Some thoughts about poultry feeds

GrannyCarol · #1 02/21/12, 03:30 PM

I've been reading up on GMO crops and their affects on health and been wondering about some unexplained illness and death in certain of my ducks over the years.

I first got ducks about 8 years ago and they were healthy and robust for years. About 4 years ago one whole breed of my ducks, including the ones that had been healthy for years, got water belly and died. Water belly is the filling up of the internal cavities of the animal, usually due to the failure of one or more of the major organs. After speaking to the breeder of the ducks, our best guess was some sort of toxicity that breed was particularly susceptible to. Because I like that breed and am wanting to try them, I got another pair last spring. The drake died this winter and a necropsy showed an enlarged (but otherwise normal looking) liver and gall bladder. This is also indicative of toxicity.

As I read up on the GMO information, I read that rats fed GMO soy had liver toxicity. Now I have to wonder - when did GMO corn and soy become widespread in our livestock feeds? Almost all corn and soy in this country that is widely available for livestock feed is GMO - could there be a relationship between a change of feeds and the health of my ducks?

I've started getting non GMO feed manufactured by a local farmer that wanted healthy poultry feed for his own stock and is selling it. I may try this breed of ducks again with the new feed. The other correlation I noticed between the problems I've had with my ducks (not just the ones I lost, but poor shells and lower production among the other ducks) is that all started the first year there was terrible corn crops and heavy usage of corn for ethanol - I have been concerned about the quality of the corn available for feeds since, but had no other source of food for my ducks.

The farmer that makes my current feed said that he could not find any source of soy that was non-GMO, so he's not using soy in the feed at all. He was able to source non-GMO corn and canola meal (but that was hard to find) and might have a source of barley, but couldn't get proof it was free of GMO.

I am very curious to see how my ducks do. I started them on the new feed the first of last month and, after a few days, they got used to it and seem to like it just fine. If they do well on it, the farmer said he'd grind me custom mixes for a half ton order, which is very doable for me. Then I can have a custom duck mix! Yay! I like the feed, it smells like real food and is ground fresh. I was feeding pellets, because the ducks tend to waste crumbles, but this is just ground and doesn't disintegrate if they spill a little, they come back and clean it up.

Here is some interesting reading regarding GMO food. I am thinking that I don't want to feed it to my livestock, if I am going to eat their eggs or meat, much less it it myself!

http://www.responsibletechnology.org...of-the-science

DayBird · #2 02/21/12, 07:18 PM

You might want to think again about the canola oil.

"The most important thing to know about what is Canola oil is this - Canola oil is an artificially created, genetically modified food. In nature, that is no such thing as a "Canola plant" that produces "Canola oil".
A bit of history will help us better understand what is Canola oil. The word Canola was coined in 1978 to describe a new type of oil that was developed from genetic manipulation of rapeseed. This new oil was first developed in Canada and the name Canola actually comes from the term, Canadian oil, low acid"
http://www.natural-cancer-cures.com/...anola-oil.html

Even wikipedia says that most canola produced today is from genetically modified rapeseed.

I have alot more to say about GMOs but it's not pleasant to hear, flattering to large corporations or exactly "child friendly."

GrannyCarol · #3 02/21/12, 07:23 PM

He's not using canola oil, but the meal and he's sourcing non GMO canola - said it's hard, but doable. At least I'm not getting corn! I'm with you on the non GMO's and the "uh oh, no kids better listen" language! I'd include our gov't too!

MO_cows · #4 02/21/12, 07:33 PM

We have fed commercially produced bagged poultry feed, which undoubtedly contains GMO grains, for almost 20 years now. We also free range and our birds are healthy and live a long time. I have a hen that is 10 years old and you couldn't pick her out of the flock. A friend of ours raises meat chickens on commercial meat bird rations plus pasture. We buy these birds from him and the livers are as nicely colored and healthy looking as you could want. Much pinker and nicer than the mass produced birds from the grocery store.

If anyone wants to avoid GMO grains, of course that is their right, but please don't believe all the outlandish claims you see on the internet about them. There has been so much of them in our food chain for such a long time now, if they were as toxic as some would have you believe, we'd all be dead!

GrannyCarol · #5 02/21/12, 07:52 PM

Most of us aren't really very healthy though and there are epidemics of immune system diseases, diabetes and obesity. Makes me wonder. Also thyroid problems and autism are much more prevalent than they used to be.

I've been feeding commercial food for 8 years. Some of my ducks are fine, you couldn't tell my Khaki Campbells were that old, they are gorgeous. However, I see a something going on with one of my favorite breeds that indicates toxicity (I am aware that includes them being more susceptible than most ducks, probably a genetic weakness) and I wanted to try feeding them differently to see if that made a difference.

I don't go off in a panic over not eating GMO foods, but I do try to avoid them in general. Even without internet panic, I can think of many very good reasons to avoid them. Common sense tells me that the scientists are not able to know the outcome of long term ingestion of these foods. Common sense says that the reason for altering a crop to be tolerant of an herbicide is so that they can spray it with herbicide and I'm no fan of extra chemicals in my diet. There seems to be plenty of referenced and researched information that indicates they are not so safe so I don't think its all "internet panic".

Also you say you free range, so your birds are getting a good portion of their diet from sources other than the GMO grains in the bags. Perhaps that is the source of their health and vigor?

I am enjoying my experiment in feeding. My ducks are out in a large yard during the day, but I wouldn't consider it significant free range, we live in town and are limited in our space. I figure I won't know the results of changing their feed (unless it goes really bad) for months. So far they seem to be happy and doing well.

BTW, my tendency is towards organic gardening, though I will use a spray now and then if I think I really need it. I'm only growing food for our family. I'll use wormers now and then, if I see a good reason, etc. Nothing fanatic either way, just want to tend towards the natural in hopes of good health.

MO_cows · #6 02/21/12, 08:14 PM

Glad you seem to be making a choice and not simply falling for "the sky is falling" rhetoric that is out there. Yes, you bet, free ranging contributes to the health of our birds. Not just the foraged food itself but the exercise and the freedom from stress because they can scatter out and not worry constantly about the pecking order. But during the winter they are just going thru the motions, there isn't much out there to eat. Honestly, I think there is another issue going on with your ducks. Have you had a necropsy or any labs done on them? We have had ducks off and on over the years and none of them ever lived as long as the chickens routinely do.

BobbyB · #7 02/21/12, 08:44 PM

Well, I am a firm believer that a big part of the reason why there is such an increase in the ailments you mention in people as well as others is breeding. Same with humans as animals ( which we are anyway ), weaknesses can be bred up same as they can be bred out.

I really dont know what to think about all this everything being genetically altered bull splatters, but I can say I had just as soon it never came about.