken food from with piece/peace of mind, knowing that it's the best that i can give them. i look forward to feedback.


I've been to Cullman many times especially when I lived in Birmingham (for 15 years). One thing about chickens, to eat pellets and such, is to start introducing these things at a young age (4-5 weeks old, of course NEVER layena pellets to young pre-lay birds). If I am brooding chicks myself, I give them only the Startena crumbles early on but I gradually introduce other foods to them . At about 4-5 weeks, I will sprout sunflower seeds and give them some. This soon becomes a weekly treat. If hens raise them, the hen will show them what to eat.

I have seen the Southern States feed but never used it. I am partial to Purina's Game Bird Chow series and also to FRM (*F*lint *R*iver *M*ills in Georgia). They have a good Game Bird Starter. I feed the non-medicated Startena, whichever brand I use. I am not saying that a Game Bird Startena of high protein like I use with my Buckeyes will work the same with all breeds, but it works for my breed. It also works for my La Fleche, it seems {check out my next month-- July 2014 column in Poultry Press under American Buckeye Poultry Club where I discuss this feed issue}. FRM has a pelleted show bird gold chick grower/ finisher formula that is excellent (after the startena). It has several live bacterial cultures (like yogurt but better).

As far as the extra calcium and layena pellets, let me suggest something to you. I have a lot of young birds and chicks running around this time of year. I cannot leave a layena ration/ feed out anywhere or the young birds will eat it too. That extra calcium in a layena ration will do great harm to young birds before they are of laying age and maturity. What I do for the laying birds is put out separately from the feed, crushed oyster shell (free choice). I buy it pretty cheap in 50 lb bags (my feed-store carries it -- from a Mobile, AL company - I can get the name of the company for you so you can get your feed-store to try and order it -- I say just because it is cheaper than the little bags you can buy). By offering the crushed oyster shell free choice, the chicks should not eat it like they would the layena feed.

For those of us in Alabama, I think it is way too cost prohibitive to order the organic feed. Try the FRM feed. It is good feed, all the varieties including their Game Bird Starter. There is a feedstore in Ohatchee, Alabama that carries the brand (not monstrously far from you). The Show Gold Chcik Grower is good to feed to any bird other than <4-6 week old chicks (though I introduce the Show Gold pellets at 4 weeks to get them used to them).

There are also Faithway feeds (an Alabama Mill) available, and one is Knock-Out Game Bird Feed-- it should be all over the place in Alabama -- the birds eat it like crazy -- the problem is that it is hard to move them to eat anything else after they have it, and they will not eat the pellets that are in the mix (but I cannot completely wean my birds off the stuff); it is comprised of seeds & pellets both. Yogurt, watermelon, black-oiled sunflower (BOSS), tomatoes are all good as food for chickens. Mine free range too so I can cut back in the summer on the amount of feed.

I am not a big fan of Tucker Mills. If you must and you're not using oyster shell, their 16 or 22% layena pellets to hens that are laying is a decent feed.

I hope this helps you.


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

Mine love GMO pellets ,crumbs, and whole grains.And only half of my hatch grew 3 wings.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've fed mine FRM. Two things I don't like, their protein level is less than 20% and the last time I read a tag its source of protein is poultry. 

My birds have always been on a 20% protein feed with free choice calcium on the side. My oldest is now 10 1/2 years old with others that are older than six. Obviously, GMO is not as awful as some are trying to make us believe or my birds would not be as old as they are and healthy to boot. I also have a seven year old and two 8 years olds that still lay and go broody. Wish they would quit that but it is what it is.


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## MikeA_15 (Feb 21, 2016)

chicksRus said:


> also, i forgot to say that i give them vegs and fruits, oats, grits, quinoa, rice, plain yogurt, no meat or eggs. and since i want to start an egg business, i would like to know what is the best food i can give them that will help them form the best eggs. i am going to start crushing the layer pellets and giving them in this way, because i know whatever is in them is important. i just think they're not all that excited about eating a cylinder with no taste. plus, they could be a bit spoiled, since i love hand feeding them so.


 With chickens, they'll get hungry enough and start eating pellets. Crumbles are waste of money since much of it turns to powder and birds won't eat it. Mini-pellet rations have been in circulation from feed mills for some time. Large pellets are not as easy for them to eat, especially Bantams. I've long preferred organic feeds, but game bird grains are rarely found labeled organic around here in Northern California. Casein protein is digestible as is whey. Buttermilk is more desirable and can be supplemented in dry or liquid form. That is my animal protein supplement of choice since chickens do well on a diet of both plant and animal proteins. Many pro-GMO companies prefer to have their own labs to test product instead of allowing independent testing. Anyone who thinks Glyphosate is a harmless addition to diets for humans or animals should have their head examined.

Hens that have access to pasture grasses, receive good quality feed, and receive supplementation produce the best eggs.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Large pellets are hard for bantams but they sure can swallow big cockroaches no problem!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

seminolewind said:


> Large pellets are hard for bantams but they sure can swallow big cockroaches no problem!


There is something wrong with you.  I will give you that there's a lot of protein there but . . .


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## MikeA_15 (Feb 21, 2016)

seminolewind said:


> Large pellets are hard for bantams but they sure can swallow big cockroaches no problem!


That's because they are crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle...sort of like an M&M.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Oh [email protected], it's before six in the morning and now I can never eat M&M's again.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

That just cracked me up this morning! !


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