Guest guest Posted May 17, 2001 Report Share Posted May 17, 2001 Has anyone tried using whey as a food for chickens? Would this also have to sit awhile before giving it to them? Shari ----- Original Message ----- From: michael_haigwood@... Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2001 11:55 AM Subject: raising chickens without soy This is our first year without using soy in their feed. This year we raised 250. First of all when you get your chicks, put them on newspaper so they don't eat the shavings this goes for any feed ration. We put down the wood shavings than cover with newspaper (or old cloth that can be thrown away) You will keep the paper their for two to three days. If it gets to dirty add another layer of paper. 2) Dip their beaks in the water source, make sure they can't get in and get wet. I have a great water system if you contact me I can send the address to you. They souldn't eat for 24 hours after they are hatched. Then sprinkle the feed on the newspaper and in the contianer you will be using to feed them. The also need grit. 3) FEED: Mix 1 part grains (my hand grinder made it into small pieces not flour (I only had access to oats and corn). 1 part greens (grass, alfalfa leaves, lettuce, dandilions etc.) It doesn't have to be all of these. I sometimes just had grass ( the lawn mower worked great to harvest the grass). 1 part protien I used lamb liver chopped fine (they love this) Worms and such not to big to begin with... might have to cut up (the mother hen would peck it into small pieces)If I grew worms I would use them more than anything else. clabbered/sour milk I use the skim milk after making my butter. Don't use fresh milk there is something about it being clabbered that they can handle. If you use the milk use it when they are at least 4 days old. They need the b vitamins in the raw meat. I have also used ground meat. I get a mineral pack from midwestern bio-ag it has organic fish meal(the whole fish and natural minerals). We hope to be consultants for them soon. 1 50lb bag to about 1000 lbs. WE are still messing with the amount. I kept it this way while they were in the brooder hut about 2 -3 weeks. They do grow slower than on the soy and meat and bone meal. But they are more active, don't have leg problems and the manure didn't smell. After they are mostly featherd and the weather is warm enough we move them to the chicken huts, some what like Sallaton but not as crowded. Keep them dry is key! When they were out in the huts our feed ration was 50% corn, 50% oats (oats and corn cracked), the mineral and half gallon clabbered skim milk the milk increased to a gallon when they got bigger (for 50 to 75 birds). We feed our laying hens the same thing and they are free range. The birds also like culls from the garden we didn't have a lot but I would watch how much you give them. Watch their actions and the manure. If they show signs of leg problems add more protein. I hope this helps. We have been raising chickens for 4 years From complete confinement to the improved Salaton way. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2001 Report Share Posted October 2, 2001 You can use whey for chickens. Maybe even as part of their water source. I use the clabbered skim milk part it seems to have the protein part that makes the chickens get bigger. Barb > Has anyone tried using whey as a food for chickens? Would this also have to sit awhile before giving it to them? Shari > ----- Original Message ----- > From: michael_haigwood@y... > @y... > Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2001 11:55 AM > Subject: raising chickens without soy > > of this message have been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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