Thanks for taking interest in the custom feed. Making the feed has been an amazing journey for us so far. We were amazed to find out that the ingredients in any other feed. It’s all really by products and other ingredients to decrease the costs of their feeds! There are by-products in their layer feeds, not grains but back fill from the mill or whatever they want to put in. We decided to get a locally milled feed formulated to our specification including our locally sourced grains, and many other goodies. We are selling the 50 pound bags for $24, which is quite a bit lower than the organic standards that use grade D grains for their mixes. So far people as far away as Portland to Mount Shasta are loving the mix.
- Milled locally from local grains, GMO FREE.
- It is prepared in extremely small batches to ensure freshness.
- We are preservative free!
- Whole grain medley base, with added omegas and kelp.
- Antibiotic Free!
ABOUT OUR CUSTOM FEEDS
The feed contains all whole grains from local farms, alfalfa, low soy,
kelp, brewers yeast, flax and more. There are no GMOs and no bi-products in this
feed. It is all food grade, we actually had a
customer try it and tell us it tastes good. The reason for no
corn is that it is purely sugar for the birds, cheap energy that can
make them fat. Unless it is organic it is GMO and gov. subsidized as
is soy which we have now located an organic locally grown source
("organic" from china is just as bad). People have many negative
associations with soy which do not apply to chickens. According to the
latest feed trials, soy is the best source of digestible protein, many
other protein sources are not absorbed as readily and cannot be used as
the sole protein. We use peas for 30% of the protein source which cuts
down on the soy, but until research has been done on any other
ingredients we have determined with the help of Dr. Jim Hermes of OSU,
and Alice our miller, that this combination is optimal. There is a
low amount of calcium so the feed can be used for pullets and birds who
are not quite laying. For routinely laying birds oyster shell must be
provided. In the spring we will have starter and grower available
which may have sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds were too fattening in
our layer mix so we excluded them for now.
ABOUT NUTRITION FOR DUCKS AND POULTRY
Both chick starter and scratch grains are inadequate
nutritionally for ducks. They require a
balanced feed with vitamins and additional niacin, 2.5lbs brewer’s yeast per
50lbs of feed, they need more like 3.5lbs when they start laying , or 100-150mg
niacin per gallon water, or 35mg niacin from 0-2wks and 30mg from 2-10wks, more isn't better. The niacin (brewers yeast is a source) is
essential for them to absorb other nutrients, ducks should have access to
pasture as bugs are a primary source of natural niacin and protein. Rickets is often confused with niacin
deficiency and is caused by vitamin D deficiency or phosphorous/and or calcium
deficiency/imbalance. Make sure the feed isn't too high in protein, it should
be around 15% from wk 2 pretty much on (you can give more protein to layers and
obviously meat birds are different), you can bring the protein level down a bit
by adding oats. If they don't get enough excessive and eat too much (especially
without niacin) they easily develop shaky legs and become lame. Ducks are "allergic" to
medications and preservatives in feed, make sure medication is free. We give a blend of probiotics to all our
ducklings and then occasionally to our ducks, probiotics are especially helpful
with sick ducks and will help them recuperate after antibiotics, you can use
live cultured yogurt for this. Hope this
is helpful.