The Truth Behind Most Commercial Chicken Feed: What They Don’t Tell You

Let's discuss what's in chicken feed. Nearly all layer feeds contain soy, fishmeal, or fillers to give chickens the nutrients that they would naturally get while foraging outside for plants and insects.

In fact, prior to 2019, all commercial layer feeds excluded insect protein, an essential part of a chicken’s natural diet. Today, nearly all premium poultry feeds contain either soy or fishmeal, a protein chickens don’t naturally forage for outside.

What’s natural about giving our chickens fish from the ocean? How do these “fishy” ingredients make our eggs taste? How is this hurting our overfished oceans?

Here’s the catch- like fishmeal, every ingredient that goes into food for pets has to be approved by the FDA and The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO is an independent organization who works closely with the FDA and USDA) for every type of animal. This includes pet chickens. It wasn’t until 2019 when the FDA and AAFCO approved black soldier fly larvae as a healthy feed ingredient for poultry feed.

Now that black soldier fly grubs are approved by the FDA to nourish chickens the way nature intended, you’ll start seeing grub-based feeds for your chickens (the way it should be).

Soon, those fishmeal feeds will become a thing of the past, especially as the health of our oceans continue to deteriorate, causing a shift in our current agricultural system. Sustainably raised, healthy grubs will be the primary source of protein chickens, the way nature intended. Plus, you’ll happily kiss fishmeal-feeds goodbye when you learn how healthy grub-based feed is for your chickens and the planet.

While most commercial layer feeds claim to be “natural,” this term is frequently marketed and entirely unregulated by the FDA.

Unfortunately, we need to do our homework with our pet food and cannot rely on a quick glance at the label for some most brands. This becomes especially important for backyard chicken owners who are feeding their family and friends with the eggs that their hens lay.

The key to a natural diet is to start with what chickens eat in nature, and then craft a recipe as close to that as possible with nutrient-dense gifts from the earth, vitamins, and minerals. The natural diet of chickens includes a mix of insects and plants to help them stay strong, healthy and happy.

When chickens forage, they dig and search for grubs, all sorts of bugs, and occasionally, small animals like lizards and frogs. As they forage, they also gobble up various vegetation and plants.

Chickens are actually not vegetarians. They are hunters, scavengers and omnivores. Plus, they’ll even beg for food, just like other pets. It’s up to us to provide the healthiest, most natural diet they can get.

Comparing Popular Chicken Feed Formulas

 *All data listed above is accurate as of November 3rd, 2022.

Common Questions Regarding Chicken Feed Quality

Unsure where to start when comparing chicken feeds? We recommend you review how to read your feed's label and use these common questions to guide you on your journey to the best feed for your flock:

Why Can’t I find an Ingredients List for a Chicken Feed?

Many companies are less-than-transparent about their ingredients and guaranteed analysis. While the FDA requires that pet and animal feed products list their ingredients on their packaging, it is not required that they do so online.

Some companies use a least-cost ingredients inclusion method which is why you will find some brand sew their ingredient labels and guaranteed analysis onto the bottom of their bags. This allows them to reformulate their ingredients based on the market prices of individual ingredients. The downside to this is that you never know what you’re going to get if you use that brand. 

Two problems that arise with brands that cycle ingredients based on market fluctuations is that your chickens may struggle to adjust to the changes from bag-to-bag–or you may wind up with a feed that has an ingredient your chickens struggle to digest.

Does Where a Chicken Feed Is Made Matter? How about Where the Ingredients Are Source?

Yes. First, the U.S. has some of the best standards of oversight when it comes to pet and animal feed oversight and regulations. Additionally, when you buy chicken feed made in the U.S., you can expect a fresh product since it’s not getting shipped from overseas. When comparing where ingredients are sourced, you want peace of mind that they’re grown in sanitary conditions.

Finally, in addition to providing your flock with a better quality, likely safer feed, when you opt for US-made products, you’re helping to sustain American jobs and the economy.

At Grubbly Farms, our feeds only use grubs grown in the U.S. and Canada from farmers that follow E.U. standards

Do all USDA Organic Chicken Feeds Source Their Ingredients from the US?

No. A product may have a country of origin outside of the US, even if it’s USDA certified. This means that even with a USDA certification, your chicken feed could source ingredients from anywhere in the world and produce their feed outside of the U.S.

Is Organic Always Better?

We believe that it's completely up to the consumer whether or not organic is a better choice for their flock. Especially, since many chicken owners want to be able to sell their eggs at a premium price that comes along with the organic label.

So, if you're on the fence or you want to try a sustainable, all-natural feed like Fresh Pecks that offers exceptional quality but is not technically "organic," here are some pros and cons:

Pros:

• Overall, organic produce is known to be less harmful to the soil and water.
• Organic feeds do not use GMO ingredients.
• Organic ingredients are free from synthetic chemical pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and fertilizers.
• Some forms of organic produce have higher levels of nutrition.

Cons:

• Often the cost of getting certified USDA organic is forwarded onto the customer through product prices.
• Organic products often have a shorter shelf life.
• A feed does not need to be 100% organic to be labeled as organic.
• Feed just labeled as USDA organic need to only be 95% organic.
• Products "made with" organic ingredient need to only be 70% organic.
• International organic farming has had negative effects on child labor and subsistence farming.
• Organic farming requires more land use due to the lower yield per acre. This results in more CO2 emissions while harvesting.
• Natural pesticides and herbicides in organic farming can be dangerous to humans. One of the more common ones being Rotenone.
• Pathogens such as e. coli have been found in higher concentrations in organic produce.

Why Are Grubblies and Grubbly Farm Feeds Not Organic?

Our grubs are grown using a model that promotes sustainability by repurposing pre-consumer waste that would normally wind up in a landfill. This include fruits, veggies, and grains that businesses didn't sell or were a bit on the ugly side. Because of the ratio of non-organic to organic foods in general, our grubs only wind up with non-organic diet as they help to combat the food waste epidemic. This results in the main protein we use to fuel your flock as non-organic.

As of now, there are no organic black soldier fly grubs available globally.

The Value Behind Grubbly Farms Feeds 

Grubbly Farms feeds are crafted with care, here in the U.S. We also source our ingredients from farmers and suppliers within the U.S. and North America.

Additionally, our feeds are formulated to reduce your flock's carbon footprint while providing your gals with a feed that is more wholly utilized by their bodies. We also include prebiotics and probiotics that reflect a chicken's natural diet to support a healthy gut microbiome and a strong immune system defense.

Finally, we are committed to:

• Only using grubs that follow EU standards, including never being treated with artificial chemicals.
• Providing backyard flocks with the best-formulated recipes using high-quality, farm-fresh ingredients that have been reviewed by veterinary nutritionists.
• Never using cheap fillers with subpar nutrition such as corn and soybeans.
• Always using practices and ingredients that promote sustainability (this is why we don't use corn or soy).
• Never including GMO ingredients or funky by-products.

If you are one of many chicken moms or dads who is looking for a healthy, natural, and completely fish-free diet for your chickens, Grubbly Farms introduced the world’s first of its kind.

And it’s not just chickens who have been gobbling up this sweet-smelling, fresh, grub-based feed. Ducks, quail, turkeys, peafowl, and geese are loving it too.

Grubbly Fresh Pecks is the world’s first naturally-balanced feed that replaces fishmeal with black soldier fly grub protein, packed with nutrients. It’s made with farm-grown insect protein and plant-based ingredients, empowering you to feed your flock the way nature intended.

With a healthy mix of grubs, plants, essential amino-acids, vitamins, and minerals, you can keep your whole feathered family strong, healthy and happy.