MY FAILED CHICKEN EXPIREMENT… What can you learn from it?
This year we tested a new kind of chicken feed, one that had not been made before! And… well we learned a lot!
AFFILIATE LINKS AND OTHER LINKS
Our Partner Natures Way Feeds
https://natureswayfeed.com/homesteady
use coupon code "aust20"
FREE TO FEED
https://www.freetofeed.com/
Sign up to our email list so you don't miss any of our videos here –
https://homesteady.ck.page/
SUBSCRIBE to our PODCAST HERE –
LOVE HOMESTEADY? Help us keep it going!
Becoming a Pioneer – You get instant access to the new forum, discounts, and homesteading classes and podcasts!
Are you shopping at Amazon? Shop through our Amsteady Link
http://www.amsteady.com
Just click that link then do your regular shopping, it doesn’t cost you any extra but we earn a commission for sending you there.
AFFILIATE LINKS To The HOMESTEADING GEAR I use everyday -https://www.thisishomesteady.com/gear-use/
Get Homesteady Tee Shirts (and other clothing) Here – https://www.thisishomesteady.com/go/parsons-homesteady-shop/
The kids are so cute. Good information on the chicken feed I am about to get some brirds soon
I am so very glad y’all have found professionals who can truly help! Parenting is so tough sometimes!
Yes, I’ve considered growing rabbit. It’s okay but any good rabbit recipe can also be made with chicken. Actually, I seriously wish i could raise squirrel…. Now THAT would be tasty!
The baby has really grown recently. Great video and good information. We had 2 cornish crosses out of 100 batch from Hoovers Hatchery 3 years ago that turned out to look like Leghorn hens and they were not harvested, also they are 2 of the best layers in our flocks for the last 2½ years. That pretty pullet looks a lot like the 2 we kept out of the batch 3 years ago.
Talk to your feed supplier about einkorn in lieu of conventional wheat. Einkorn is a 10,000 year old wheat variety that our gut biome has adapted to. We sell organic einkorn to customers with gluten issues and they have no side effects. They love it. I bet it would be great for feed in addition to direct consumption for humans.
Thanks for the tip!
Your Oldest Son was very good talking about incubating and raising his chickens. Was very thoughtful of him to tame and give his siblings a chicken. He explained putting them together with acceptance. Your very good at working towards what food. Your family can and can’t eat. So great to see your determination. God Bless and Peace Be With You All
Do oats have the gluten like wheat. I also have thought about flax seed meal as a component of chicken feed.
Some oats do, you have to get gluten free oats.
Try putting the rabbit meat into jars with the salt and canning it. For the ones you have left. Mix it with a homemade mayo if you can do that and call it “chicken” salad
(first 9 minutes) Good to know about the chickens and feed thanks for sharing ;)…… By the way, daughter #2 looks a lot like you Aust! You have beautiful family there !!
So glad your baby is growing & you’re starting to get a handle on his food sensitivities.
Just wondering if you still have any of that feed, can you work it in with the pig feed or some other animal feed. At least that would use it up and then you could start with the corn feed for the chickens. Oh well, as I said just a thought.
Cornish Cross?
Wheatish Cross?
Soyish Cross?
Poultry scientist here… what was in the feed you tried? There are a lot of ingredients that can only be included up to a certain level before they cause problems.
FYI… corn and wheat are not protein sources, they are energy sources. Both can be successfully replaced with something like millet. Soy can be replaced with animal protein, insect protein, peanut meal, and a few other things. Most have drawbacks of some sort and you need to be careful to balance the amino acids to meet the birds’ requirements.
Feel free to send me a message if you want someone else to work with you and your feed supplier.
This is fascinating! As a poultry scientist, has your research shown a viable feed that can be sustainable created on homestead? By that I mean, feed that can be grown easily on a small homestead? I know that some folks farm their own meal worms but I don’t know if that can easily be done on a large enough scale to feed a number of chickens. You mentioned insect protein: is this like ground meal worms? You mentioned peanut meal: This may be a stupid question but if nut protein is used will your chicken meat take on that flavor?? Sorry if these are ridiculous questions I’m just so interested!
Since I worked with a beef nutritionist for almost 5 years, but haven’t worked with chickens in terms of nutrition, I’ve found that the nutrient requirements of animals is pretty similar across the board. So, funnily enough, I had the exact thoughts that you posted here: There’s a shortage of protein, not energy, and corn isn’t a good protein source to add to the feed. Adding more protein may get those meat birds to gain better than what Aust and family are currently struggling with.
Have you nailed down the reason for your baby’s allergies? If you are doing all natural meats and vegetables and the allergy is still there, you might want to check out your soaps and detergents. Even your house can be the issue for allergies. My son is a ac/heating technician and installs ozone air cleaning in people’s systems. He has serious allergies himself and has one in his unit. You would not believe the difference in his health since using the ozone system. It also kills bacteria and viruses. Not one person in his household has been sick since installing that system several years ago. Just thought I’d pass that info along.
Peas make a good protein source instead of soy. Some lineseed or hempseed could be added too, just not too much (lineseed can make eggs taste “fishy” if fed too much), so peas as main and add about 5-10% other high protein seeds for variety.
That’s what I was thinking too. I also just found that sunflower meal, cottonseed meal (though not sure about that as I believe there’s GMO cotton… I could be wrong though), and alfalfa meal as far as plant sources of protein. Crushed faba beans would also work, or any kind of legume.
Very interesting the chicken experiment. We have a daughter (now 23) who is allergic to corn, soy and wheat protein (not gluten) in addition to dairy. Her resolve was vegan but wow what a struggle. Blessed you are doing this and sharing the results. Thank you.
Animal nutrition is so fascinating, regardless what animals we’re talking about here. While I haven’t worked in poultry nutrition (primarily beef nutrition and a little dairy), requirements for animals are pretty similar across the board. I see you already had a poultry nutritionist respond on here from Lincoln University (you lucky bug!) but was thinking that you may have to consider adding a protein source either instead of or in addition to the organic corn. Corn will only put more fat on the birds, but not muscle; it’s just like with feeding backgrounding stocker steers that need to grow prior to getting fattened before harvest. Feed those stockers too high-energy feed and they get butterball fat but lack much in the way of muscle. Adding muscle means adding some decent protein sources like legume hay. But since chickens aren’t cows, protein sources need to come from pulse proteins like peas or faba beans, or insect or animal proteins. Despite the differences in the types of feed and the types of animals being fed, the general nutritional principle remains the same for growth: Must have protein!
Good luck on your meat chicken journey my friend! All the best to you; I know you’ll find success soon!
-Karin
I’m not a nutritionist but I’ve been raising chickens for 50+ yrs and I agree 100% on the protein. I also raised beef, pork and working horses. Without the protein there isn’t a lot of muscle but to much fat. I give my young birds a high protein feed and add a little extra in their insect snacks.
My dog trainer has her camel on command to backup and wait when feeding. It’s a very useful skill for them to learn
Your eldest looks so much like his mama! It’s the sweetest thing!
As always love the videos, talk to your support on the allergies, it often appears after vaccines and poor food. Try putting together green juices to add as a snack and maker fermented foods, dill pickles ate great and easy, can even have the kids learn. Check out Stacy on Offgrid with Doug & Stacy, there are plenty of others. Also rotate the nutrition so it’s different and does not build up reactions. Dr Rapp has a great book on this. The idea is to build up the bodies energy bucket, consider adding alfalfa, there are many ways to do that, even in organic powder form In a recipe or juice or smoothies. Prayers and blessings to you K and the gang.