| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 02 2010 : 3:21:53 PM
Ok, the more I read about GMO seeds and how bad they are, I am going with heirloom and organic seeds this year. Just getting away from all the bad stuff for us and my produce customers at the market.
But it got me thinking about the feed my chickens and goats eat. And we eat the eggs and drink the milk. So aren't we getting what they eat? My cows are strictly grass and hay fed. They are porkers, too. No grain. Just that. And they are healthy and huge. Well, Mazie is. Roxie is catching up. She's 6 months old.
Does anyone milk cows and not give them grain? I am going to try it. I know I won't get as much milk and that's ok. But has anyone tried it? I mean if they have never had grain except the first few months after weaning won't they be good on just good quality hay while milking?
Also chickens. I feed mine a 16% laying mash and some 3 way scratch grain. Wheat, milo and cracked corn. But I know the corn is probably GM corn. And it's in the laying mash. So why can't chickens just live on what's out in the world and not get this bad feed put in them? Won't they still lay? I only just started usin laying mash a few years ago. Before my hens would lay. Not great but they would.
So I think when these last 2 bags are finished it should be warming up by then and I am just going to give them scraps. And I could also give them flax seeds (organic) and some other good things. They free range all day so they should be fine. I have been cutting down the feed by at least by half the past few weeks.
Also my goats. I have looked in to organic grain and it's SO expensive and I'd have to order it which makes it twice as much. So I really don't know what to do unless I can find others that want to go organic and go in with them.
I don't make dog or cat food yet but just might do that too. I have 6 cats and 3 dogs. I am making the homemade dog treats, though.
Does anyone else worry about this? Please let me know what you are doing for your critters. I need advice and ideas here.
Thanks, Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| 24 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| wooliespinner |
Posted - Mar 11 2010 : 07:08:16 AM
Kristin I have 32 chickens. If I had less I would try to go that route. I am going to see what I can give them so I can cut down on the pellets. You probably have a milder winter than we do so they have more good stuff they can find. We have had a pretty snowy winter this year. Actually broke the records for Ohio for snowiest in a long time.My chickens didn't have much chance this winter to find anything. Even the starlings were coming in and wiping out my chicken and dog food. They really put the hurt on my feed bill this winter.
But the last few days have been in the high 60's and sunny. They have been running all over the place and have only eaten half the food they were eating.
You will like the Hickory king corn. I know it makes great cornbread. Its a really big kernel. The kernels are really different from other corn. Sunflower seeds are fantastic feed. They have such good oils and B vitamins. They will do good on that.
I think on craigs list you can go in and remove the add yourself. Its been years since I have been on their website. But I know there was a place you could change things if you needed to. So maybe you can delete it yourself if they don't get on the ball. Good Luck.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 11 2010 : 05:19:51 AM
Linda, I am gradually cutting back on the scratch feed and will probably just not get any more laying mash for the summer time. And then maybe just in the evening feed a few handfuls of scratch. I only have 10 hens and 2 roos now so it's not that expensive. And I feed scraps also. I have heard that just feeding scraps to laying hens will slow their production down. I guess not enuf protein in scraps. I do feed a little meat to them since they are cranevours. And meat is pretein.
And I have had ads on CL before for goats and never had weird emails like this. Too scary.I just deleted them all as I saw them. Didn't even open them. Just delete. And I emails CL and asked them to take my post off. Have not heard cack from them.
Sherrye, great idea. You are incorporating everything. Heat, food, and composting all at once. That's the way to do it. My granddaughter al love to dig for worms. And they love to find frogs and bugs. They aren't sfraid of anything. Well, Kansas is afraid of spiders because her mom is. I am constantly turning over boards and rocks for my chickens. And they are always full of worms.
I am still going to try to get away from the corn. I will grow extra Hickory Kink corn this year and dry it. Also lots of sunflowers for them.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Annab |
Posted - Mar 11 2010 : 03:39:38 AM
Our hens get half layer rations and forage on their own.
I have noticed that they lay a lot worse when fed jsut scraps and free range. BUT this "free food" probably spoils them and makes 'em lazy.
And the corn base in the feed probably IS the GMO. If any of you receive Backyard Poultry, I believe there is a company or two that do sell organic feeds.
Sadly, for us and most who feed a lot to a lot of hungry birds, not sure how the cost pans out. I feel better allowing my birds to free range all day and providing the best care possible as it fits our budget. So far, this year's eggs have been beautiful! |
| farm~maid |
Posted - Mar 11 2010 : 03:15:24 AM
sherrye, one of my oldest grandson's (he's 7) favorite things to do is worm hunting. He then feeds them to the chickens. He had a blast over the weekend as Dh had some digging to do for the septic and there were plenty of worms to be found.
Kris, sad, but there are plenty of crazies out there. You be careful with Craigslist, please.
|
| sherrye |
Posted - Mar 10 2010 : 9:35:06 PM
wanted to reply to you all. i should add that i also use beet pulp and seaweed. anyway cows and most rumen animals need hay. i feed alfalfa too. i buy it for my chickens and throw them flakes on the snow. cheaper protein than the pellet and also not as prone to gmo.i do feed a non gmo natural layer in a free choice 150 pound auto feeder. honestly the best protein for a chicken is a worm.i grow red worms. think about all the poop you have free. auto by product of a chicken and an egg. we have taken old shower stalls buried them put a wood lid on them. filled with compost dirt and poop on top straw on that just add more now and then. keep it shaded and damp.they multiply like crazy free protein dig and serve. we are putting in a greenhouse at our sons. we are going to do market garden. the worm boxes are buried in ground in greenhouse down the center path. when you walk you are on the lid of the boxes. they stay warm in dead winter. we feed chickens at end of greenhouse. the coop is off the north end of the green house. we can open and put the greenhouse trim from plants and worms into chickens from greenhouse. we are also using the warm air the birds make to help heat the greenhouse through a filter system. pretty fun. sorry kinda got off there. anyway worms and chickens are a perfect match just a thought sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
|
| wooliespinner |
Posted - Mar 10 2010 : 3:13:24 PM
I would love to cut back on the chicken feed but during the last snow storms we had my chickens would have starved because everything was under about 12 inches of snow by the time it was all over. I do feed them a vegetable based pellet for layers. Its all natural, no weird stuff but don't know about the gmo's. Now that spring is here they are starting to head out to the pasture and finding goodies. So they are eating about half the pellets they were. I always keep free choice for them. I have bought hickory king corn from a lady in KY. who grew it organically........$3.00 a pound. It is really nice corn but I use it for our corn meal.
The goats I give good hay and they are on a natural dairy ration I have mixed up. Its a recipe that I came up with over the years of researching. Its has a natural dairy pellet in it, rolled barley, oats, sunflower seeds and soyhull pellets to help with the fiber, vitamins ,yeast and mollasas. I don't know of anyone around here that sells organic feed for animals. Wish they would but bet it would be pricey. With the Nubian dairy goats they were bred for milk production and have to have grain. I know dairy cows can be done without grain if they get really good hay and pasture and be fat and sassy. Makes me want to get a cow !!!
I know the purina layena is suppose to be all natural but not sure it is gmo free. Thats really hard to find for animals.
Kristin I put an add on Craig's list once for diary goats. Thought I would try to advertise.....never again. I will stick to the local paper if I do decide to advertise again. There's alot of strange ones out there. Be super careful.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 09 2010 : 1:55:56 PM
I'll have to check that out. I think Tractor Supply carries that.
I put a post on Craig's list a few days ago to find people in the area who might know where to find organic feed. I have had the strangest e-mails from guys wondering about my "product" I have and it's just weird. So I am trying to figure out how to get it off. I will never do that again. I just delete the e-mails. Craxy.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| farm~maid |
Posted - Mar 09 2010 : 08:21:04 AM
Purina Layena used to be a natural feed for chickens. I don't know if it still is or not.
Christine |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 08 2010 : 05:44:47 AM
Sarah, I planted rye grass on the garden last fall and the goats are out there right now. I'll put them on it every few days til I plow it under.
Sherry, I would love to know more about how Lisa is able to get good milk without feeding grain. Have her cows ever had grain? That is what I plan to do with my cow when I start milking her. She will be grass and hay only. I guess the trick is to have all the right grasses and legumes they need. And good for you for figuring out the right formula for your girls. I am so not into all that matha nd chemistry. I am going to grow some field corn and lots of sunflowers for next fall for the critters.
Nancy, I could check on the internet for people around here who buy organic. But how do I do that? On Craig's list maybe? There are a few stores in Chattanooga I will call and see if they carry any organic feed.
I am slowly decreasing my chicken's feed. Hopefully I will just be giving them scraps in a few weeks. I just need to find something for the goats now.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| NancyM |
Posted - Mar 07 2010 : 4:53:00 PM
I'm lucky enough to have several local feedstores that carry organic chicken feed, which I've been giving my hens all along. They also carry a 3-way scratch that is organic. It is more difficult to find organic corn scratch. I did manage to find some, so I mix a little bit of it with the 3 way when I give them scratch. Other than that our girls get mostly food and garden scraps, mostly organic. I know a Seattle chicken group do bulk buying of organic chicken feed. It is findable, but may take some doing.
Nancy
Farmgirl Sister #159 |
| sherrye |
Posted - Mar 07 2010 : 07:29:23 AM
goodmorning, i too have a concern over feeding grain. my first concern is that animals with a ruman i cannot spell it. eat grass.second is the whole gmo but also what they are using to grow the grain. it is a difficult situation. lisa my friend here with fancy her cow usus no grain.she brings her in and milks her and out she goes. no problem. her cream line is a dream. i am working on a formula that i am going to make for my animals. for now the base is going to be beet pulp and alfalfa pellets. i am going to add sunflower seeds to the mix. i am looking at safflower meal for an additional source of the omega fats. i am going to top dress with a mix of epsom salt molasses etc. for minerals. it is more important i think with a cow to get the cal-mag ratio and minerals right. especially before calving. cow sites talk a lot about minerals affecting production and overall health. i am also building a medicine cabinet supply. after having isabella and faith i am going to get prepared for whatever. i feed long green grass hay for production. i feed for now alfalfa hay for her body condition and cream line i feed sunflower seeds for cream line. for now she is getting a dairy chow. i have my formula about ready to do. i am going to mix it in a big plastic water trough with a flat head shovel. i saved my good feed bags to put it in. i also am going to grow sunflower seeds. everyone here on the farm loves them. they are over 25 percent protein. you could also grow sprouts in the dirt of alfalfa and turn the girls out on sections.just a thought or two sherrye by the way i will post my colby recipe. i lost my puter for a while. now ok and so cheese making and learning as we go forward
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
|
| chaddsgirl |
Posted - Mar 04 2010 : 07:50:53 AM
Kristin, something I'm planning to do with my hens is plant cover crops of buckwheat and cow peas. When the plants get to the harvest stage, you just put the chicken tractor on the crops, let them eat up all the seeds then in turn they demolish the plants and scratch them into the soil for you along with their droppings. Chickens fed, ground fertilized and worked up a little bit too. Voila!!
P.S. to avoid the GMO factor I ordered my seeds from Bakers.
A person is a success if they get up in the morning and get to bed at night and in between does what they want to do. Bob Dylan
Deeperrootsfarm.etsy.com |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 04 2010 : 05:34:45 AM
Ya know, I am not 100% certain that they contain all GM grains. But it's possible. And you know how these companies try to go as cheaply as possible to make money. I need to do a little more research on this. But it just makes sense to me that it is. With all the talk about it.
I want to look on line and see if I can at least find organic goat feed. And I am thinking about growing heirloom field corn just for them. I know Hickory King is an old corn. And dries really good and fast. They like it, too. I have let them in the gardens in the fall and if there is any of that corn left, they will eat it first. Even the stalks.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| chick-chick |
Posted - Mar 03 2010 : 8:09:06 PM
Hi Kris,
i never thought about the chicken feed having GMOs in it. Thanks for the awaking. I guess I'll have to rethink things too.
Liz |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 03 2010 : 2:04:35 PM
Well, this makes me feel better about taking them off the grains then. I might have to get a few more hens to make up for less eggs. And this way I won't feel like I'm just throwing money away if they aren't laying for awhile.
I saw the article. Lots of good ideas for different legumes and things that they need.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| willowtreecreek |
Posted - Mar 03 2010 : 07:47:00 AM
I have buffs and they layed all winter. Most of them seemed to take a short break in the summer or fall (all at different times!!!) so I have constantly had eggs.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.eggsandherbs.com
|
| simplecomfort |
Posted - Mar 02 2010 : 9:26:47 PM
My chickens live off the land mostly. In winter i give bread and lettuce greens, leftover vegies and sometimes pasta leftover. I hardly give them any grains. i have a great pyrenees as well, but she thinks she is supposed to eat what we do. the cats get friskies.. most of the others have red food dye in them, which you can tell by their poo so i know its harming them. i give them baked fish and once in awhile tuna, but mostly cat food. My chickens always lay 1 egg each a day.
"Thank God I'm a country girl" |
| Chives |
Posted - Mar 02 2010 : 8:19:07 PM
I have bantams and they don't like chicken feed. I do give them some corn, but thats about it. I have baby chicks that hatched, they are two weeks old, I grind wheat, oat groats, hard boiled eggs and they have plenty of grass to eat. They seem to be doing well and happy. They just love bugs. Vicki |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 02 2010 : 8:06:19 PM
So do ya'lls hens lay pretty good on their own? I guess all the new breeds of chickens are bred so different than the older breeds that can take living off the land. I am going to stop the feed for the chickens. I just need to figure out what to do with the goats. They are so picky. But I think they would love an organic all-grain feed.
I will have to check out the article, Annika. Thanks.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Annika |
Posted - Mar 02 2010 : 7:56:32 PM
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/Grow-Poultry-Feed-What-Chickens-Eat.aspx
Here is an interesting article in Mother Earth News you all might like to look at =)
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci
|
| Annika |
Posted - Mar 02 2010 : 6:48:29 PM
Kris, I worry about that too...one day it dawned on me what my animals are eating is likely filled with GMO's. I want to learn to make my own pet food and get them all off this stuff...My rooster has been out and free range and is fat and sassy, he's something of a pet and steals cat food all the time from the outside cats..but I want all of my current and future animals and fowl on something not filled with all of that horrible stuff. Wish I could afford all organic feed, but I just don't have the $$$...so its going to be trying to find some one local with organic grain and letting the birds all be free range on my almost an acre that I live on...Gotta do something. I don't want to eat eggs or birds that are full of GMO filled feed!!!! ICK! YUCK! BLAH!
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci
|
| willowtreecreek |
Posted - Mar 02 2010 : 6:08:33 PM
Kris - My free range hens get NO feed! I do give them some scratch (but not a whole lot) in the winter to help keep them warm but they feed ENTIRELY on what God provides! I tried putting layer pellets out for a while but they never touched them!
There is ORGANIC chicken feed available but it is pricy and not easily available in my area. I could have it shipped but that just drives the cost up even further.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.eggsandherbs.com
|
| southerncrossgirl |
Posted - Mar 02 2010 : 4:08:57 PM
So far, I haven't researched the farm critters grain. I feed them Purina feeds. I switched the chickens to Tractor Supply brand, and they quit laying. At first I just thought they were going through something, but I told my hubby that I was switching back to Layena, and they started laying again.
I did make the dogs food, back during the dog food recall. It got so expensive trying to feed Lily (Great Pyrenes) and Annabelle (Bernese Mt Dog) they both weigh over 100lbs. I feed my little Yorkie (Stella) what we eat. She pigs out on bacon and eggs,(both from our own farm).
I am interested to hear what the other farmgirls are doing.
"A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes"==Cinderella |
| maggie14 |
Posted - Mar 02 2010 : 4:01:49 PM
I worry about it too Kris. I was taking to my dad about growing some grain to feed to my goats. I think it would be much better because I know how it was treated. I looked into Organic grain and it is so expensive! You have to be rich to be healthy even for your animals. Its sad. Right now I am just feeding my goats local grown hay and dairy feed. I do make my dogs own dog food and have great recipes if you would like! I really don't know what else you could do except make all of your animals food or buy Organic. Just my thoughts.
Hugs,
Channah
Friendship is not something that can be bought, it is earned. |
