What do Chickens Eat?

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March 13, 2024

Polyface Farm stands as a testament to sustainable agriculture, where the principles of ethical farming and environmental stewardship converge. We raise a variety of animals, both omnivores and herbivores, ensuring their well-being and the quality of their diet.

Among our fellow co-laborers in our stewardship are chickens, pigs, turkeys, rabbits, and cows, each with its own dietary needs. While chickens, pigs, and turkeys thrive on an omnivorous diet, rabbits and cows are natural herbivores. Even our omnivore herds and flocks, raised using nature’s template, require additional sustenance beyond grazing.

While historically these animals would have roamed for miles to gather necessary proteins, we can't do that. Our neighbors wouldn't approve, and our ecological development would be greatly diminished without gently guiding the animals where we need them and managing (stewarding) our property well. We cannot deprive our animals of the proteins they require just because we have manmade laws like property boundaries.

Instead, we provide locally milled whole-grain feed, ensuring our animals receive a balanced diet while minimizing our environmental footprint.

All our feeds are GMO-free. Our custom blend comprises whole roasted soybeans, corn, oats, a small amount of fish meal, and a Fertrell mineral mix, providing essential nutrients while excluding animal by-products, fillers, hormones, or antibiotics.

Our laying hens also receive calcium and lime mixed in for their shell quality.

We tailor the feed ratios and amounts to match the specific protein requirements of different animals, including pigs, turkeys, laying hens, broiler chickens, chicks, poults, and ducks. This personalized approach ensures optimal health and growth for each species under our care.

It's essential to note our use of whole roasted soybeans, distinct from traditional soy products. This is not soy. We don’t use soy. We use whole-roasted soybeans. The difference is equivalent to high fructose corn syrup versus corn on the cob.

In essence, we at Polyface exemplify a holistic approach to animal nutrition, where sustainability, ethical practices, and nutritional quality link by prioritizing the well-being of our animals and the integrity of our environment.

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Why Choose Fermented Foods?

My grandparents on my father’s side used to make sauerkraut in wooden barrels in the basement. My mother’s side made cheese and salami. I could smell these concoctions throughout the entire house. Fermenting is part of your national heritage, no matter your family’s country of origin. Alongside nourishing grass-fed/grass-finished pastured meats like Polyface raises, every person should include real fermented foods into their diet. This method of food preservation goes back farther than most realize, reconnecting us with ancient traditions, long before the refrigerator-freezer was invented. Every culture consumed something fermented every day. Here are the reasons why I like fermented foods. Fermentation preserves food without using high pressure, high heat, or chemicals, so it both conserves and increases them. The nutritional value of fermented foods lies mostly in the pro-biotic bacteria that are present, and byproducts of their digestion. The bacteria’s digestive “waste” is a collection of vitamins, enzymes, and co-factors needed for every system of the body. These include: Vitamins B1, B6, B12, C, and K2 Superoxide dismutase (SOD, an antioxidant) GTF chromium (assists sugar metabolism) Glutathione (a potent detoxifier) Phospholipids (cell membrane building blocks) Digestive enzymes Beta 1,2 glucans (present in shiitake mushrooms; modulates immune system) Fermentation neutralizes or eliminates these: Phytic acid (present in seeds, nuts, beans, legumes) Enzyme inhibitors (also present in seeds, nuts, beans, legumes) Nitrites Prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) Oxalic acid (binds minerals) Nitrosamines (known carcinogen) Glucosides Probiotics and enzymes in whey neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, allowing your digestion to access the nutrients in the food. Enzymes are proteins. Proteins are delicate molecules with very complex structure and shape. The structure of the enzyme gives it its function. Without structure and form, the enzyme will not do its job of catalyzing biochemical reactions. Without enzymes, biochemical reactions would cease. Enzymes are denatured (unraveled or broken down) by high pressure, high heat, acidic conditions, toxic chemicals, and electrical disturbances. Once denatured, they lose their form and shape, therefore they lose their function. Unlike canning and commercial processing, fermenting occurs at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, encouraging beneficial bacteria to thrive. Temperatures above 117 degrees Fahrenheit denature enzymes and kill probiotic bacteria. If you wonder what 117 degrees feels like, it’s the temperature at which you cannot touch an object with your bare hands and hold it for a few seconds. If it’s hot, but you can still touch and hold it in your hand and not pull away, it’s under 117 degrees. This innate protection mechanism (i.e., reflex) prevents your own protein (i.e., skin on your finger) from being denatured. It’s also a good indicator of when your food is hot enough to kill probiotics and denature enzymes. For best results, fermented foods must be eaten raw, never hot or cooked. Fermented foods are safe and protective against pathogens. USDA scientist Roger McFeeters, who oversees a fermentation laboratory, says, “The lactobacilli can number a billion per gram of tissue at the height of fermentation. The bad bacteria can't compete." According to McFeeters, lacto-fermentation has caused no known food-borne illness. "As far as we know, it's been going on for thousands of years. It's perfectly safe.” The sauerkraut that my grandparents made had a layer of raw pork chops embedded in the salted cabbage. When the sauerkraut was done, you could safely eat the pork chops raw! They were pre-digested by the bacteria, and “cooked" by the organic acids in the kraut. Probiotics prevented pathogens from establishing. None of us ever got food poisoning. My grandmother lived to be 100. Fermented foods have anti-carcinogenic properties. They normalize blood pressure and heart rate, help to break down fat in the liver, and maintain healthy systemic pH. And they are quite tasty. In the supermarket, look for fermented foods in the refrigerated section, not on the shelf with canned foods. Shelf-stable canned foods were subjected to high temperatures. The probiotics and enzymes have been denatured. Look for “live cultures” or “live probiotics” on the label. Eat something lacto-fermented every day, like your ancestors did. Just a tablespoon or two of sauerkraut or an ounce or two of cheese is enough to have the desired effect. Choose a salad dressing made with raw apple cider vinegar, or a tablespoon of a fermented condiment such as ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise. Try a fermented beverage, like kombucha, beet kvass, or ginger ale. (Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon has some great recipes for all of these.) The original condiments were digestive aids. They’re easy to make. Try it. May you be deeply nourished! Susan

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We've had a breakthrough in soy. We've had our chickens checked by energy fields, pendulums, crystals, chromatography...Now we have definitive proof.

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The older I get, the more grateful I am for my parents who embraced different. Indulge me in a couple of stories from our family's past to illustrate how we relished "maverickness".

What do Chickens Eat?

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