Home made food for chickens?

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Agreed. If it's pure economics you are concerned with you will never come out ahead with this stuff. The best thing to do is free range as much as possible. You also need to be aware that the feed you buy is formulated for what the chickens need be it layers or broilers or whatever. Around here $12.00 is not outrageous it's pretty average. Good luck.
 
Mainly table scrap and if free ranged they will eat grass and bugs! Then give them a little bag food and it will go farther! also a cheap dog food! LOW PROTEIN!

But your lucky you dont have many with my ducks and chickens
I have to buy 9 different feeds and it costs around $200 a month! I havent raised any chicks/ducklings out of anything yet either!
 
My girls are laying now FINALLY!!! I used good starter high protien but they housed it like PIGS!!! Now, I'm using two 50 lb. bags of scratch grains($6-7 a bag) and one 50 lb. bag of Black Sunflower Seeds($14). I also give them our daily left overs and they free range. This is CHEAP and they love it! I have 14 chickens(banties & standard size) and this should last me at least 2 mths. maybe longer? I get mine at the local Tractor Supply. Just be creative...and keep it simple. Blessings,Keri
 
Although I'm a qualified nutritionist, I"M not confident that I can make a homemade ration to satisfy my chicken's needs, so I leave it to the experts.

I used to have a feed mill make a custom-made ration, which although better, was more expensive. Now I use a non-national brand, that is equally as good as things like Purina's products.

There are ration formulations on line, and you can email the Fertrell company who will give you information, but really...if you cannot afford to feed your chickens regular layer food, then either reduce the number of chickens you own, or sell/give away your chickens.

Sorry this is harsh, but so is subjecting chickens to malnutrition.

Rachel, TX
 
Chickens haven't always eaten pelleted feed. I know the arguments about being breed for increased egg production and being able to produce more eggs on 'scientifically' formulated foods but that doesn't mean that you can't grow some food for them yourself. I grow lots of vegetables and they get the trimmings or plants that I need to clear to make room for the next crop. You can grow things like lettuce, spinach, kale, and chard as a green supplement - when my birds free range in the summer they do eat a lot of grass, plant leaves, tomatoes (grr!), lettuces and such. I also grow grains for them - amaranth or quinoa, sunflowers, hard wheat, chickpeas. My hens do have laying pellets available but I supplement with stuff that I have grown myself in my own front and back yards. If you google whole grain chicken feed you will be able to find an idea of what seeds/plants you might be able to grow. The hardest part of trying to grow food is the protein - if you have a big enough worm composter you can also feed some worms for protein.
 
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I am with elem!
Sure you can grow your own feed. It should be a labor of love though because harvesting and having the diversity of grains needed for a balanced diet can be tough time consuming hard work.
First, I would suggest making sure your feeder is efficient and they are not wasting your boughten chicken feed. Next consider supplementing heavily with foods you grow or scrounge. I collect fallen apples in fall and freeze them for winters use. Same with pumpkins after Halloween. Freeze them up and mash them with their food in winter for a treat. I sprout all my grains, I feed. Also not a scrap of vegetative matter goes to the trash can in our home. It either goes to the chickens, worms bins or compost pile! Very little food goes to waste. If we lived in a more populated area I would try to scrounge up healthy foods from other families too..

Chickens and man existed before industrialized farming, they still do in many parts of the world. When you are busy with work and have money you can buy "convenience food" ie.. boughten pellets. When you have more time than money you can get creative and come up with a balanced healthy diet on your own for your chickens and for that matter your family!. Chickens are omnivore's just like us.

ON
 
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GardeNerd,
Here is another one to add to your list for Wisconsin.

Frank's Organic Feed & Supplies
121 West Candise Street
Jefferson, WI 53549-1101
(920) 674-5730

Their pre mix organic is "quality" brand. Also can buy whole organic grains such as hard red wheat.

ON
 
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