Farm Eggs vs Organic Cage Free Etc

[Darkfire]

[QUOTE=sbarr;12270367]Hi Nursemonkey - kudos to you for trying to improve the eating habits of your stepchildren. I'm working hard on my little one, also.

Everything factored in, from what you've mentioned about the three types of eggs, my first inclination would be organic and cage free, then organic (not cheap, but bundled with my CSA, I get free range for about $3 per dozen). I think we have to pick our battles finding good food while balancing availability and budget. It's not an easy equation - I was offered a divorce if I got a chicken.... (A girlfriend of mine had bought several day olds and John was adamant....Chickens eating mosquitos and preventing West Nile didn't get me any mileage. We are a chicken-free home. But, maybe that is his retaliation for me not wanting a cat scratching up my furniture).[/QUOTE

Poor dear....I think I'd take the divorce, I am almost sure I would hahah.

[BikerAng]

My DH wants us to get chickens because of the price we're paying for our pastured eggs here. Unfortunately, we have CCR's that prohibit chickens.

[Doggygirl]

Originally Posted by BikerAng

My DH wants us to get chickens because of the price we're paying for our pastured eggs here. Unfortunately, we have CCR's that prohibit chickens.

I'm sorry to hear about your restrictions!! Mr. Doggy now wants chickens for the coolness of the project. When you figure the cost of building a good coop, buying the chicks, etc., there will be quite an extensive "payback" period before we are $$ ahead on getting our own eggs v. store organic (or farmers market) prices. Oy.

DG

[DiamondDeb]

What should chickens be fed? Say they are free to roam outside, get their bugs...ideally would they also be getting any feed? Or just what they find outside?

[BackcountryBabe]

DiamondDeb,
I've got a flock of 17 chickens and they are allowed to roam the yard from about 3pm until dark (~9pm here). They eat lots of bugs and plants. But i also provide them with a high quality (non-medicated) chicken feed. I also provide treats every day. They get the kitchen and garden scraps and some leftovers - ends of lettuce heads, tops of tomatoes, cottage cheese, etc. From what i have read, many people who keep a smallish flock provide such treats and a diversified diet. There are some who have larger flocks and a good piece of land that can let their chickens forage for themselves and they do quite well. Heritage breeds of chickens were meant for that type of lifestyle. The factory farmed birds are not able to survive without medications and lots of processed feeds - they don't know how to forage.

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by BackcountryBabe

DiamondDeb,
I've got a flock of 17 chickens and they are allowed to roam the yard from about 3pm until dark (~9pm here). They eat lots of bugs and plants. But i also provide them with a high quality (non-medicated) chicken feed. I also provide treats every day. They get the kitchen and garden scraps and some leftovers - ends of lettuce heads, tops of tomatoes, cottage cheese, etc. From what i have read, many people who keep a smallish flock provide such treats and a diversified diet. There are some who have larger flocks and a good piece of land that can let their chickens forage for themselves and they do quite well. Heritage breeds of chickens were meant for that type of lifestyle. The factory farmed birds are not able to survive without medications and lots of processed feeds - they don't know how to forage.

Thanks. I was wondering because I've bought some that are also given "organic feed" but have no idea what that is or if that is good. I'm not sure they should get any grains?

[BackcountryBabe]

The should get grains! Just not as their whole diet. Corn is a good treat but should never be their whole diet - very bad. Traditionally layer birds get about 16%-20% protein as their diet. Higher protein levels for meat birds to fatten them up faster. Old heritage breeds are real good at finding natural foods that suit them - bugs, plants, etc.

I love raising chickens! It is so much fun and getting eggs every day from them is wonderful.

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by BackcountryBabe

The should get grains! Just not as their whole diet. Corn is a good treat but should never be their whole diet - very bad. Traditionally layer birds get about 16%-20% protein as their diet. Higher protein levels for meat birds to fatten them up faster. Old heritage breeds are real good at finding natural foods that suit them - bugs, plants, etc.

I love raising chickens! It is so much fun and getting eggs every day from them is wonderful.

Thanks. I suspected that but was not sure.

[NurseMonkee]

Chickens should get grains?
I thought giving them grains messed up the omega 6:3 ratio?

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by NurseMonkee

Chickens should get grains?
I thought giving them grains messed up the omega 6:3 ratio?

I wondered but I've been Googling and everything that I find says they get fed grain of some kind.

[DiamondDeb]

I found this...sounds like no grains to me.

...Naturally Raised. Chickens naturally go out on soil to scratch; they eat insects, seeds, worms, amphibians, rodents and anything else they can catch. Chickens do not naturally live in cages eating vegetarian food...

[DiamondDeb]

WkiAnswers says:

What kind of food do chickens eat?

In their natural setting (like a wild bird) the number one food of a chicken is grass. Second will be bugs that eat grass or bugs that eat other bugs. Third will be anything else including mice and other small critters dead or alive. Everything is fair game for a chicken including grubs and worms. Overall a chicken will eat anything that is edible. Notice that the cured seeds of grasses (such as corn, wheat, rye, oats, etc.) are not a normal staple for chickens. That's because those "foods" are seasonal and only readily available in quantity if man raises them, harvests them, stores them, and then hands them out throughout the year. Man invented grain farming and grain as a food source. Consequently grain is an inappropriate food for all animal life - including people.

Chickens on commercial farms eat commercial chicken feed which is a mixture of grains (mostly corn) and protein feeds. However, for better tasting, nutritionally superior eggs plus happier chickens, chickens should only eat their natural foods and run loose in grassy fields.