Re: Switching from growers to layers

In message 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Michael 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
> "Krys Francis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Jill
> > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
> > >I forget
> > >what do you have so strongly against barley
> > >Its not a factor up here [its just not avaiable] but just curious
> >
> > It's not just me, barley grain is fine for ducks not for chickens. I'm
> > surprised that you don't know the reason.
>
> I confess ignorance.  Barley isn't readily available in the States (if you
> find it in the grocery store, that box or two were put there when the store
> opened) and I've seen it in the feed and seed store.
>
> Curiosity has me...why shouldn't chickens get barley?

Chickens don't have the enzyme necessary to digest barley, waterfowl do.
I've read more recently in a research paper, that feeding barley to 
chickens leads to high viscosity in the intestines reducing nutrient 
uptake. So it may be that apart from getting little from the barley as I 
had initially thought, barley may actually be bad for chickens.
Barley & wheat are usually the cheapest grains available in UK & wheat, 
at least, often makes up a large part of pellet & mash feeds. Barley is 
sometimes an ingredient too but then the enzyme needed for digestion is 
also added to the feed. In a scratch grain feed I can't see that the 
enzyme would be added, but I could be wrong.
>

--

Regards


Krys
www.lluestfarmpoultry.co.uk