As you may have read in the newsletter and on the blog our chicken feed contains organic soy from China as no US grown is available until the fall. I have been working on solutions for this over the past two weeks.
This weeks feed delivery has been reformulated to cut the soy used by 50%. To replace it we have increased the organic corn added rice protein (from the production of organic rice milk) and added whole organic flax seed. Because of the high price of the soy these changes have not affected our cost. I have been advised not to remove all the soy due to the amino acids it contains which help keep egg production high. I need to find a Poultry Nutritionist who is familiar with pastured production to get to the bottom of this. My goal is to make a feed from all locally sourced grains and beans.
here's the composition of our new chicken feed...
54.5% Organic Rolled Corn
10.5% Organic Soy
10% Organic Rice protein
10% Organic Whole Flax Seed
9% Limestone (an important source of Calcium)
1.75% Live Earth ( Humic acids from natural deposits which make the feed more palatable, the chickens like it!)
1.35% Mono Calcium Phosphate (more minerals for the chickens)
1.25% Kelp Meal ( dried Seaweed, a great source of nutrients)
0.75% Diatomaceous Earth ( a natural clay to keep the Chickens free of worms)
0.5% Layer premix (micro nutrients)
0.35% Salt
0.1% Royal Optimum Powder (contains oregano essential oil which has been found to keep the chickens healthier)
Each load of feed is milled specially for Eatwell farm and 5 to 6 tons are delivered every month. We pay $566 per ton delivered to the farm.