Chicken Feed
Edna M Weigel (eweigel@juno.com)
Sun, 27 Dec 1998 20:53:42 -0700
Dear SANET'ers:
BACKGROUND:
I have a flock of six Rhode Island Red chickens which range on
three sides of my garden and are a tremendous help in controlling
grasshoppers. I have customers clamoring to pay $3.00/dozen for my few
excess eggs. One of my customers is chemically sensitive and cannot
tolerate the certified organic eggs from the food co-op but has no
problem with my eggs. Besides what they find in their 0.6 acre pasture
and what I can spare from the garden (not much this time of year), the
chickens get all they want of a mixture of organic corn meal, organic
cracked wheat, sea salt, and kelp supplement. In addition, I feed them a
small daily serving of cooked organic soy beans. They get no calcium
supplement, but our soil contains plenty of calcium and the egg shells
are noticeably harder than those of commercial eggs. 5 hens lay an
average of 3 eggs per day without supplemental light or heat, so I don't
think that's bad for mid-winter.
PROBLEMS:
I have been unable to find a source of organic stock feed in this
area (Southeastern Arizona). The people at the feed stores either
lecture me on the quality of their favorite brand of commercial feed or
ask "what's organic?". Our county agent wasn't any more help. So these
chickens get food intended for human consumption and I'm not quite
breaking even on feed costs even at $3.00/dozen for their eggs. I plan
to alleviate this problem somewhat by growing as much of their food as
possible. I grew a small patch of corn last summer and plan to also try
wheat, sorghum, oats, and soy beans next summer. Meanwhile, I'd like to
double or tipple my flock which would make soy bean cooking rather
onerous. (I now cook 4 cups of dry soy beans every 12 or 13 days and
freeze small batches.)
QUESTIONS:
Is it necessary to cook the soy beans? The chickens will eat
soaked beans but prefer them cooked. I fed soaked soy beans until I read
a very brief statement somewhere saying not to give them raw soy beans.
The chicken feed recipes I've found call for de-hulled soy meal. Is
there something in soy hulls that is toxic if not cooked? Would other
beans be a better choice for supplying protein? I already grow pinto
beans, cow peas, and lima beans for my husband and I and they cook much
faster than soy beans. Would other beans need cooking?
COMMENT:
I'm hoping someone out there has the knowledge to help me even
though I have a small operation. I'll also appreciate other suggestions
for easy-to-grow (preferably heat and drought tolerant) chicken feed.
The chickens especially enjoy onions, garlic, cole crops, and chard, so I
plan to grow extra for them next year. Most of those vegetables grow
(very slowly) through our relatively mild winters if they get a good
start before it turns cold, but the wildlife (bird and rodent) also like
them so I have a challenge when natural food sources give up for the
winter.
I look forward to any enlightenment you can give me on chicken feed.
Best regards, Edna Weigel
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