Please help! Figuring out homemade feed recipe...

ChickyMama1220

In the Brooder
Jun 27, 2015
36
3
31
Ok i feel beyond dumb here trying to figure out how much of what item to put into the homemade chicken food i wanna make. I started off with a recipe i found and liked then found another and wanted to combine the two to get more of a variety. Not sure how to do it... heres a list of my ingredients and i am aiming for 18-20% protein for my pullets (12 chickens right now. A couple are roos and will be leaving) so say 10.


Bulk Sunflower Seeds, Raw, Domestic, Organic - 25lbs
Sesame Seeds, Brown, Raw, Organic - 25 lbs
Lentils, Green, Organic - 25 lbs. 25 lbs
Wheat, Hard, Red, Organic - 25 lbs
Green Split Peas, Organic - 25 lbs
Diatomaceous Earth, Codex Grade 50lbs
Chicken Wheat, Organic - 50 lbs
Coconut, Shredded - 5 lbs (maybe more?)
Whole Oats with Hulls Organic - 45 lbs
Azure Farm Flax Seeds, Organic - 25 lbs
Whole Barley - Animal Feed, Organic - 45 lbs.
Thorvin Kelp Gran ASCO Animal (Blue Label), Organic - 50 lbs.

I need help figuring out if this isnt worth getting all of? If some and not others which? id like to make maybe 100 cups at a time (this is like 408lbs but also includes DE. Not sure if you count that in the same since its not "feed")
 
Chickens need amino acids not found in plants and grains. A good quality, locally milled feed will be much better for your birds' health and cheaper than trying to do it all yourself.
 
more accurately, if chickens can be raised with mealworms, whose sole source of food is bran, all those aminoacids are there in vegetable matter. But grains in particular contain various protease inhibitors, that work the same on humans and chickens, impeding protein digestion. The way to get rid of the PI is to ferment the feed. Chickens will still prefer animal foods, but other nutrients will matter equally, zinc, iron, vitamins B12 and K, iron, omega 3 fats and fats in general, and possibly retinol, iodine and selenium.
 
I think I read DE can be 2% of diet and no more.

Could you post the original 2 recipes?

I need help figuring out if this isnt worth getting all of? If some and not others which?
I would not bother with the coconut.

edit: do you want a layer feed or a grower feed?
 
Last edited:
Im wanting a layer food. And i do have mealworms im farming for them. Heres one recipe
12 cups organic, feeder oats (.34 cents/lb)
– 8 cups organic, soft white wheat (.38 cents/lb)
– 8 cups organic, hard red wheat (.26 cents/lb)
– 6 cups organic corn (.42 cents/lb)
– 4 cups organic lentils (.54 cents/lb)
– 4 cups organic split peas (.47 cents/lb)
– 2 cups organic flax seed (1.68/lb)
– 1 cup sesame seeds (2.27/lb)
– 3/4 cup kelp granules (3.25/lb)
– 2 tablespoons olive oil, coconut oil, or molasses


The other is this picture
1000
 
I've seen that first one before. It's the first one I posted here actually... check it out maybe it will help you get more ideas:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1003171/the-great-big-homemade-chicken-feed-recipe-sharing-thread

As for the other recipe, where did you get it? Has anyone used this mix before or is it just an idea? If someone's already using it we will know it is complete, otherwise it may not be.

Also, are you planning on free-ranging or will these birds be inside all/most of the time?

I would also suggest feeding the birds back their dried eggshells, for calcium. Just dry and grind the eggshells up and give it to them like oyster shell.
 
Im saving up shells right now. The oldest is only like 12 wks so a little longer and the time they need it ill have the shells for them :) how much should i put out at a time? The second one someone is using and has for a few years i just wanted to add other things to it
 
You could use each recipe and switch between them every once in a while.

For the eggshells, I would just put a small amount with them and then watch how quickly they are eating it. If they eat it all quickly and run out, give them all the shells you have, but if they are barely touching it, save the shells for something else (you can use them in the garden and for other uses).
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom