Feed Prices Jump Down On The Farm

[lwheelr]

Last fall we were paying $8 a bag for mixed grain. It was $13 a bag when Kevin got some last week.

It would not be worth doing if we weren't heading onto property where we can grow or cut most of the animal feed.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

BubblingBrooks.....do you guys find that the fishmeal affects the flavor of your eggs..? I suppose the fishmeal would be the main protein source..? I don't believe rye has to much protein, but is still good for the girls.I think i read somewhere that a person who had tried fishmeal in their hens food found that their eggs tasted a little fishy...
I know the fisheries up your way is big buisiness.So you folks can likely get fishmeal at a reasonable price..? Just curious....

If you feed huge amounts of fishmeal, you will get that taste.
But like I mentioned, all our hens need is the 100 pounds per 1 ton of barley.
I had calculated the amounts to 200 pounds, but they self regulated at half that.

Now with meat birds, every once in a while we find a bird that has a slight fishy flavor, especially when reheated.
We will take care of that issue, by taking away the fish two weeks prior to processing.

 

[KevsFarm]

Bubblingbrook...So thats it..? the barley and fishmeal,nothing else added, no vitamins..?Could one use,lets say rye instead of barley and get decent results..? Why barley..?
Do your laying hens lay well on that diet..? Do your hens free range as well..? Very interesting about cutting off the fishmeal for your meat birds 2 wks before butchering.Sorry for all the questions, it just sounds like you guys really got it down pretty good... Do you use any particular type fishmeal, or does it matter...?

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Bubblingbrook...So thats it..? the barley and fishmeal,nothing else added, no vitamins..?Could one use,lets say rye instead of barley and get decent results..? Why barley..?
Do your laying hens lay well on that diet..? Do your hens free range as well..? Very interesting about cutting off the fishmeal for your meat birds 2 wks before butchering.Sorry for all the questions, it just sounds like you guys really got it down pretty good... Do you use any particular type fishmeal, or does it matter...?

Barley is what is grown up here, so that is what we buy.
Never have added vitamins, except for one time, something was off with the flock, so I put EmergenC in there water for a couple of days.
An actual sick hen will be given fermented cod liver oil, and we do give raw kefir to the whole flock a couple times a month.

In winter, we give them a totally green hay that we can get here.
Its like dried lawn grass. Keeps that eggs very rich.
And yes, they lay very well, except for a December and January, due to the those months being the very darkest. I do light the coop for 16 hours per day in winter, but sunlight does help

The fishmeal is from white fish, though if we wanted we could order salmon meal.

ETA. Rye has 13% protien, same as Barley.
http://www.ultimatefowl.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4973&p=36032&hilit=Protein+Calculator#p36032
This is the link to the calculator.
Rye is not on the list, but you can change one of the other grains to rye, and put 13% in the correct space.

 

[KevsFarm]

Thanks for the useful info Bubblingbrook, very interesting.I mentioned rye because thas what they grow alot of here where i am on eastern long island,ny.
I have to say though,i'd be hard pressed to try and find salmon or white fishmeal around here...lol... Years ago their was the Smithmeal Co. near me that processed bunkers/Menhanan(spelling), man did that place stink...!
I guess you have a good advantage living up in Alaska when it comes to a variety of fishmeals.The only fishmeal i've seen around here is the stuff sold for the garden, which i don't think will work for hen feed. I guess my best bet is a google or yahoo search.
I'm wondering, how would chickens fare just eating fresh raw fish..?I don't mean the expensive kind people would eat. I'm talking about trash fish from draggers,gillnet boats.I comm. fished out of Montauk Pt.ny for 20yrs, know alot of comm, fisherman..I may be able to get trash fish by the bushel cheap..
Anyone know of any northeast coast good fishmeal soucres...?

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Thanks for the useful info Bubblingbrook, very interesting.I mentioned rye because thas what they grow alot of here where i am on eastern long island,ny.
I have to say though,i'd be hard pressed to try and find salmon or white fishmeal around here...lol... Years ago their was the Smithmeal Co. near me that processed bunkers/Menhanan(spelling), man did that place stink...!
I guess you have a good advantage living up in Alaska when it comes to a variety of fishmeals.The only fishmeal i've seen around here is the stuff sold for the garden, which i don't think will work for hen feed. I guess my best bet is a google or yahoo search.
I'm wondering, how would chickens fare just eating fresh raw fish..?I don't mean the expensive kind people would eat. I'm talking about trash fish from draggers,gillnet boats.I comm. fished out of Montauk Pt.ny for 20yrs, know alot of comm, fisherman..I may be able to get trash fish by the bushel cheap..
Anyone know of any northeast coast good fishmeal soucres...?

You can make your own fishmeal, but flies and smell are going to be an issue
You can have a local feed store order a few bags in for you.

 

[KevsFarm]

Thanks again Bubblingbrook for sharing...

 

[savingdogs]

Very interesting thread. I read that fish meal makes for "omega" eggs as well.