Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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Organic Feed and Supplements
In organic egg or meat production, feed will typically be the major expense. Jacquie Jacob, a
poultry nutritionist at the University of Minnesota, says the cost of organic feed amounts to
roughly two-thirds of the final production costs. 1 Producers often end up using whatever feed
they can get their hands on regardless of quality or price. Much of this problem is due to re-
gional access and the scarcity of certified organic mills. A USDA study of organic feed avail-
ability and prices concluded that there is ample organic acreage available in the United States
to provide feed grains to meet the needs of organic broiler producers. It also found that organic
poultry rations are not typically more than twice the price of conventional poultry rations. 2 The
challenge for most producers will be obtaining this feed locally and having it ground and for-
mulated according to their needs.
Basic Nutrition for Poultry
The laying bird does not know she is producing organic eggs and the meat bird does not know
he is producing organic meat. It's the environment that mainly influences their nutritional
needs, not the fact that they are part of an organic production system. So from a nutritional
point of view the diet should be similar to one designed for any free-range system. A good
jumping-off place for basic recommendations is Jeff Mattocks' publication “Pasture-Raised
Poultry Nutrition.” 3 In this publication he provides detailed specific nutritional requirements
for layers, broilers, ducks, and turkeys and what feedstuffs might be used to fulfill these re-
quirements.
Buying Bagged Feed
Many small producers might have only a few feed options available to them due to locality or
amount they are willing to buy. Bagged feed is more expensive than bulk owing to production
and packaging, but is formulated for the proper nutrition of the type of poultry it is designed
for. Some mills will bag a custom mix for orders of more than a ton (50 bags). If buying
bagged feed is the only option, it is important to note the freshness of the mix and whether it is
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