Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Feeds and Feeding
WHEN DECIDING WHAT TO FEED
your poultry, there are many aspects to consider. Most
folks choose among pellets, crumbles, and scratch grains. You may have the option of us-
ing organic or nonorganic feed (see box, opposite). Or you may want to make your own
ground feed. That's not far fetched: you can purchase a small grinder to process feed from
your own crops or from grain that you purchase at the local feed store. If you're not the
do-it-yourself variety of raiser, but want a very specific type of feed, you'll be happy to
learn that some feed mills will mix and grind a custom recipe for you. All raisers make
their decision about what to feed based upon their own individual beliefs and goals, and
the merits and drawbacks of each feed variety. Of course, because needs and breeds and
plans evolve, most raisers experiment a bit with their mix.
Choices Limited
Feed choices are too often limited by availability in your region. Multiple varieties of
poultry feed are not as easy to obtain as they once were because fewer and fewer small
farms raise poultry; in the last 30 years, many small-farm-based feed mills have gone
out of business. There was a time when every small town had a feed mill that provided
raisers with a feed mixed specifically for individual farms. When the poultry industry
created megafacilities, and smalltime raisers became fewer and farther between, the need
for these little mills was extinguished. In their place we have corporate farm-store chains
providing pre-bagged food produced who knows where containing who knows what. Be-
cause of this, you may be stuck with giving ground feed to your chickens.
Many giant mills equipped to produce food for factory farm animals often change
sources of protein to keep prices constant, so a particular bag of feed one month may not
be made from the same ingredients the following month. Although we are making head-
way in the return of poultry to backyards and small farms, we have lost the personal touch
provided by the small-town feed mill. When you have the opportunity, it is always a good
