Homemade Chicken Feed - Advice

Hi all,

I am relatively new to backyard chickens and we have a small flock of 3 girls. Laying everyday one egg each.

We have been feeding them "Peter's Free Range Poultry Food" from day one, however my husband is currently working a grain export company and has bought home bags and bags of human grade grains. I have put together a recipe for the girl's seed feed and I was wanting your feedback as to whether its contents are adequate:

1. Wheat
2. Red Wheat
3. Barley
4. Lentils
5. Canola Seed
6. Whole Corn Kernels

I have made up feed with all the above with the exception of the canola seed which I believe is not good for chickens. I have also added black sunflower seeds, laying pellets and 1/4 cup of kelp granules. Can you give me some feedback as to whether this is adequate or whether I should be adding anything else.

Also, on another note, lately the girls have been totally disgusting in that they follow our Border Collie around waiting for her to poop and then they gobble it up. It has put me off eating the eggs. Has anyone had any experience with this and if so, has it affected the taste or smell of the eggs in any way.

In addition to their seed mix they also receive table scraps and other vegies. They love strawberry tops, celery, pretty much anything.

Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Shazmn

Regarding the grains, they will make a nice scratch mix, but the protein level is not enough for laying hens as a main feed. They are also missing the trace minerals and elements that a commercial complete ration will have. I see you free range, which is fine, but the birds need to eat a 'good' layer feed along with it. The grains noted except Canola Seed, are fine for birds, but to be fed as a treat and or as scratch. Chris09 is the local feed expert, and he will most likely chime in on this, with the exact information.

As one bird keeper to another, those are my thoughts.

RJ

Where are you located at, Australia?

The grains are a good mix but your really going to need something with protein in that mix also if you really wanting it to be a sole feed ration it will have to have a vitamin/mineral mix in it.

Is there any other feed mfg. that you could use? One with a higher protein feed.

Table scraps help big time. I never knew how much we threw away till I started keeping what was left on my kids plates. About any kind of cooked meet can be protein as long as it's chopped up good and mixed with other food.

Hi Chris09

Yes we are in Australia. I appreciate your advice. What are the best protein sources for chickens? They also get suitable table scraps and I read that feeding them scrambled eggs is also good. How often should they be fed the scrambled eggs? I will also occasionally buy from the supermarket silverbeet and other green leafy vegies just for them. Hopefully I will only be making my own food for a short while, my husband bought home hundreds of bags of different grains from work so I though I would try and use them for my girls.

Sharon.

Thanks also acro1010 for your thoughts too. I want to be sure I am doing the right thing by the girls and at the moment I haven't much choice given the amount of grains by husband has bought home.

Sharon.

Thanks RJSorenson, Really appreciate your advice also.

Sharon.

Shazmn said:

Hi Chris09

Yes we are in Australia. I appreciate your advice. What are the best protein sources for chickens? They also get suitable table scraps and I read that feeding them scrambled eggs is also good. How often should they be fed the scrambled eggs? I will also occasionally buy from the supermarket silverbeet and other green leafy vegies just for them. Hopefully I will only be making my own food for a short while, my husband bought home hundreds of bags of different grains from work so I though I would try and use them for my girls.

Sharon.

Click to expand...

The best proteins are a mixture of plant and animal based.
A mixture of soy, peas, pork or beef and fish work good.

Hard boiled eggs are better for them, you can give a half a egg per bird every other day.