animal feed prices

[Toepopper]

I picked up 2 fifty pound sacks of rabbit feed today and was shocked to find out that the price has jumped to $16.50 per sack!! Last month it was $10.50 and in July it was 8 bucks per sack so it has doubled in price since July. As a consequence of this extreme cost increase, to try and keep costs down I now am forced to scrounge for a substitute feed like garden greens, grasses and grape leaves. The rabbits love grape leaves but this adds one more time consuming chore to my daily routine. A rancher friend of mine told me that bales of alfalfa had spiked to $32.00 per bail which is double what it cost a year ago, and might go up even more.

[whitewolf]

Animal feeds question I read somewhere that there are people who are poor ( like Me ) who cant afford to stock up for hard times and have begun buying from feed stores 50 lb bags,for human consumption, ( alfalfa, oats, some grains ) and then vacuum packing is this possible what does everyone think of this ? ?



Bob

[Toepopper]

Sounds like a good idea. I have some injection type antibiotics on hand that were made for using on animals; on the bottle it reads NOT FOR HUMAN USE, however, a long time friend who is a doctor told me that these drugs were manufactured to the same specifications as drugs used for humans. The only thing that worries me about consuming animal feed is the chemicals they sprayed on it during the growing season, like insecticides. I have popped a couple rabbit pellets and they are corn and alfalfa mixed with salt. No doubt edible if faced with starvation.

[Watchman]

A friend of mine swears by rice bran that is packaged for horses. He says it is essential for good heart health. I tried some and it didn't do anything as far as "things going wrong". I did not take it long enough to see if there were any good effects. It was a couple of tablespoons in my oatmeal.

[cowboy38229]

Unless you're buying certified organic grown grain, it all comes from the same fields, even the genetic engineered corn has made it into the food supply.
When I drove a truck I hauled grits ,cornmeal and flour for a name brand co. and also hauled animal feed and been inside the facility,other than the health inspectors and the human side being cleaner their is not that much difference.
As far as stocking up on grain from the co-op or local feed store sounds like a great idea. In a life or death ,eat it or starve to death scenario corn, wheat ,oats,barley,alfalfa for sproating from any source is going to be a darn sight better than starvation.

MY TWO CENTS

[whitewolf]

Thanks guys I'm painted into a corner financially in such a way i'll have to

try it, we'll let you know.....soon as I know something....

Bob

[bee_pipes]

Do you have room to grow your own? We're trying wheat this year on a 120th acre cleared out back.

http://preparedness-survival.com/phpBB/ ... php?t=6669

Regards,
Pat

[whitewolf]

I wish but we have Just 1 acre,

Bob

[bee_pipes]

Sorry - that last post should have read 1/10 acre.

There is also a free pdf called "Grain in the Garden" - that was the original article that got me looking into this. The book "Small Scale Grain" is a wealth of information about grain and a worthwhile read just for the topic it covers.

Regards,
Pat

[whitewolf]

1/10 th of an acre is more like it now I'm listening and interested,

Bob

[dejure]

I assure you no extra care is generally taken to grow crops for people than is done for animals. There is only one set of rules - fight off the things that kill the crops and feed the crops whatever they need to give the highest yield.

I base my statement on that I helped farm a few hundred acres in Eastern Washington. As such, I had both an intimate knowledge of the treatment of our crops, and had a close working relationship with other farmers (we sometimes had to borrow equipment, like 100 plus hp electric motor for a water pump for the irrigation system, or a swather while ours was down). Also, in Boon-Tuley USA, other farmers were, to some degree, our social life (it was 45 min. to town, no matter what direction you traveled).

My farmer buddy sought to produce nutritious crops. Instead of just flooding the fields in nitrogen and other chemicals, we dumped hundreds of tons of compost on them (I know, I shoveled every one of them). Aside from the organic growers (do not confuse them with "chemical free growers, who produce things without government approved organic growing chemicals), we were unusual. Still, we had a $40,000.00 bill for fertilizers, mineral compounds and insecticides for our small farm. All the food went to people. It only went to the cattle and horses if it didn't sell to the grainery or such.

[hacon1]

I can get a 50 lbs. bag for about $9.00 here.