Who is feeding chicken ****?
- Thread starter Cowman42
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Ebenezer
Well-known member
I hope that most of us are smarter and more discerning than that.
simme
Old Dumb Guy
The subject was risk of contracting the bird flu virus. Modern commercial chicken production occurs in enclosed houses. Backyard flocks are outside. The bird flu is most likely to be spread by birds. Which chickens are most likely to come in contact with birds carrying the virus? Those inside an enclosed building or those outside in a free range situation? The free range flock has more chance of exposure to infected wild birds.
4hfarms
Well-known member
I hear what your saying. I just think birds that are able to get all the nutrients from the earth are less likley to contract or get sick from it. Just as any other species and sickness. The healthier you are when you are exposed, the less it will effect you.
Gain of function is another story, completely.
Gain of function is another story, completely.
M.Magis
Well-known member
Thats a nice theory but not reality. Burd flu is spread from bird to bird, outside birds are no less vulnerable. Like mentioned, they could be more vulnerable because of exposure. Just because they peck off the ground means nothing.
Moparmaniac07
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Do chickens not have an immune system?
Though yes, a chicken in a broiler house is less likely to be exposed on an individual level simply due to the fact that they only have 6 weeks to be exposed, while a backyard bird has a few years, but on a location/flock aspect, it'll rip through a broiler house in no time but free rangers are more spread out. Social distancing, if you will.
simme
Old Dumb Guy
Here is the scoop from the Dr. Fauci of backyard chickens. Among the conclusions:
"Free range chickens are more at risk than those kept in an enclosed/covered pen because they're more likely to come in contact with wild birds.
And in fact, if the avian flu is found in your area, your best defense is to stop free ranging immediately and cover your pen or run to prevent wild bird droppings from coming in contact with your flock."
www.fresheggsdaily.blog
"Free range chickens are more at risk than those kept in an enclosed/covered pen because they're more likely to come in contact with wild birds.
And in fact, if the avian flu is found in your area, your best defense is to stop free ranging immediately and cover your pen or run to prevent wild bird droppings from coming in contact with your flock."
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and your Backyard Chickens Updated for 2024
Learn the risks of avian flu or influenza to your backyard flock - and how to protect them from becoming infected.
gman4691
Well-known member
I've known lots of folks who use it for fertilizer but never known anyone to feed it to cows…I'm sure some do but never met anyone who does. I do know from working in a hatchery that we were not allowed to have any birds at home…pets or otherwise…broilers can be pretty susceptible to a number of diseases.
greybeard
Well-known member
There was, a few years ago, a long, and fairly heated thread here at CT about feeding chicken crap to cows.
I know who was involved in doing it but ain't gonna mention her name, but she claimed once 'cured under roof' it smelled just like chocolate.
(You can look for it yourself, assuming it didn't get deleted by mods of the era..may have been around 2011's drought, not sure.)
I know who was involved in doing it but ain't gonna mention her name, but she claimed once 'cured under roof' it smelled just like chocolate.
(You can look for it yourself, assuming it didn't get deleted by mods of the era..may have been around 2011's drought, not sure.)
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Several years ago lots of cured chicken litter was fed. During the mad cow scare the government tried to ban the feeding. It didn't pass but people got quiet about feeding it. I have seen it dumped into a 3 ton creep feeder and allowed cows free access.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Rumen microbes can take the urea (nitrogenous 'waste' product in poultry manure), split off ammonium groups and attach them to carbohydrate chains from grains, etc. in the ration to manufacture amino acids, which are then incorporated into microbial proteins which are then digested and absorbed in the abomasum and intestines.
It's been nearly 50 years since I took Feeds & Feeding in undergrad, but IIRC, at that time, nutritionists were saying you could incorporate litter as part of a ration in levels high enough to supply 1/3 of the protein component of the total ration.
farmerjan
Well-known member
Our cows will do the same thing. We had 2 loads dumped in the "catch lot" about 1-2 acres, and did not shut the gate to the big pasture at the time. The cows came in and were eating it like it was candy... There were rolls of hay in the pasture not 200 ft away, and at the time they also had a couple of protein tubs since the hay was not that great. We were trying to feed some of it out so had good and crummy bales out for them to work on. They climbed the pile and just ate whatever they wanted. The next day I locked them out of there because they were making a mess of it and we wanted to spread it on the field across the street as soon as the rye was cut. They had really gone to town on it, and stood at the gate hollering, wanting back in there for a couple days.
greybeard
Well-known member
Did they give chocolate milk afterwards Jan?
farmerjan
Well-known member
Wouldn't drink it if it were the milk cows eating it, even if it smelled like Hershey's syrup added to the milk...
There are a couple people in the area that feed chicken litter... that said, no, I don't believe in mixing it into a ration... not my cattle, not my thing but if it is legal and someone does it, not my place to comment unless asked. HOWEVER, if they have been on it, and like the couple that feed it and then sell as heavy weight 8's, the cattle come in the ring and you can smell an off smell from them. It is like it just radiates a body odor off the cattle that have been on it.. I also have it from 2 people that used to buy some beef from them, and they said the meat has an off flavor... the one friend... who is friends with both of us... said he could not eat the beef from the one animal and wound up feeding it to his dogs... and got another beef from a neighbor who had a heifer get injured and he fed it grass, hay and some feed for several months... said it was so much better beef than he had had for several years. So he never went back to getting any from the guy that fed litter as part of the ration...
farmerjan
Well-known member
The idea of the cows eating poultry litter is to me like a dog that has to eat sh!t.... YUCK
Thanks, that's interesting but way over my head!
Silver
Well-known member
So then is it fair to say chickens aren't inefficient feeders passing undigested protein through their system but instead form nitrogen which the cows turn into protein?
I've been doing some internet searching trying to learn how an animal as feed efficient as a chicken can have manure so high in protein and not finding anything.
greybeard
Well-known member
Maybe it's not their efficiency so much as the fact they just eat so much? Them feathered critters never seem to stop eating even free range.
