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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
 
| Tdove - 2015-10-29 9:15 AM
I think the best thing for them to eat is bugs and free range stuff. At least that is what I have been told by my wife. We feed leftovers and they get a little chicken feed as well. I am told that vegetarian chicken eggs are not as healthy. Although adding alfalfa oats and flax are great for them, as I am sure other things are too. Most of the time our chickens are foraging and the eggs they have been making are great.
They love oats and will follow me into my feed room and stand there and wait patiently for me to drop some on the ground. I unloaded some alfalfa hay yesterday and they were picking at it all afternoon. Interesting on the fat... had no idea about that. So if I wanted to add a little flax seed into their mix... how much is too much? They are laying brown eggs and they aren't very big.. yet. |
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Expert
Posts: 1695
  
Location: Willows, CA | We have done a lot of testing, and have made bulk poultry feed for several years for commercial specialty egg producers that market high omega 3 eggs from chickens fed a non-gmo high omega 3 diet. There is also an interest in eliminating soy since it is estrogen producing. The chicken egg is a direct reflection of diet to an amazing degree. There is clear proof that you can effect omega 3 and estrogen levels with diet. Free ranging birds pretty much do this on their own. Birds fed commercial soy based feed rations produce eggs with a significantly different nutrient profile from those that either free range, or those fed with this goal in mind. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | winwillows - 2015-10-29 11:00 AM We have done a lot of testing, and have made bulk poultry feed for several years for commercial specialty egg producers that market high omega 3 eggs from chickens fed a non-gmo high omega 3 diet. There is also an interest in eliminating soy since it is estrogen producing. The chicken egg is a direct reflection of diet to an amazing degree. There is clear proof that you can effect omega 3 and estrogen levels with diet. Free ranging birds pretty much do this on their own. Birds fed commercial soy based feed rations produce eggs with a significantly different nutrient profile from those that either free range, or those fed with this goal in mind.
I knew when I saw you had commented on this I would learn something.  You never disappoint winwillows! |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I have chickens and enjoy the heck out of them and love the fact that will kill snakes  Mine get their laying pellets and grain and they free range all day long they go where ever they like. I have the hens that lay brown eggs, with them being free range I can tell the difference in their yokes the yokes are way darker yellow color then your chickens that are kept in pens/cages. And I give most of my eggs away to friends and they love to bake with these eggs they tell me their cakes and cookies are way better with my chickens eggs.
And yes they get locked up at night but are let out first thing in the mornings. They are really happy campers. And they are the boss out here the dogs and cats stay way out of their way when the girls are locked on food. |
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Expert
Posts: 1695
Location: Willows, CA | IRunOnFaith - 2015-10-29 11:10 AM
winwillows - 2015-10-29 11:00 AM We have done a lot of testing, and have made bulk poultry feed for several years for commercial specialty egg producers that market high omega 3 eggs from chickens fed a non-gmo high omega 3 diet. There is also an interest in eliminating soy since it is estrogen producing. The chicken egg is a direct reflection of diet to an amazing degree. There is clear proof that you can effect omega 3 and estrogen levels with diet. Free ranging birds pretty much do this on their own. Birds fed commercial soy based feed rations produce eggs with a significantly different nutrient profile from those that either free range, or those fed with this goal in mind.
I knew when I saw you had commented on this I would learn something. You never disappoint winwillows!
We have worked very hard to apply current available science to the poultry feed sector. This was by request, originally from Redmond, the salt people who also have a specialty egg sector of their business in Utah. When I did the formulation work and ask our company Vet, Gary Kaufman the great horse Vet from Scottsdale AZ, what he thought about being in the chicken feed business he told me "That's not something that I would want on my tombstone". At any rate, it has turned out to be fascinating to see how much you can effect the actual nutrient profile of a chicken egg. The formulation just became available recently in a retail bag because some of our good West Coast stores learned that we were making a unique commercial product and asked for the same product to sell to their chicken customers. |
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Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| You know what's funny is that I don't even eat eggs.. I cant. They effect me in a very bad way ... horrible stomach ache that lasts for hours. I can eat stuff that eggs are baked or cooked in but if I eat a straight egg I will be keeled over for hours... weird.. but my family eats eggs and I've given plenty of these eggs away already. I've tried egg whites too and same results. |
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