Organic chicken feed production vs. conventional

Scratch and Peck Feeds has built its business on the premise that non-GMO, organic chicken feed is healthier than conventional feed for chickens and humans alike. But what are the major differences between the two?

Ingredients
For starters, what goes into the feeds can be quite different. In a conventional feed, the producer starts with commercially-grown grains. These are grains that often come from genetically-modified seeds (GMO) and are treated with a variety of pesticides to protect them. Corn and soy are two common ingredients. Soy, according to Diana Ambauen-Meade, is being over-consumed in the U.S. and is creating soy allergies in people that didn’t previously exist. Also added to the mix are antibiotics, amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

In an organic feed the grains must come from organic sources and, in Scratch and Peck’s case, from non-GMO-verified sources. These grains would be pesticide-free and antibiotic-free. No soy is used in Scratch and Peck’s feed but often oats and other “treat-like” grains are added. Organic feed producers are allowed to add certain vitamins and minerals, but are very restricted in this area.

Milling
The process of production – and the end result – is very different between the two as well. In a conventional feed production setting, the ingredients are mixed together and ground down very fine. Then, they are steamed and essentially cooked together. Next, this cooked product is pressed through a sort of sieve to make it into small pellets. Often, these pellets are coated with preservatives before being packaged up and shipped out. Here is a chart showing the typical conventional process.

The production of an organic, mash-style feed such as what Scratch and Peck produces is much less intensive. Grains are ground separately and only small enough to allow chickens to swallow and digest them. This leaves the grains very coarse. Then, the ingredients are mixed together. Once they are thoroughly mixed, the mix is bagged up and shipped out.

The jury is still out on whether it is worth the increased costs to grow – and purchase – organic products, but people like Ambauen-Meade believe potential benefits for consumers’ health outweigh the costs.