Does anyone have a good chicken feed spreadsheet they will please share?

[saysfaa]

If you try harvesting or drying duckweed, please let us know how it goes. I haven't tried it and will be grateful for anything you learn.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

If you try harvesting or drying duckweed, please let us know how it goes. I haven't tried it and will be grateful for anything you learn.

I will. It might be next year before I try. We are going to be entering winter soon where I live. I’m not sure how much is growing right now. I am reading up and will definitely let you know when I do.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I really appreciate your thoughtful reply and advice. I have read all I could here and actually thought I would base my recipe on what you told someone about Justin Rhodes recipe in another thread. I have everything for his but peas. I’m having trouble getting them. I’m having trouble with soy beans too. That’s what I need a spreadsheet for. To really tune it if I can.

I don’t want to make my own. I realize what a pain it is. I have a flock of hybrids and heritage and all with their own needs. It seems one type of feed doesn’t work well for one or the other whatever I feed them. I’m also dealing with MG. I have to manage that. I really just want the best I can do at this point for their nutrition. I’ve already lost one. They have been on pellets and very little treats now. They still seem to be lacking something. Making my own in whole grains is a last ditch effort.

In my casual research, 2 brands stand out the most: Grubbly Farms and Scratch and Peck. Good luck!

 

[Chickeeaholic]

In my casual research, 2 brands stand out the most: Grubbly Farms and Scratch and Peck. Good luck!

I have tried scratch and peck. Not grumbly though. Thank you.

 

[Sally PB]

If you try harvesting or drying duckweed, please let us know how it goes. I haven't tried it and will be grateful for anything you learn.

I will. It might be next year before I try. We are going to be entering winter soon where I live. I’m not sure how much is growing right now. I am reading up and will definitely let you know when I do.

I'd really like to hear about this. I've read a little bit about duckweed, but haven't tried to gather any.

 

[LaurenRitz]

In my experience duckweed dries very well. I used it as part of a grain-based feed at my old house but I haven been able to get a starter here.

Take into account that my environment was very dry. The chickens ate it dry mixed in with the feed but wouldn't touch it wet.

I did not try it fermented.

With the omega vitamins and other trace minerals, it closely resembles a balanced commercial feed. There are limits, of course. I used a small amount of flax with a base of oats, wheat and barley. That combination provides all the nutrients listed on the bag of a commercial feed.

Amounts are a different matter, of course. I can't say precisely how well it worked because I only had my girls for a few months and they free ranged all that time.

Do your research, study it out. Make your own determination. Commercial feed is NOT the only viable option.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Oh, I provided calcium free choice as well. This combination is very low in calcium.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

@Kiki

 

[NatJ]

If you would rather offer concentrated milk, I recommend plain yogurt. You could also use dry milk powder, but milk and yogurt are easier to repurpose than dry milk powder.

You have trouble repurposing dry milk powder? Probably a difference in cooking style, because I don't have trouble using it.

It goes in some kinds of cookies (only way to add milk without making the cookie dough too runny), and in mashed potatoes (when they are already runny enough, I can get more milkiness by adding powdered milk) and in soup (because it's easy to stir in without overflowing the pot.) I sometimes use dry milk + water in some recipes that originally call for liquid milk (rice pudding, waffles, pancakes, bread dough, etc.) I also know one child that likes to mix dry milk powder with a little water to make a paste, and eat it with a spoon (that does not taste good to me, but I won't argue with a child who likes it!)

The one thing I never do with dry milk is mix it with water and drink it plain. It does not taste quite the same as milk that has never been dried, and I do have a strong preference about what flavor is in my cup.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You have trouble repurposing dry milk powder? Probably a difference in cooking style, because I don't have trouble using it.

It goes in some kinds of cookies (only way to add milk without making the cookie dough too runny), and in mashed potatoes (when they are already runny enough, I can get more milkiness by adding powdered milk) and in soup (because it's easy to stir in without overflowing the pot.) I sometimes use dry milk + water in some recipes that originally call for liquid milk (rice pudding, waffles, pancakes, bread dough, etc.) I also know one child that likes to mix dry milk powder with a little water to make a paste, and eat it with a spoon (that does not taste good to me, but I won't argue with a child who likes it!)

The one thing I never do with dry milk is mix it with water and drink it plain. It does not taste quite the same as milk that has never been dried, and I do have a strong preference about what flavor is in my cup.

I have found that adding a little dried milk powder to the milk at the early stages of making yogurt gives the finished product a nice, firm texture.