# Chicken Feed Ration Using Blood Meal As A Source Of Protein



## KittyCat (Dec 1, 2010)

What has been your experience in using blood meal as a source of protein (90%) in a chicken feed ration? When combined with other ingredients (corn, wheat, etc) and vitamins, specifically formulated for chickens (sold in bulk) I have found it to be a good inexpensive protein source for a layer ration. Also, I have not come across any articles published by a university, government or trade group on the internet linking chickens and "mad cow" disease as a result of using blood meal.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Not a lot of real experience with it on my part but it should be a good protein supplement for poultry. Compared to most animal products, it is not the most "complete" or balanced protein, but depending on their other food sources this might not be an issue. As chickens are omnivorous, animal products are a very useful supplement and disease transmission in this manner is rare.

http://www.feedipedia.org/node/221


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## gardenshepherd (Dec 11, 2013)

KittyCat said:


> What has been your experience in using blood meal as a source of protein (90%) in a chicken feed ration? When combined with other ingredients (corn, wheat, etc) and vitamins, specifically formulated for chickens (sold in bulk) I have found it to be a good inexpensive protein source for a layer ration. Also, I have not come across any articles published by a university, government or trade group on the internet linking chickens and "mad cow" disease as a result of using blood meal.


You can hang something dead in your chicken house, chickens love maggots, they are a good source of protein, best of all they are free.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I only use blood & bone mill on plant, but It is not cheap.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

gardenshepherd said:


> You can hang something dead in your chicken house, chickens love maggots, they are a good source of protein, best of all they are free.


It's best to put the dead critter in a bucket (with a lid) and small holes around the perimeter on the bottom for the maggots to crawl out of. My chickens love the maggots but HATE the smell of anything dead and will not go near it!


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## KittyCat (Dec 1, 2010)

crabapple said:


> I only use blood & bone mill on plant, but It is not cheap.


When I purchase blood meal I buy it in bulk - 50 pound bags. It has been several months since my last purchase and I paid @ $1 per pound. I know the price has risen because of the recent drought that caused many ranchers to sell their livestock due to lack of forage. I do not buy blood meal from a feed company, but from a company that sells fertilizer to landscape contractors and golf courses.


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## KittyCat (Dec 1, 2010)

cowboyhermit said:


> Not a lot of real experience with it on my part but it should be a good protein supplement for poultry. Compared to most animal products, it is not the most "complete" or balanced protein, but depending on their other food sources this might not be an issue. As chickens are omnivorous, animal products are a very useful supplement and disease transmission in this manner is rare.
> 
> http://www.feedipedia.org/node/221


Thanks for the link. I have read this previously and appreciate your research as it has been some time since I reviewed it. I attempted, without success to find one of the author's citations (abstract) regarding optimal percent use of blood meal for layer rations. The feedipedia article addresses broilers not layers.


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## KittyCat (Dec 1, 2010)

LincTex said:


> It's best to put the dead critter in a bucket (with a lid) and small holes around the perimeter on the bottom for the maggots to crawl out of. My chickens love the maggots but HATE the smell of anything dead and will not go near it!


The use of maggots is an excellent source of protein for both chickens and fish. I read a scholarly college text book some years ago where the authors cited fish farmers making a feeding device using window screening (metal wire cloth) with a funnel opening at the bottom that allowed flies to enter but not escape. The trapped flies buzzing and moving about attracted more flies that in turn entered the trap and bred more maggots. Like your bucket they fell to the bottom and finally into the water feeding the fish. Several years later I mentioned feeding chickens with maggots to a veterinarian and was informed that maggots were an unhealthy source of feed as they are vectors of disease and can transmit such to birds and humans. I can understand this if eggs are handled in an unhealthy fashion. However, itt made no sense as prior to the advent of antibiotics doctors used maggots to remove gangrene flesh from wounds. Maggots will only eat rotting flesh. The FDA also has no issue with maggots (obviously sterile) and has approved their use for treatment where antibiotics are not successful. Finally if maggots are so unhealthy homesteaders should do everything to prevent their introduction to the flock,


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

KittyCat said:


> When I purchase blood meal I buy it in bulk - 50 pound bags....I paid @ $1 per pound. .


That's too much money. 
I can get bulk hot dogs way cheaper than $1 a pound and feed those to my chickens if they need more protein.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

LincTex said:


> That's too much money.
> I can get bulk hot dogs way cheaper than $1 a pound and feed those to my chickens if they need more protein.


Yeah but (according to a quick search) hotdogs are only around 10% protein, blood meal is around 90% :dunno:


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## KittyCat (Dec 1, 2010)

LincTex said:


> That's too much money.
> I can get bulk hot dogs way cheaper than $1 a pound and feed those to my chickens if they need more protein.


Perhaps you've heard the phrase " three square meals a day". This is actually a formula for preparing a livestock ration, where you draw a square (template) to determine the proper ratio of blood meal to other supplements in order to arrive at a specific protein ration. Suppose you want a 22% protein ration for growing baby chicks. Blood meal is 85% protein and you dilute it with wheat fines (9% protein). The final ration works out as follows. For one hundred pounds of feed you will mix 63 pounds of wheat fines with 17 pounds of blood meal. Add 3 pounds of livestock vitamins (sold in bulk - 30 pounds) to the mix. You now have 103 pounds of feed. My cost breaks down as follows:

Blood meal @ $1.00 per pound $17.00 17 lbs
Wheat fines @ $ .05 per pound $ 3.15 63 lbs
Vitamins @ $2.00 per pound $ 6.00 3 lbs

Total Cost for 100 lbs $26.15

Compare this to store bought 22% grower ration 100 lbs @$16.00 per 50 lb bag: $32.00

Cost Savings: $ 3.85

When you have many chickens to feed $3.85 times several hundred pounds adds up quickly.

Most homesteaders do not make much profit when they sell their eggs. Obviously if your hens free range and eat maggots and other "delectable chicken cuisine" your costs go down considerably as you need less feed. Finally, laying hens need @16% protein so this ration will change when egg production begins.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

cowboyhermit said:


> Yeah but (according to a quick search) hotdogs are only around 10% protein, blood meal is around 90% :dunno:


Good point. 
Not sure of local availability... need to check into this.

How much does fish meal cost? That is what a lot of feed blenders use.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

LincTex said:


> That's too much money.
> I can get bulk hot dogs way cheaper than $1 a pound and feed those to my chickens if they need more protein.


But it is a good price for BM.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

We use meat meal here in our feed. Pay about $30.00 per 50lb bag, it's 50% protein, has lots of bone bits etc in it as well  We don't mix it in to feed but let everyone help themselves, they self regulate. 
We also feed maggots, we just hang the meat in a tree and let the chickens feed on what drops. They have never shown an aversion to it, they'll dig right in if they can.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Wellrounded said:


> ... we just hang the meat in a tree and let the chickens feed on what drops..


'****, Possums, Buzzards, etc. would take that hangin' meat first chance they get.

Concerning the "bucket with holes in the bottom" device I mentioned earlier...
I have now had TWO of said buckets destroyed by something that wanted the dead critter inside pretty darn bad. Iused to hang them away from my "Fort Knox" chicken coop/run, but now it'll have to go inside with them.

Good Lord, I'm glad I built the thing so stout! I need to buy some game cams and place them around it!


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