chicken feed and soy

[Guest guest]

For someone who is looking for a commercial chicken feed without soy

there are a few things to consider.

What type of chicken is being fed? a meat chicken or a laying hen?

Meat chickens are fed different rations than laying hens.

Since most people here are concerned about eggs right now I will talk

about laying hens.

Laying hens have to be fed a high protein feed in order for them to

lay eggs. (They also have to have a minimum of 12 hours of light.)

That is why most commercial laying feeds have soy in them - for the

protein.

As for myself, I keep a flock of chickens which are free range all

year long. That doesn't take much - I open the coop door at sunrise

and close it at sunset. The coop is located in an orchard about 1/2

acre or more. I have fed both commercial layer feed and commercial

scratch feed. Since the scratch feed around here is cheaper, I prefer

to feed that. Some people say you have to feed a layer feed if you

want the maximum number of eggs you can get, but I personally have

not

found any difference in the number of eggs I get if I feed a layer or

a scratch feed. Perhaps because they are free range and get their

protein that way.

Also, my chickens do not like the layer feed. I put that in their

feeder and it will be spread all over the place and ignored. I end up

shoveling it out with the bedding. So for me to feed layer is just a

waste of money.

The scratch feed they love and actually prefer to eat it off the

ground than from the feeder. Scratch feed is a mix of whole grains

and

cracked corn. I don't think it has soy in it, but the bag I buy

doesn't state specifically.

For those interested in making their own rations, a very good website

is http://www.lionsgrip.com/recipes.html