BEST chicken feed recipe, ever.

[luvmygirlsinAK]

Quote:
No, it is not cheaper, but your eggs will be worth their weight in gold! J/k! Actually, unless you really know what is in your organic layer feed, it would be strictly for your good health, and for those of us who can get a high price ($6.00 or more) per dozen eggs for a high quality health product (and be able to name what is on the label of the eggs you are selling (people want to know what you feed them, and they will be your customer for life, if they are sold on your product)

If you find that your organic layer feed has soybeans in it, I would read up on the info about what soybeans does to humans, and animals. It causes most people and animals to have too much estrogen, and then the animals burn out very fast. So this could be a reason to make your own organic feed, as the estrogen from the soybeans will transfer to the egg, to you, is what I have read.

When starting out changing your chickens diet, you will need to do it slowly, and be sure they have plenty of granite grit to grind up whole grains. Even better yet is to soak or sprout the grains and give them to them on a daily basis. When my chickens get plenty of protein, that is when they are the most prolific layers. Soaking and particularly sprouting the grains makes them much higher in protein.

 

[poultryone]

I am much more comfortable buying a commercially-formulated feed and knowing that it contains just the right amount of vitamins, minerals and protein. While mixing and formulating your own feed has its advantages, I find the process is typically more complicated and cost intensive than it first appears to be.

 

[pbwhit]

I bought all of this great stuff yesterday and mixed it up. Soaking and sprouting the grains overnight is a great idea. How much do you feed per chicken? I read somewhere something about 4 oz. but I wasn't sure if that was per day. I have two light lovely light brahma hens. thanks so much!

 

[ilikethedesert]

I'm researching making my own feed.
Does anyone know if dulse flakes would work in place of kelp? It's lower in calcium, but my pullet isn't laying yet..
Also- I can't find soft white wheat. Can more hard winter wheat be substituted or would oat be better?
Can I feed free choice of limestone instead of crushed oyster shell? What about getting seashells at the beach? Can I clean and grin those myself or so they need to be strictly oyster?

Thanks for any tips!

 

[chamuca48]

Here in Mexico, where cock fighting is a national pastime, there are all kinds of organic mixes of grains. And there is laying formula - which make the chickens lay fast and furious. But the laying formula is full of stimulents and hormones. All the store bought eggs come from this feed. They taste just like store bought eggs.

I keep chickens so that my family can eat organic healthy eggs - if they do not lay an egg a day - well I know that the ones they do lay are good for us.

Looking at the recipie posted if the chickens are free range, I think that with just the normal grains they do very well. The wheat seems to be the secret for better eggs. AS in all grain fed animals corn goes right to abdominal fat. My girls leave the green split peas - all of them - chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese. Have not put oats in their diet but will try it.

The hens have not started layiing as of yet - I expect them to start in the next month - the ducks and I suspect the geese have started and the turkeys are going really strong - so much so that we will be eating their eggs instead of leaving to hatch.

As soon as the hens start laying I will fiddle with the feed in a sientific manner ( I was an investigator ) so I can judge what is the best for the eggs.

The last time I had chickens they lived on cut greens ( not free range ) and I gave them the best cock grain feed I could buy - the most pssiblemixed grains - and the eggs were very good. Right now I have them with millit, corn and wheat free range with plenty of fresh green grass and weeds plus all the bugs they can find.

Sooo glade to be here and see all your input.

 

[Chris09]

chamuca48,

hola y bienvenido al pollos de traspatio.

I think I said that right... LOL Just a little rusty..

Chris

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I made a batch of feed from this recipe. I got the ingredients at my local food co-op. It ended up costing about $0.90/lb, which is much more than I pay for organic layer pellets. So, I thought I'd supplement the pellets with the grain mixture. The problem was they didn't want to eat the pellets if I had two feeders set out, one filled with pellets and the other with whole grain mix. Now I just give the organic whole grains mix in small bowls as treats. They love it and continue to eat the pellets too. One thing I read elsewhere that made sense to me was washing the quinoa first. It has a natural chemical on it's seed coat (saponin) to make it unpalatable to birds. If you've ever eaten unwashed quinoa, you know what I mean

. I rinsed and dried mine before mixing it in and giving it to the birds. I actually tested washed and unwashed and the birds had a pretty clear preference for the washed seeds. I think the mix is too expensive for me. But for someone who wants to feed organic in an urban setting, that doesn't have close access to a feed store that carries organic feed, or someone that needs to eliminate soy from their diet, this may be one option for them.

 

[Organics North]

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I do not know what dulse is? If it is not from the ocean, then maybe supplement some trace salt.
IMO hard red wheat is superior to soft white anyway. (Less carb higher protein) I only feed hard red. I would think lime stone should work fine. Crushing sea shells sounds like lots of work.
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For those of you trying to mix your own feed, it can be tough if you do not live within a days drive of farm country to buy grains. I go twice a year, spring planting time and fall planting time to buy grains in bulk and store them. My costs for 80% organic are around $16 per 50lbs.

It is my opinion you have to shop around for what is regional... Learn the nutritional values of those grains and seeds and build your own feed. Most recipes are based on what is cheapest and available for the person that created the feed mix. It is not that those specific ingredients are the "best", just that they were "best" for that individual person.

So learn your protein values, learn your amino acids.. and have fun making YOUR OWN feed, based on what you can find locally at decent prices..

ON

 

[NMbirds]

Dulse in many places is simply a synonym for sea weed but here's a run down for anyone interested:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-dulse-seaweed.htm

I buy organic layer feed from Embudo Valley Organics here in New Mexico, about $29 for 50 lb.
and here is a fairly complete list of sources published elsewhere here on BYC:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=20741-organic-chicken-feeds

 

[featherbaby]

Anybody have an opinion of FORAGE CAKES?