Wanting to mix our own feed. Help, please ☺️

We just ordered 50 Cornish X online. I am researching feed costs and trying to keep them as low as possible. We are raising and butchering our own to help save our family money (and to k ow where our food is coming from and how it's raised). If we are spending a ridiculous amount in commercial feed, we aren't saving much money.

I did a little research, but it's all so complex- so here I am, asking for help. Please keep in mind that we live in a small town in Nebraska- so "fancy" grains aren't available to us. I found a mixture online that was equal parts of- wheat, whole corn, millet, and BOSS (black oil sunflower seed). I'm wanting to check and see if this will be a proper mixture and provide proper protein and nutrients.

Also, they will be in a chicken tractor and moved on pasture/grass frequently.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Commercial feed will cost 32¢ per pound. Mixing our own with the "recipe" above will cost 21¢ per pound. That 11¢ per pound will add up fast.

Well I'm no expert (though I should be, I majored in Animal Husbandry lol), but here's my two cents..

Every penny counts when you consider it in the long-run and on a larger scale. However, you must also consider the performance of the birds while on the feed. If you can make the feed at half the cost and chickens take twice the time to reach the proper weight, you're not profiting.

If you want to know what you eat, I recommend mixing your own feed. The chickens might grow a bit slower, but in my opinion that adds to the quality of the meat. If you buy hybrid broilers and then feed them commercial feed, well.. you might as well go to the store and buy some packaged meat right off the shelf.

Be careful with the ammount of wheat you feed. Too much will cause sticky droppings and you might get in trouble. Also, my chicken do not like whole corn, so i crush it (as well as the wheat and a bit of barley).

Check out the feeding and watering your flock treads. There is a lot of great recipes there. Like in the "Everyone post your best homemade chicken feed recipes!". Best of luck.