My "Secret" Chicken Feed Mix!

[@JamesAndChristineBand]

“We need to share secrets - that’s how we grow” = instant subscriber

[@kanedillon4107]

i know Im asking the wrong place but does someone know of a method to log back into an Instagram account? I was dumb forgot my account password. I appreciate any help you can offer me

[@cwit8846]

I love your comment and agree 100% God bless

[@str8smiled640]

Was exactly what I thought as well. So I hit the subscribe button 😂

[@debbiewhite3601]

Me, too.

[@carolmalko615]

I just stumbled on your video today (Feb 2023) and I can't believe you made this 8 years ago!! You must have seen the writing on the wall long before the rest of us. Homesteaders across the country are complaining about the purina brands they buy at TS and their chickens not laying. Your video could have been made yesterday! Thanks for your info.

[@ecoranchusa]

Any time a "for profit" corporation gets involved with food, be it animal or human, quality and REAL nutritional needs take a backseat to stockholder dividends. "Crude protein" is a great example: while 25% crude protein may seem like a lot, USDA allows that to include feathers, hair, hooves & nails and more, ALL UNDIGESTABLE! Depending on the cost of the feed, one labelled at 25% (pick any number though) could have as little as 12% DIGESTABLE protein and THAT number is starvation for poultry. Just one of many examples of how the huge food lobby has us dazed and confused!

[@thisorthat7626]

Robert, I came for the chicken feed and stayed for your commentary! You are willing to speak your mind and provide logic too. Thank you for facts and telling it like it is. Blessings!

[@ecoranchusa]

Thanks! I will be back with more and varied videos soon!

[@ecoranchusa]

I got a comment from someone showing me HIS chickens waiting to feed and the "feeding frenzy" when he did! Unfortunately, I had to delete the comment due to his language during the video. Please folks, talk how you want with your "crowd", but on my channels there is NO profanity, NO direct personal attacks and NOTHING in poor taste. I drove truck most of my working life and can teach most new words and phrases. I choose not to. You should too!

[@ecoranchusa]

+Sean Henderson Profanity is profanity, regardless the intent. To post on my channels, people need to use acceptable adjectives.

[@seanhenderson8870]

Ok. Judge away.

[@ecoranchusa]

+Sean Henderson My channel, my rules. Your channel, your rules. Foul language is cropping up everywhere and no one stands up to it because they don't want to embarrass themselves to total stranger by saying out loud what the stranger are thinking! This is not a channel about morals, so this is the end of this discussion. NO PROFANITY, NO PERSONAL ATTACKS, my rules and anyone who questions this rule, is themselves, questionable!

[@seanhenderson8870]

I get,"Your channel, Your rules." What eludes me is when, people stop a communication because of a word that they do no like. The point is the communication, the words are merely tools and some people have a limited tool set or vocabulary. Some people are less imaginative than others, but this does not mean that their communication is any less valuable or important. The expletives are real words and can be found in the dictionary. You can go ahead and delete my comment, which is neither a personal attack nor does it contain any profanity. But if you delete my comment you might as well add a 3rd criteria to your channel censoring, "the comments that you just don't like."

[@ecoranchusa]

+Sean Henderson We will post this one last comment from Sean, not because of the last sentence challenge.... I do not respond to those, or dares..... but because the points made are points some language-impaired would think valid. But no other posts on this subject will be posted, as this channel is not about morality, it is about sustainable, out-of -the-box living. We all understand that some people do not have the vocabulary of others. My brother, with seven or eight degrees, for example, loves to use words that few people know, to describe something in five syllables that could be as easily described in two. But he and I, seldom use four letter words, profanity, or ethnic stereotyping, because this makes one appear ignorant and intolerant. We all know what profanity is, even the Slavey Indians I lived with in the Canadian NWT, who punctuated every sentence with one word that begins with an "F", several times...... until their wives appeared, then that word disappeared!I have traveled through more of North America than 99% of the people in the world and through much of Mexico and much of SE Asia. Even the least educated and conversant in the most remote of places, knows the difference between profanity and acceptable language. As many say, "If you are in doubt about the use of a word, it probably should not be used." My position has nothing to de with one's education level or vocabulary. It has to do with the fact that we all know what language is acceptable language in what company. Using it for shock value in public, within MY earshot, will get a rebuke that will bring tears to your eyes, without a single word of profanity. If this were done far more often, we would not have to be in public places hearing words that would shock a truck driver...... and remember that I was one for nearly 45 years. My channels attract many people, from the very religious, to the very conservative, to the ultra Liberal (like me) and most importantly, the young who are learning and testing language skills. We and this channel need to be and are, an example to follow. My deeds and knowledge are not enough. Respect, humility and more are on display with every video I post, every word I say. I know I have slipped a couple times with words and I let these pass instead of editing them. That I am human and make mistakes is an important part of the education I wish to offer: "it is OK to not be perfect, just strive for it." One of my favorite saying is: "I aimed for the stars. I missed. So I settled for the moon." So I try and sometimes miss in the video. However in writing, there is no excuse and there are MANY synonyms for EVERY curse word. Use them, or don't get posted here! I am NOT sending a message to people that ANY language is acceptable! We will be polite!

[@RedneckChamp]

I live in Kentucky and have started feeding whole grains. My cost for 50 lbs of my recipe is $9.84. I'm using a recipe I adapted from yours. I use corn, soy, wheat, oats, and sunflower seeds. I have a local feed store that sales these ingredients very cheap and it's from local farmers on all products except sunflower. Thanks for your videos. I fully enjoy them!

[@jusjukinallen8845]

This video maybe old but wow look at what we are going thru right now, 2022/2023 with chicken feed and no egg production, coming here to say, HOW RIGHT YOU ARE ABOUT PURINA. I’m gonna try to use your mixture. Thank you so much. Agree with you on your point of view.

[@ecoranchusa]

Any time corporations get involved in food, animal or human, nutrition takes a back seat to shareholder dividends. The Checkerboard is the worst!!!!!!

[@jessicamcelveen6534]

I just found you and I must say you are the most honest and educational person I have found yet!!! Thank you for the info.

[@oldfarmer9004]

We’ve been using Mc Murray for our birds every year since we started raising them! Always, and I mean always had good luck. Everyone is usually amazed by the fact that they mail them right to our little post office!

[@chriswillock2177]

Excellent video. I'm in Alberta so fortunately we don't have to deal with Purina. Local producers make local feeds much like yours with locally grown crops. I worked for a farm supply and feed mill in Grande Prairie where I worked the mill. All local grains bought from local farmers and we just ran it through the mixer and bagged it. Ran the corn through the roller of course. Under $20 a bag Canadian which is still cheaper then the big mills in Alberta.

[@ecoranchusa]

I love Alberta. In 1975-6 I flew out of Edmonton to Echo Bay for a mining contract. Spent some time in Calgary & Banff as well. That was all LONG before there were any skyscrapers in Edmonton and no West Edmonton Mall either!

[@michaelyciano2123]

Interesting mix. It’s different from game bird feeding. I feed racing pigeon feed, whole corn, hen scratch/with out crack corn, wheat, laying pellet, and the most important is soaked oats. Feed three times a day 2 with the dry mix and one with soaked oats. Nice video

[@mwape101]

Thank you very much for sharing good information with every one.

[@elianaszajnert6386]

Thank you so much for this useful information!!!. I made the recommended mix using milo, wheat, corn and soybean meal. The birds are laying as usual and they seem to like this new mix a lot. Compared to the commercial stuff, this is CHEAPER, healthier and something I have noticed is that the birds eat less quantity, so a 50 pound bag lasts more than twice what the commercial feed used to last...!!!!. this is amazing and I'm very happy with the results. I wish I would have done this a long time ago... I'm using this mix for chicken, ducks, turkeys and even my guineas and pheasants!!

[@ecoranchusa]

Thank you! I am always glad to hear that some of my information is of use and useful! On this feed, I have 4 1/2 year old hens that are laying like first year, so it does work and costs less!

[@Faithangel377]

I'll pass on the GMO corn and soy, I've got kids and grandkids..... we are what our animals eat...Monsanto has been sued and lost as you probably know by now.. their Round up that is used with GMOs cause cancer and more lawsuits are in the works... So I'll just stay with Organic products. But you have done a good job with your video and I will adjust to my liking.... I agree with you about the feed monopolies, pretty much should be illegal... Thanks Robert for the information.

[@scottsherd4883]

They didn't loose they settled. They did a cost analysis and descided it was cheaper to pay than drag out a trial. I farm for a living and have been around round up and other chemicals for a long time. If the world wants to eat they need GMO's and chemicals so that enough food can be raised to feed them.

[@248musicgirl]

Sadly, I HAVE to be gluten-free. The symptoms are VARIED, not just bathroom issues. But ALL of the symptoms cause extreme inflammation inside one's body, which sooner or later will likely cause cancer. I didn't start having issues until I was in my 40's. I believe with my whole heart that those of us that did get hit later in life is due to folks like Monsanto and all the GMO foods and additives to our processed foods. In researching why I was sick I learned that wheat is added as fillers to so many processed things that have no reason to have wheat in them. And the wheat grown these days have been bred to have nearly 80% more gluten in it than it did 100 yrs ago. Then you take the monster wheat and put it in EVERYTHING and VIOLA....a lot of people are basically "overdosed" to the point of no return. Just a little fyi. Thanks for the info. I'm a new subscriber!

[@parkerchavis]

You've opened my eyes to the feed industry, I'll be mixing mine for now on. thanks

[@kenward6306]

Hi there, watching your video in my summer house, your cockerel in the background, so I opened the door and all my birds ran over to see what's going on 😂😂 Kobe Ken UK

[@ecoranchusa]

That is cute! It is so easy to fool those roosters!

[@ecoranchusa]

Christine asked me if I grind my baby chick feed. For some reason the question does not appear here, but I will answer it and hope she reads the answer: I do grind the baby feed, "starter" much finer than the adult mix. I also make the mix 28% protein so that all baby poultry can eat it. I also neglected to add that if your chickens do NOT free range, you must also add a vitamin/mineral "premix" to the feed.

[@terrisebring1151]

Robert Earl you are great 👍. Thank you VERY much.

[@JT-wj4nh]

Hi Robert thanks for sharing, I am just about to start rearing chickens so your feed mix [once I buy the grain] will come in very handy. all the best keep the videos coming.

[@RenaissanceThinking]

Robert Earl, I was just going back over your feed video. I've had very good success with your mix. Several people recently have mentioned to me that I should look at fermenting the feed before feeding to stretch the feed and provide a more digestible feed. I was curious as to your experience and thoughts on fermenting chicken feed. Thanks, William.

[@ecoranchusa]

Birds are what the dinosaurs turned into. No one gave dinosaurs "fermented feed" and I find it a waste of time that can be better spent elsewhere..... but if it makes YOU feel good, then do it. Gizzards insure great digestibility!

[@sylviamcdonald1194]

Thank you so much, I am starting to raise my own chickens, I only have 1 roster and 3 hens. They haven't started laying yet. Now I am going to get the feed you talked about. Thanks again.

[@ecoranchusa]

+Sylvia McDonald Very happy to be of help! I will be posting a new, follow-up feed video late this week.

[@ecoranchusa]

Rachel asked me about "fermented Chicken feed" (see the comment) For some damn reason, I cannot answer the comment directly! Someone please let me know what is up with that!!!!!!! Rachel, I have no experience with fermented chicken feed. I just watched several videos touting it that ended with the presenter showing us how much the chickens liked it as they gobbled it down. My chickens will gobble down Doritos, popcorn and potato chips. This is no indication of what is good for them, any more than letting your child choose own his dinner over what you are serving. Kids will invariably choose ice cream and chocolate over broccoli and fish. That does not mean they should have it daily! Nor should we feed our pets and livestock what they "like" either. Two of the videos said that fermented chicken feed created thicker eggs, as though calcium was magically created during a three day ferment. All said they drank less water........ um, yes....... if food is saturated with water and you eat it, you need less other water. Is this a health benefit? No. They eat less feed too. Yes, because it is saturated with water and they feel fuller sooner. They are NOT getting significantly more nutrients, just volume in their crops. I cannot speak to the "creation" of B vitamins. In fact, like the other fad diets I have seen in seven decades of life: B.A.R.F., vinegar diets, increasing longevity by being grossly underweight, processed & pelletized feed for parrots, vegetarian diets for dogs & cats and an endless list of others....... I WON'T speak to their benefits, mainly because other than making their creators wealthy, there are none! Fermented feed occurs naturally often in a chicken coop after a soaking rain and they love to eat it because it is different, not better. Live insects, green plants, seeds, grains, the occasional mouse or snake and more are all a chicken's natural diet. They have evolved to eat these thing over some 60 million years. What makes some wise guy with wet, spoiled food think he or she knows better than 60 million years of evolution? If it were that effective, commercial growers would be clambering to feed it. They are not! I worked in that business for a number of years. Corn, soy and premix... DRY, dominate the commercial grower/producers for a good reason: the feed to egg or meat conversion is the greatest! We smaller producers can afford to allow pasturing, free ranging and fodder & mealworm production because time is not our enemy like it is to commercial operations, so we can do these things and even jump on the latest fad that a washed-up celebrity sells at 4 AM. If it makes us happy to try, not much harm done other than your birds mature a bit slower or your potential egg production is lower. I say stay with the bird's natural diet as much as you can which by the way is NOT my "secret feed mix", but pasturing and free range. My birds do free range and if grass grew in the desert, they would pasture! In Florida, our poultry had around 10 acres of Bahia Pensacola grass to pasture on and my feed mix as a supplement. Stay natural, let the hipsters follow the wind direction. Your birds WILL appreciate it!

[@devendraprasai8836]

thanku sir,

[@ipromisemusic]

We have been fermenting whole grains for 1yr plus and it has been amazing!

[@rachelburns1659]

Have you ever fermented your feed? I've heard it can lower your feed cost significantly as it make the nutrients more readily available and results in the animals consuming less water (as the food is so hydrating from soaking in the water/ACV). I haven't done anything of this so this is all regurgitated information, but it seems to be a viable way of reducing your feed cost and keeping healthier birds :)

[@Patrick-it8nk]

"Preppers are white people running around with guns & MREs" Man if I don't feel that, with the folk I used to know. Thanks for the good video with fantastic info! I hope your retirement is going great, and you enjoy it! Little trick for those viewers browsing these comments: I had been pondering how to go about feed bins on the cheap, and remembered everyone in my family has cats, and were able to give me around a dozen of the Tidy Cats plastic bins that close near airtight, and with a bit of easy modification, now can be left outside without worrying about humidity, pests etc (though I keep em inside still).

[@ecoranchusa]

Disagree with me if you want! I also have not met a gun toter who could take me in a fist fight (and very few others that could either...... when I was under 60). Texas jaundiced me against "white people with guns" and rightfully so. In 55 years of traveling on my own, through EVERY ghetto and barrio in America, many sketchy areas of SE Asia and the wilds of the substance abusers of west Texas, I never, NEVER had an inkling that I needed a gun to protect myself from a HUMAN (bears, wolves, wolverines and coyotes were a different story.) I do love your idea on the Tidy CATs though!!!!

[@whatisgoingonineedtoknow.]

Love your long wind, nothing but information, including the comments. Thanks.

[@lebanesedude5190]

That rooster might have been shooting a video of his own.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

I love the bottle house behind you! I've wanted to build one after seeing one in Southern Nevada near 50 years ago now.

[@ecoranchusa]

I really is a work of art!

[@Natural3621]

have u tried hemp seeds high amout of omega 3 and protein etc.

[@raptureangel5409]

Hope you are still growing chickens!!!! Great advice!!! THANKS!!!!

[@nancybaumgartner6774]

I keep a mealworm colony . Excellent source of protein for the chickens .

[@jnim1000]

Best thing I heard all day we don't need to keep it as a secret we need to keep growing!

[@ecoranchusa]

+Jordan Nim I agree, that is why it is a "secret" and not a secret! With Purina dominating so many feed stores with their gift & trip bribes that have small feed store owners selling that overpriced crap they call animal feed, we all need to move back to mixing our own, as well as encouraging the small feed mills to continue to make feeds that do not have inert binders! I anyone finds, as we did, a small feed mill that uses heat extrusion and NO inert binders like bentonite clay, buy your base (corn & soy) ingredients from them, in the form of their layer feed. Then you can add the other grains and more soy to it for the variety and protein we want our flocks to have!

[@McCuneWindandSolar]

Nice Info Robert. We talk about some of this on the phone so in a way I got a sneak peak of what you was posting. I have 21 hens and one Roster. during the winter I go though 2 50 LB bags of Scratch grains and 2 50 lb bags of Layer Feed. a month, I use Hole corn and feed that to them once in the morning and once at night to help keep them warm during the winter. I like to learn how to raise Meal warms, and grow folder to feed my girls with what folder is I have know clue what that is have to research it. Once I sign the paper work on the 5 acres we are adding to out lot. I want to grow foods that will not only feed my family but also feed my animals. I would also like to raise honey bee's also they would provide the honey, witch is a natural sweetener. and help my gardens grow much better. Thanks for sharing this very informative video.

[@carlosa1024]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH BROTHERS MUCH APPRECIATED!!!🥉🥈🥇🏆🥀♥️👍😃🌻

[@vonnecampbell5033]

What an awesome man. Thank you from New Zealand

[@uncletry4945]

The feed is suitable for which growth stage of chickens?

[@ecoranchusa]

From four weeks to death.

[@uncletry4945]

It is advisable to feed my broilers this?

[@kazzana9013]

Cannabis leaves are probably one of the most balanced foods, and I am not talking about ruining your lungs inhaling, but as a vegetable for salads and green smoothies. Would imagine it would be a great animal food too. I haven't tried it yet, too chicken to break the law in New Zealand, but I hope I can grow some hemp cannabis in future.

[@ecoranchusa]

I drove a truck and was subject to random drug tests for 45 years so using or being around it was out for me. My only objection is that while illegal, it is subject to adulterations, like to old peraquat (sic) of the '70's. Following instructions from High Roller, I grew some (I was told) "killer" sensemilia (sic) in about 1976 though and tried it.... once. I wonder what the protein content of it would be for animals, the benefit and whether there was any residual THC in the eggs & meat?

[@kazzana9013]

I have zero interest in the recreational use of cannabis, but have a great deal of interest in the medicinal and nutritional benefits. The THC acid in the recreational cannabis does not become THC that you get the high from, until heated, so consuming raw is safe and will not trigger a reading on a drug test. Cannabis has an almost perfect balance of essential amino and fatty acids for humans, and as chooks enjoy a similar diet, I thought perhaps the hemp cannabis might be a good option, when the government gets over it's brain fart. I cannot recall the protein content, sorry. As there as been lots of talk about legalizing cannabis in New Zealand, I did some research, so I could form an opinion. It has amazed me, that no one seems to be talking about the food value. I would only want to eat plants I have grown myself, and that cannot happen until NZ laws change. BTW, it was around 76 that I tried a smoke, and it is probably fortunate that I hated the experience, lol.

[@kazzana9013]

Oh, I forgot to mention, I have no idea yet what it tastes like, so if you get the opportunity before me, let me know. Those brave enough to grow it as a vegetable, for salads, and juicing apparently are eating about 15 of those fan leaves a day for medicinal reasons. The nutrient content suggests it could be one of the most complete foods out there.

[@moonlighters1972]

my chickens love cannabis leaves. I think they taste gross but juice them with some sweet juice because the nutrients are out of this world.

[@RamonaRayTodosSantosBCS]

My chicken MacClovia is lonely so she escapes from her house and heads over to the kitchen door, braving 11 cats and 5 dogs jajaja and proceeds to chase them away from their food! She likes dog food. Ay Dios. Good grief what a crazy chicken. She needs a boyfriend.

[@jefftokaji6460]

Thanks for the informative video and your directness. Appreciate your style and delivery. God bless you sir.

[@paulsoutbackgardenaustrali7674]

Hi Robert from Downunder Australia...just asking if u ever ferment grains..tc..I know it's hot now..🤔🇦🇺

[@ecoranchusa]

If fermenting grain pleases you, do it. If steaming a chicken breast with basil for your dog's food please you, do it. But neither has ANY effect on the nutritional uptake. Chickens and all birds, are what is left of the dinosaurs. They made the last 65 million years without humans fermenting their food! I raised 20 pound meat chickens on my feed mix of grains. Cannot see how any feed could improve that result!

[@LindaKayMurphy]

Thank you for the great information as I'm just starting a little home/backyard chicken raising. Have four chickens ready to start laying and need to get feed so I'm going to try your recipe for feed.

[@ecoranchusa]

Linda Kay Murphy I hope it works as good for as it does for us. Just remember that you still need to add a "premix" of vitamins and minerals, unless they are getting LOTS of greens and insect. My recipe is not complete without the premix and I neglected to say that in the video!

[@kitty-tc6lr]

awesome info your attitude reminds me of my dad dang I miss him. 7dz a week of of 20 egg layers? wow that is some wonderful feed they are munching on

[@ecoranchusa]

That is just a little over 4 eggs a week per hen. Usually, our hens laid 5-6 a week when we lived in Florida, but here Summer heat slows them and Winter slows them somewhat. I would not keep hens that laid less than 4 eggs a week though. It is too expensive to feed them. Thanks for the compliment too!

[@DATINGSURVIVALGUIDE]

LOL; your definition of a prepper was interesting 🙂 I didn't know that about the clay in the pellets; thanks for the info.

[@neenagraham3664]

Don't feel bad... some people just can't express themselves without the use of uneducated thoughts or words. some do it to feel big or important. They just don't realize what a foolish idiot it makes them look like. Thank you for standing up for what's right. I for one am sick of hearing bad language. love this video and I'm going to use this mix for our birds. Good results to come I hope.

[@ChristopherAMacleod]

Very interesting, and I'll be mixing up my chickens feed like yours once they start laying!! Thanks!!!!

[@ecoranchusa]

Christopher M I grind my "baby" food in a Waring Pro blender. Anything of lesser quality will burn out fast! Eventually, we will get a real grinder and motorize it (store.countrylivinggrainmills.com/grain-mill/). Then I will grind all my own whole grains.

[@thetobaccoguy1751]

Being gluten intolerant isn't a sign of prestige? I work food service for a large corporate office. Lots of yuppies. Most are vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, sugar free, lactose intolerant, or allergic to such and such. So ridiculous. Like the gluten free guy, who eats white flour wraps, or the garlic allergy lady who eats our pizza everyday, with you guessed it, a big dose of fresh garlic in the sauce. Most look like they have cancer. Eat some red meat, on white bread, down it with a Coke, go get some natural sunlight, and grow a pair of testicles. I'm done.

[@ecoranchusa]

+Hans “Hanzy4200” S. Being "special" IS a sign of "prestige" to the hipsters and young affluents of today! "My child is the best student with blonde hair between 60-70 pounds in his class at Hipster Elementary" bumper stickers are everywhere! We are dumbing down society, then discouraging excellence with "awards" for every participant, however mediocre! THEN, we complain when Asians who ARE taught that to excel is desirable, best us! Being a "vegan", glucose intolerant, lactose intolerant and so on, have become badges of honor for the mediocre masses, desperately seeking to create an identity. The consumer culture of the last 40 years has caused this. Personally, my life would have been a lonely one due to the shunning I get from these crowd following resource vampires, if it had not been for my Mother teaching us all that we were "so special" that the world needs to follow us, not us the world. It is only because of this upbringing that I found the courage to NOT do "what everyone is doing" and to grow into this lifestyle. You are correct. These "allergy sufferers"(many of them), vegans, glucose & lactose intolerants, synthetic fabric allergies, religious fanatics and "talking heads" who preach hatred for all whose politics are slightly different from their own; all need to grow a pair, forget what others think, dance like no one is watching and scratch what itches when it itches. The world would be a far better place! Thank you my friend!

[@squirehaggard4749]

+Hans “Hanzy4200” S. Ever shopped at a health food store? You'll see the pastiest, scrawny, uptight looking neurotic folks you'll ever see.

[@thetobaccoguy1751]

squire haggard Yeah, I went into one to buy beeswax. The clerk looked like he was going to pass out at any moment.

[@TheOldLookOutLodge]

+BmillTheGamer no they dont...

[@ecoranchusa]

+doug moore My condolences on the loss of your Father. Decades ago, the cartoon "Family Circle" had a Sunday cartoon where the kids were fighting in their bedrooms, running around the bedroom right after bedtime, jumping in and out of their beds. The father came in and sternly said to them to "Settle down! The next one of you that gets out of bed, gets a spanking!" He turned and was walking down the hallway, when Jeffy, the littlest one, came out of the bedroom, saying "I 'havta go to the bathroom". To every rule, there IS an exception. Your Father was a very unfortunate exception to my "rule". But from my generation forward, people somehow feel they must "stand out from the crowd", create a persona that makes them exceptional for some reason. That exceptionality make be one that is earned honestly, or fabricated like being a "vegan", "allergic to smoke" "lactose intolerant", "MSG intolerant", "fragrance intolerant", ADHD, "gluten intolerant", "public toilet intolerant", "bashful kidney", "fart anxiety", or some other thing I NEVER heard of until the 1990's! That does not mean these things are not real and don't exist! It just means that .00005% of the population suffers from them, not 50% of upwardly mobile," attention-needy", BMW driving, young professionals and particularly their children! Somehow, I know you understood that in my post, I am seldom vague! But that does nothing to ease the grief regarding the loss of your Father.

[@cashfamilyfarm9637]

Love your little araucana hen. I raise araucana in Golden and Silver Duckwing. It is a rare breed and love seeing when other people have them running around.

[@ecoranchusa]

Unfortunately almost all our birds are just hybrid "mutts". Not an Araucana in the flock, just look alikes! Dark Cornish, Rhode Island Red, White Leghorn and Pioneer all breed together and we hatch the best looking eggs, keeping the best looking hens for eggs & hatching. We JOKINGLY call our "breed" the Chihuahuan Desert Chicken!

[@cashfamilyfarm9637]

eco-ranch.us well you managed to hatch a tufted rumpless black hen that looks exactly like an araucana in the video. She is the funny looking thing wandering around next to you with no tail and white feathers around her head.

[@TinaShay]

Dude!! You are right about being loooong wind'd! I too am loooooong wind'd sooooo I'm subscribing!

[@tidelybumsquish]

Flax seed is 90 $ a bag here in ontario canada. 2023.

[@ecoranchusa]

THAT is pricey!!!

[@loa81]

Wow! Nice presentation! Easy to understand, great setting, concise! I also appreciate you sharing your feed experience and knowledge. So that was two parts: Wheat Cracked corn Milo Then it’s 3 1/2 parts soy meal. Did I get it right? I also feed back any eggs and shells broken and mixed with scraps. Thank you from SW NM! Regards...

[@mbisson5816]

Bentonite clay you say? Oh sure my cats sh-t in that stuff, but not sure I'd want my dogs or chickens eating it.

[@keithdouglas4581]

My "Secret ingredient" as a treat for feeding my chickens is dog food straight from the can they absolutely love it.Given the choice of their own food or dog food the dog food wins every time .Remember chickens are meat eaters they will eat anything that moves. My chickens are always perfectly healthy and usually live for least 5 years and will lay eggs till the day they die

[@grayhand9676]

Great video. My problem with GMOs is most have been bred to tolerate higher levels of pesticides and herbicides and in some cases to produce pesticides themselves. Our grains are practically soaked in chemicals and they're finding many if not most cause cancer. I think in the coming years we'll see an explosion in the cancer rates and already most people I know have had some form of cancer. A couple of suggestions on the feed. You mention corn being harder to digest which is true. One trick is to soak it in food grade lime water. It breaks down the tough cell wall freeing up the nutrients. Since you'd be soaking it anyway consider fermenting your feed. At the moment I don't have chickens but hope to get back into them and I do plan to try fermented feed. There are lots of videos on the subject and everyone reports good results. The only addition I'd say to your feed mix is a calcium supplement. Even baked and ground egg shells will work fine. Laying hens always need more calcium. Some types of leafy greens are high in calcium as well as things like Moringa leaves. You can get fancy with adding kelp powder but unless you can collect it yourself off a beach I think it's too expensive for animals. You've got a good mix just add a bit of calcium. If you want to up the protein nothing is better than insects and worms. Crickets, black soldier fly larva or plan ole earthworms. Chickens will ignore grain to chase insects. With people that feed chickens compost most of what the chickens are after are the larva in the compost. Some people even put up a bug zapper or a plain light bulb to draw in insects at night for free protein for the chickens.

[@ecoranchusa]

+Cary Howe Thank you. Much of what you wrote has been covered in the comments before, but it is good for those seeking information to see what we all are doing and suggest! If I said in the video that corn was difficult to digest for chickens, I misspoke. WHEAT is the slow digesting grain and thus not entirely suitable for very young chicks, or for a "factory fryer" operation. Grinding it speeds digestibility. I am still no fan of fermenting, but love sprouting, or fodder.

[@grayhand9676]

Sorry, I should have read the comments first. Wheat is really hard to digest it's why so many sprout the wheat. Native americans treated corn with lime because it does increase the available nutrition. The cell wall is really tough on corn. The lime water breaks that down. I've gone back and forth on fermenting even with human foods but I'm pretty sold on it now. It's not critical obviously but it can help. I'm not big on pure grain diets for domestic animals. Sprouting the grains really helps but it's a lot of extra work. I think fermenting can give you some of the results you get off sprouting but it's a personal call. Sorry again about any repetition I some times am moving too fast and don't read everything. I completely agree with you about adding clay as a binder. There are other binders but clay is cheap.

[@asmarhabeeb2714]

Well, before you mentioned Wheat and Honey as a complete food there is a man mentioned them through God Qur'an around 1400 years ago his name Prophet Muhammad. Read (Surah Yusif) the prophet to see how God told him to store the wheat to last forever. And read what God said about Honey 1400 years ago. Please do. Thanks for your video.

[@ecoranchusa]

I find religion to be both Man's worst invention and Man's greatest weapon of mass destruction, so I won't read any further than I was forced to for the first 18 years of my life into these Bronze Age myths and deities. That being said, the Talmud, Quran and bible do possess much information that can help us survive in the case of societal calamity. Wheat, honey, dried beans and salted meats are wonderful survival foods. Pork, spoils quickly in heat. This is the reason it was shunned as a meat to eat in the hot desert areas where Islam, Christianity and Judaism flourished. Making its non-consumption a part of the religion, most likely kept many followers from falling ill from eating spoiled pork, so they could "go forth and propagate".. Same can be said of the "book" of Leviticus, where if a Man lay with a woman who has her disease, he is unclean for 20 days (or so). Nowadays, we can wash with unlimited water, so sex during a woman's menstruation is possible without fouling our clothing. These texts have a lot of great practical information in them..... but as guidance from some unseen creature who sees ALL the events in this entire 35 billion light year wide universe, not so much!

[@عاشقغيومالشمس]

And the Almighty said, "Yusuf, friend, we've got seven fat cows eaten by seven lean, seven greens and another land, so I have to go back to people, maybe they know. He said you grow seven years, so you reap a climax in a spike in a little bit of what you eat. Then comes seven people who eat what you gave them a little bit of what they barricaded. Then comes a year later in which people are squeeze and there are a few of them» «Yusuf» «Verses 46-49». The scholars and commentators have argued that the meaning of love and Sanabel in these verses is wheat, although it enters with barley and some other grains, but the wheat remains its duration. and come

[@rwatts2155]

Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge with all of us. I have raised Texas A & M quail for the past two years in my back yard. I plan to stop raising them this winter to raise about 6 laying hens. I may also get a couple ducks to keep the slug and bug problem under control. Can you recommend a breed of chicken based on egg production? I'm not concerned about the meat since they will ( knowing us ) be more like pets than livestock and we won't be able to kill them. Another thing...just saying...I don't understand why the 22 people would give your video a thumbs DOWN. Of course with the more than a thousand thumbs UP I guess the negatives show just how much they know. I gave you a thumbs up and have subscribed to your channel. Have a great day !

[@ecoranchusa]

Thank you for the kind words! Actually I am surprised there are not MORE of the "thumbs down". Purina and Southern States alone could ask their employees to hit me and there would be a couple thousand! I do not care about multi-nationals, or corporations in general. They are the problem, not the solution. My videos try to show the solutions to issues that we will have to deal with whether or not "they" acknowledge them! As far a s the kind of bird you are seeking, there are many. Most of these are American made breeds like the Rhode Island Red and Wyandotte. Our American breeds tend to have better tempered roosters that older breeds. McMurray has a hybrid that we love both sexes of, but they will not breed true if you want to propagate them. That breed is the "Pioneer". I recommend that and the RIR for backyard poultry people!

[@dionandkat]

Robert where are you finding wheat? That which I have found is extremely expensive on line. I'm out in gulf coast Texas NW of Houston. I use the Tractor Supply lower cost lay crumbles in the feeders but I mix up grains which I've been throwing at about 10% of the diet. Of the lay rations, I'm giving 3 Qt/day daily for each 12 heavy weigh,t dual purpose, heritage breed chickens and then about a southern cup (coffee mug) of grains per 1/2 dozen chickens . I mix 3 qt each of Black Oil Sunflower Seed, Whole Oats, Scratch (cracked corn, milo and maybe wheat), and Alfalfa pellets (for horses). If we're in high cotton, I Add 2 lb each of dried split peas and lintels and also a 1.5 bag of Flax seed. That lasts about a week. I buy 100 lb lay pellets a week for 32 hens and 8 roosters. I've heard that soy was bad after hearing it was good for so long. IDK. We also throw greens, squash, melons and berries when we can. By now you are laughing at how expensive my eggs are. RIGHT! But yummy as are the most delicious chickens. Thank God for pressure cookers. His way of allowing us to invite mean roosters to the hot tub party. Yum. My grains cost more than the lay feed. How do you do it?

[@ecoranchusa]

+Kat Dawson Kat, Living in a rural area, wheat is not a problem to us. You should be able to find it and everything else in a local feed store, NOT online! But if wheat is a problem to locate, then do not use it. Substitute corn, milo, millet, or rolled oats ($$$) for the wheat ratio! Wheat will slow digestion in chickens anyway. I include it to obtain a complete amino acid mix naturally. However, what was not in the video, my mistake, was that you MUST add a vitamin/mineral premix to my recipe in order to provide a complete diet. Your inexpensive Tractor Supply feed (inexpensive is under $12), should have a premix in it, but you are giving the birds "candy" that has no extra vitamins/minerals in it. You are probably OK, IF the birds have access to bugs and grasses, other wise, a premix is VITAL! Yes, you are spending a lot on feed and from here, much of it is unnecessary and worse, unappreciated by the birds! Sunflower seeds are too expensive and the chickens do not crack the hulls, so they are getting a LOT of unneeded fiber in their diet from the hulls. This offsets any nutritional gain and may well put you in a protein "hole". Whole oats (crimped oats?) are the same..... if they are crimped oats. These are good, but feed them as a treat, not as a part of the diet. If your whole oats are rolled oats, these are great, but I pay $26 a bag for them and that is too expensive! Split peas, lentils and flax are wonderful and as you noted, costly! That money is far better spent on cotton seed. The eggs that come from birds with cotton seed in their feed, have far lower cholesterol. My feed mix costs me about $12 per 50 pounds. Not to bore you with the math, but that means that including everything into the cost of eggs: feed, price of birds (we now hatch our own), housing and egg cartons, a dozen eggs costs us $2.00 a dozen in round numbers. Our customers were paying $4.00 a dozen for them...... you ought to be getting $5.00 near Houston...... so our profit was $2.00 a dozen. However, since we are NOT State licensed and inspected and will NOT be, I dropped the price to $3.00 ( I am retired so it did not matter) AND tell all my customers and post on the business FACEBOOK page that: "due to oppressive State regulation, these eggs, which are from free-range hens, fed an all natural diet that includes insect protein and are hand washed & candled,; are NOT deemed suitable for human consumption. Use these eggs for hatching, animal feed or just look at them because the State Legislature has passed stringent regulations making it nearly impossible for small flock owners to sell fresh eggs for human consumption!" We sell out every week! My advise: feed either my mix or a commercial feed, but be certain to add enough ground soy or fish meal to it so that you raise the protein level to 20%. Stop buying flax, oats, lentils and peas as "treats" save that money for dog biscuits for your dog who REALLY appreciates it! Keep the feeders full at ALL TIMES! Go to you local grocery stores or farmer's markets and try to get the spoiled produce from them (no onion, garlic or hot peppers though). Feed your birds as much of this as you can! THAT IS A REAL CHICKEN TREAT! IF you really want to spoil your birds and have a large yard or small farm, build several "maggot traps" (find info on this on KZbin) and place them away from your house, but where the birds can easily get to them. Bait these with "road kill" (seriously) or beef fat, dead chickens, or really spoiled produce. You will NOT get rich producing "yard eggs", but you will have and provide healthy, tasty eggs that are great fun to "produce"! Good luck and keep me posted!

[@MistressOP]

Ya, unless you go into Anaphylactic Shock from peanuts or soy. I do think doing unusual feed lets people who really need food that doesn't have peanut or soy take a chance on you. Because it's hard to get feed without corn soy so forth. I donate food to a soup kitchen that doesn't have corn or soy because there are kids who just can't eat corn, soy, or peanuts.

[@ecoranchusa]

I do clearly say in several videos, that 3-5% of the mammalian population has honest, legitimate allergy issues. What I don't say, because I am not yet used to the new "dumbed down" population is that I AM sympathetic to them and that they of course need to be on their usual guard. That should me a given and not need to be detailed. My snarkiness is aimed at those horrible people that just MUST stand out from the crowd and therefore develop mental "allergies" to things that will allow them to call attention to themselves in public....... making them like "THAT KID" we all knew in grade school who would stand on his head, wave his arms and scream.... "Look at me, LOOK AT MEEEE......." For him and them, there is no hope unless we STOP enabling their misbehaviors.

[@poultrypickins9572]

Video is a few years old but I have to say I am glad someone else is on to purina. Their products are sub par and prices are outrageous for how little they pay for ingredients. I bought a bag of purina breeder pellets in a pinch and my birds refused to eat it after a few tries. It is too hard and dusty at the same time.The bags are pretty though...

[@sophyascoffeespill4121]

Purina is the devil of animal feed.

[@oakcliffpride]

Hey thank you for your video, really helpful for us just starting on yard birds

[@ecoranchusa]

Glad to help

[@javiersosa3368]

I like the way you teach others.

[@ConchoPearl]

I just got 2 babies that are about 4 days old. I am going to raise them inside until I can find a good cheap way to build a pen and roost for them. I got them today and already in love with them. :)

[@ecoranchusa]

DL Spamalot It is very easy to fall in love with chickens.... just remember that as kittens grow up to be CATS, so do chicks grow up to be chickens! We love the adults too, which makes it difficult when it is time to turn them into dinner. Enjoy your new babies and if you need any guidance, just ask!!!

[@ConchoPearl]

eco-ranch.us I know. I have raised them before many years ago. :) that is how I knew I wanted to do it again .

[@normbograham]

You can also sprout some of the seeds, and this converts the starches. It's an odd way to double some seeds.

[@ecoranchusa]

+Norman Graham YES SIR! Everyone that can, should! We have to wait until the greenhouse is built, but that is a large part of the future feed program here! Thank you!

[@Everythingpropane9507]

I really enjoyed this video.

[@fridaterron2146]

Love this man😊so much wisdom 💚

[@zzzombiez]

Thanks for all the good tips! - Mike

[@kagabajoseph9063]

thank you for sharing your experience with us

[@nourahrmumeenslave]

I use McMurray & Cackle Hatchery for many many years...never had any issues with my flocks..

[@ecoranchusa]

Never had issues with McMurray's birds. The customer service went to hell though.

[@mikkeljylland9153]

I am confused. Its eco-ranch but the grain is not organic? For me the goal is not a stock of long lasting food and feed, but a sustainable homestead (here in Denmark) with food and feed enough for my family and my animals. Its not easy to grow it all, but I am getting closer.

[@ecoranchusa]

Nothing to be confused about. We live a "one planet lifestyle" with about a 10% carbon footprint and we don't waste our money buying organic products that can cost up to five times more than regular products. Nothing confusing about saving money.

[@mikkeljylland9153]

I am sure you do a lot of good. But here (all Europe I guess) organic is the same as ecological. No difference. And I do think its important not to spray poison (herbicide and pesticide) all over the countryside.

[@ecoranchusa]

There is a reality that we all must face. If we have a lot of money, then we can buy things we want, or choose to buy. But with 7.5 going on 10 BILLION people on the planet, hard choices must be made. That means pesticides and fertilizers. Am I a promoter of this, no. Am I a realist, yes. 300 years ago the world, including Europe, ate organic. The average life expectancy was 40. I can expect to live past 100. I might die of cancer, but after 100 years, does it really matter? Find a better way to feed 10 billion people. Then do it! DON'T tell me what is wrong, or that I am wrong. Teach by example: "Walk The Talk!"

[@ecoranchusa]

Mikkel, I accidentally deleted your last comment. If you would post it again, I will put it up here. SORRY!

[@grpere1]

Perfect response eco-ranch.us. I have always said that our population problem forces producers in the world to do what they have to do in order to feed the masses. I hate the fact that we have these bad chemicals around our food but there really is no other option when people demand food at their finger tips. I myself have my own garden and use nothing but organic products to grow my vegetables but my small home setup does not cost me much to produce good crops. I am trying to limit the amount of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers my family consumes. I also have five hens that are just about to start laying so I do have a question for you. What do you recommend to mix for someone like me who only needs eggs for my own family. Do I need to have all of your ingredients. Thanks in advance.

[@sarahjohns7869]

Love the Reuse of wine bottles & cement! GREAT Idea!!

[@virginialacar3218]

I have another formula of making feeds for chicken and itik and as well as 🐖 pig!!!Thank you very much for sharing your nice video!!!

[@abbylol8844]

I get feed bagged by our local store for $9 per 50 pounds. It’s basically corn, wheat, soy and mineral. The only thing about your feed is that there’s no mineral added.

[@ecoranchusa]

Read the description. I say you MUST add a vitamin/mineral premix.

[@godsloveministry4195]

6:32 Halleluyah! Thanks for the love.

[@bobsillas3553]

I am in california I could not find the ingredients any where but ebay at a high price and small amounts

[@PaffordHomestead]

Hey Robert Charlie here From East Texas 👋Thank you for the information.....

[@ecoranchusa]

You are very welcome!

[@anneyhorlacher8792]

Thank you! I cant wait to try it!!

[@suremaxtwo]

wow!!! i loved your educational video!! Thankyou!

[@curiosidadesextrano]

great video!

[@ecoranchusa]

Curiosidades Extrano THANK YOU!

[@Ways2Remember]

Thank you Robert

[@whyistheworldsowicked]

I appreciate you a ton. God bless!🙌

[@scottsutton7989]

Great video my friend!! God bless you!

[@selwynnewson851]

Great video I just started again having chicken I want to get there feed right

[@monkeysgonna5306]

Useful video properly delivered. Does this feed apply to all stages of the chicken? Like from chicks, maintenance, then fattening before being sent to the abattoir.

[@ecoranchusa]

Yes! Adjust your protein levels to the growth stage though.... 28% 0-4 weeks, 24% to slaughter or 8 weeks, 20% for layers for life. Staying with this mix will reduce your losses and more than make up for the extra cost for the protein rick ingredient, by reducing your losses dramatically!

[@eng.knowledgeseeker]

absolutely amazing video.thank you sir.

[@nadiakhan8149]

loved ur video. can u plz explain what milo is and guve me a recipe for chick feed and duck feed

[@ecoranchusa]

Thank you! Milo is also known as sorghum and is, in itself a wonder grain. We use it here because it is inexpensive to buy. Every region of the world has different demands for grains and we all can tailor our feed mixes to our regional availability. The mix I give you in this video is a 19% protein mix. For a general chick/duck starter and duck maintenance. the protein should be increased to 28% for the first 4-5 weeks, then lowered to around 23-25%. I feed this to ALL my birds, as the ducks free range with the chickens. The feed recipe can be downloaded here: eco-ranch.us/POULTRYFEEDMIX.pdf If you just add one extra part of ground soy to this mix, you will be around the 25% protein content. There are also many things you can substitute for soy. I have been working with a rancher in Nigeria to develop a feed mix for him. The research on grains and potential alternative feeds is priceless and I will be sharing all this in the next feed video, soon!

[@danieljuarez-ln7sn]

You made a comment about spent hens.. What was the practice of processing those out of production..

[@ecoranchusa]

It varies greatly among commercial producers. Up until the '70's, they would appear in grocery stores as "stewing hens". Then, as the science progressed, laying hens were fed just enough feed to keep them laying at an optimum level until their first molt, when they were taken out of production..... most of them. These would have very little meat on their bones and were no longer suited for sale. The company I worked for, has a contract with Campbell's soup to provide them our spent hens. However they has so little meat on them it cost more to extract the meat than the meat was worth, so Campbell's cancelled the contract. We started killing and burying them With a small homestead, many will keep the hens laying until the second molt, then process them as "stewing hens". Here, we remove all the meat from the bones and grind it to make burgers, tacos and the like. Same with surplus adult roosters.

[@kaydencejewell64]

I was hoping you would be able to tell where you purchased your different product from. I'm in the process of looking for products and it has been really confusing.

[@ecoranchusa]

+Frugal Farmer I was able to get everything from our local feed store here. Of the three near me, only two were able to get the ground soy, so that is the tough one. Otherwise, your area feed store should be able order for you, the milo, wheat, cracked corn, millet and (probably)soy meal. A more expensive substitute for soy, is commercial fish food, watch the protein content though. SOME feed stores, usually those affiliated with a feed mill, carry the vitamin/mineral premix. If not, so as we do and order from ABC at: www.abcplus.biz/abc2.aspx?Id=Poultry_All_In_One_Premix GOOD LUCK!

[@richardlove4287]

Hi Robert,great video! I'm a free range chicken farmer in Queensland Australia and I'm just wondering if you augment your feed with any calcium for shell integrity, also do you guys make grit available for their crops to handle the whole grain and finally do you add any vitamins or minerals to make the mix compleat? I really love the simplicity of your feed and would love to try it out on my ladies, we are currently running 800 birds so any saving would be great as long as the girls are happy and healthy on the mix. If you are on Facebook , you can look up "Fig Tree Farm eggs" and have a look at our little set up, we use old caravans with mesh floors to keep and move our girls around the paddocks, they free range all day and then put themselfs to bed at night, thanks for the vid, Richard.

[@ecoranchusa]

+Richard Love Thanks for watching and for writing, Richard! I neglected to say three very important things in that first feed video! First, yes, calcium carbonate should be available in separate containers at all times, even sprinkled on the ground. Most people use crushed oyster shell for this, but there are other types out there and one.... which I cannot recall.... is absorbed easier than oyster shell! Second, grit should be available, though oyster shell in many cases does a fine job. My birds always have lots oyster shell in their gizzards when we slaughter them. Most free range birds are able to forage the needed grit, but supplying extra does NO harm! At least three times in these comments, I have said that I neglected to address a vitamin/mineral premix in the video. That was a huge oversight! We did not need to add one in our farm in north Florida, so I was not in the "habit" of talking about premix. Unless you live in a lush area like a year-around jungle, or Florida, you MUST add a premix of vitamin & minerals to my mix. The grains alone do not supply the needed nutrients. While my grain mix provides complete amino acids, it lacks necessary vitamins and minerals. Free ranging on grasses and insects, lots of these, MIGHT make up for it, but to get the production we want from our birds, in terms of egg production or feed/meat conversion, the premix is great insurance and should be used in every stage, particularly up to 6 weeks of age. I always go and look at other people's videos! I could not find yours though in a search for "fig tree farm eggs". If you send me the URL, I will go and watch!

[@richardlove4287]

Hi Robert, thanks for replying so quickly, I thought I'd have to add some cal grit and minerals etc but just had to make sure. I'm going to town tomorrow or Monday to get the ingredients to try your mix out, do you think I should pass it through a hammer mill first or is it better to leave it whole, also my birds are fed 17% protein using blood meal as the primary protein , how would I get your mix to that ratio? Just add three parts soymeal instead of three and a half? My email is [e-mail] if you send me a hello, I'll send you the link to our Facebook page for you to have a look. Have you ever sprouted your wheat/barley seeds? We built an auto sprouter that works really well if your feeding livestock,it could save you heaps of money. I'll send some pics in the email too, thanks again, Richard.

[@ecoranchusa]

+Richard Love For production birds, using a hammer mill will give the birds a finely ground feed that will digest faster and speed egg production and weight gain. Not grinding feed, has the birds feeling fuller, longer and slows feed consumption, but also slows weight gain and egg production slightly. So it would be your call as to what is important. Work the math on the blood meal as another ingredient, then bring the ix to the protein level you want. I prefer 20%, but chickens can survive on the 16-17% all right. I will get an e-mail to you, but I was looking for you on KZbin, not FACEBOOK. I will try there right now!

[@ecoranchusa]

+eco-ranch.us I forgot to mention sprouted barley. YES, by all means that is a wonderful food supplement. We will be using that here as soon as the greenhouse is up and running. We have to use a fodder system to grow it here!

[@MultiNailz]

Thank you very much for sharing. Great information!!! 👍💕

[@yoimayaimangang2642]

Thanks 4 information but 1 thingy pls write on display the name of needed mixure of i credentials corps amount thanx

[@AnnaAnna-xe2lx]

Thank you very much for sharing,

[@prepperdaddydavis1745]

I must say I enjoyed your doomsday episode ad am assuming you had more up your sleeve than what you wanted the world to see. This video is awesome I am a fan. that rooster is calling for the pot however. lol I am going to stock up on my wheat and honey.

[@ecoranchusa]

+prepper daddy Davis My only agenda was to prove to a local publicity hound who never met a reporter he didn't try to get to write a story about him, that ANYONE can get publicity if they say the right words! The show was a farce, over dramatic and poorly produced. They did not want to see all the foods that grew here we can eat, only rattlesnakes that we avoid and they brought with them! They edited to make us look bad and outright misstated facts about us, like the "210 gallons" of water we had stored (it was nearly 7000 then) and omitted the realities about wheat, honey, spirulina and so forth! I am ashamed to be associated with all those crazy white people who want to shoot their guns and talk a big game. We, like many rural folk, indigenous peoples and most Mormons ARE prepared for the worst at all times and we, not a yuppie with guns, will survive a disaster....... BUT, thank you for writing and watching!

[@Mundo_Diverso]

Love your wall built with bottle glass

[@ecoranchusa]

Thanks! It is a lot more work, but we really love it too!

[@hazelray743]

thanks for posting this video!

[@lasisiabiodun9141]

Thanks for the info, I understand the chicken need some vitamins, does the soy supply all the needed vitamins?

[@ecoranchusa]

+Anyafulu Lasisi Abiodun No. Soy has some missing things, as does each grain individually. Only by combining do you get a decent balance. STILL, I recommend using a premix as insurance!

[@barrettgpeck]

Not sure where you are at in Texas bud, but call up McKinney Grain and we can get you sorted with some good stuff. I'm sure we can get you sorted real good like.

[@ecoranchusa]

Thank you! But I am in the Big Bend. That is 500 miles from Mc Kinney!

[@IntensityR6]

Do you guys ship or suggest a location? Im in San Antonio

[@pabbloesccobrar2106]

can this work in broilers

[@ecoranchusa]

Yes, I developed it for broilers!

[@akamjo1]

Thanks for the good video I used

[@mikeshomestead9411]

I love the idea of mixing my own custom feed. Do you offer your chickens oyster shell as a calcium supplement or is the calcium in the premix you mentioned? Thanks.

[@mikeshomestead9411]

+eco-ranch.us Thank you. I have been feeding my layers a layer pellet made here in the northeast by a family owned feed company called Poulin Grains, so offering extra calcium hasn't been an issue for me. I totally agree that as small producers we can offer our birds more and get the best possible quality with less emphasis on quantity. Again thank you for the response and I will be sure to check out more of your videos for some common sense approach to raising chickens!

[@ecoranchusa]

+Mikes Homestead We offer calcium in a separate feeder, as should all flock owners. Our premix does contain calcium, but since, like most of our followers, we are not depending on the flock for our income, I feel it is best to overfeed vitamins, minerals and protein. This is pretty much what people do with vitamins: they take too much and just pee the rest out, rather than risk deficiency.For those trying to earn a living with their flocks, follow the "industry guidelines" for vitamins, minerals and protein. You won't have the extra, good, clean chicken fat we do, but your costs will be a couple percentage points lower.

[@ecoranchusa]

+Mikes Homestead Like I keep saying, if you can find a local feed mill that producers their own feed mix, WITHOUT using binders to cold press pellets, you are far better off. Usually with these, like the one we have found, you need only add a some ground soy or fish meal to raise protein and can toss milo, wheat and millet out as scratch to give the flock something to peck and scratch at during the day.

[@farmerjon72]

Can I substitute the milo for black sunflower seeds? I work for a farmer so I get all the corn I need. Wheat from a neighbor, but nobody grows milo around here. I asked around at the feed mill and they didn't know either. I'm in northeastern Nebraska. we are all corn, soybeans and a little bit of wheat and oats around here. I will be feeding this to ducks and geese. They are free range as well.

[@farmerjon72]

Nevermind I just watched your other video. Thanks.

[@ecoranchusa]

Good luck and do keep us all posted! By the way everyone, "milo" is sorghum.

[@Flowerhen]

Hi there, I just found your channel !! Love the videos. What state do you live in? You mentioned your winter storm in the Northeast but it looks like you are in the desert.

[@ecoranchusa]

+Flowerhen I sometimes don't make myself clear..... sorry! We live about 25 miles north of the Mexican border, near Terlingua, Texas......... right in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert! I sometimes joke about the "Reality TV Channel", formerly known as the "Weather Channel" and their silly naming of "Winter storms" in the name of ratings. I think you heard me tossing sarcasm their way!

[@Flowerhen]

I can't stand the weather channel, as they have turned political and sound like the main stream media at this point. ugh. You live in Texas. Good for you !! =) I like your new governor, but do you ever have trouble with "border crossers"??

[@ecoranchusa]

+Flowerhen No one wants to be in this desert without transportation! It is one of the hardest to exist in on North America! The very few that try, usually come up to someone's place and want either water, or for the Border Patrol to be called to take them back! We have never had anyone yet! I think the most unforgiveable thing about "The (poorly produced Canadian) Reality Channel", is the complete turnaround the talking heads had been forced to do about climate change. The new CEO of that "channel" is a climate change denying cretin who has forced even Jim Cantore to ignore the one scientific fact that 97% of the world's scientists agree on: MAN MADE CLIMATE CHANGE. Never before in history have 97% of the people of science agreed on a single point! Yet now, for a paycheck and conservative ratings, it is never mentioned....... I think the new CEO is getting ready to run for governor of Florida where the sheep that live there allow that thinking!

[@kumara5492]

well spoken . Thanks for the information,