Mixing Grains for Feed verses Buying Corporate Crumbles...

[Chef JimmyJ]

I would agree wholeheartedly but it seems that in this case the OP is.

True, I am looking hard at mixing Grains and Fertrell's Nutri-Balancer to feed my Chickens. My Better Half, thinks I am obsessed with what I plan to feed them. Bev asked, " Why are you spending all these hours pouring over Nutritional Studies, Feed Formulas, BYC Threads on what other people feed, watching Countless Hours of YouTube Videos on Mixing Feed, Fermenting Feed, Sprouting Feed and Home Grown Fodder, when we can get a bag of the same stuff Commercial Growers Use to feed Chickens at TSC??? " Bottom Line...
I don't want our Chickens or their Eggs to Taste like Commercially Raised Chickens or Factory Farmed Eggs.
As I eluded in an earlier post with out specifically saying so here is the plan...8 Ladies and a Roo now 13 weeks old and being fed Dumor Chicken Starter and more recently Dumor Grower/Finisher.
I, based on my research plan to gradually move them over to...

50 pounds Non-GMO Corn,
50 pounds Organic Wheat,
50 pounds Organic Oats,
5 pounds BOSS,
5 pounds Organic Field Peas,
10 pounds Non-GMO Roasted Soy,
5 pounds Fertrell's Nutri-Balancer

A total of 175 pounds of Feed or 78 days per batch. Feeding 9 Chicken at 4 oz per, during the warm and sunny 6 months, April thru Sept, when they can Forage an acre and a half of Grass. Will Cost $2.13 PER DAY. Then 5 oz serving during Cold months. I will double the Corn percentage in the mix and supplement Wheat Fodder for the loss of Green Forage. This will cost about $3 Per Day depending on the Wheat Price.
I will be transitioning to Fermented Feed or Sprouted Feed at some later date.
So there you have it Folks. Anybody see any issues with this plan?...JJ
.

 

[Chef JimmyJ]

how did you take away from my post that I was offended?

LOL, Exactly my point in my apology. We are not Face to Face, so I assumed my post was just too Sarcastic, or Biased. My words seem to have upset others for these reasons.
I should have asked you what you would Add, Delete or Reword to make it a GREAT ARTICLE? I do wish to become a Trusted Authority on BYC at some point and I count on Member Feedback to help me get there. Thank You...JJ

 

[Shadrach]

True, I am looking hard at mixing Grains and Fertrell's Nutri-Balancer to feed my Chickens. My Better Half, thinks I am obsessed with what I plan to feed them. Bev asked, " Why are you spending all these hours pouring over Nutritional Studies, Feed Formulas, BYC Threads on what other people feed, watching Countless Hours of YouTube Videos on Mixing Feed, Fermenting Feed, Sprouting Feed and Home Grown Fodder, when we can get a bag of the same stuff Commercial Growers Use to feed Chickens at TSC??? " Bottom Line...
I don't want our Chickens or their Eggs to Taste like Commercially Raised Chickens or Factory Farmed Eggs.
As I eluded in an earlier post with out specifically saying so here is the plan...8 Ladies and a Roo now 13 weeks old and being fed Dumor Chicken Starter and more recently Dumor Grower/Finisher.
I, based on my research plan to gradually move them over to...

50 pounds Non-GMO Corn,
50 pounds Organic Wheat,
50 pounds Organic Oats,
5 pounds BOSS,
5 pounds Organic Field Peas,
10 pounds Non-GMO Roasted Soy,
5 pounds Fertrell's Nutri-Balancer

A total of 175 pounds of Feed or 78 days per batch. Feeding 9 Chicken at 4 oz per, during the warm and sunny 6 months, April thru Sept, when they can Forage an acre and a half of Grass. Will Cost $2.13 PER DAY. Then 5 oz serving during Cold months. I will double the Corn percentage in the mix and supplement Wheat Fodder for the loss of Green Forage. This will cost about $3 Per Day depending on the Wheat Price.
I will be transitioning to Fermented Feed or Sprouted Feed at some later date.
So there you have it Folks. Anybody see any issues with this plan?...JJ
.

Yep, it's vegetable and grain based.
You need to design the feed by amino acids requirements, mineral and vitamins. A composition study from a commercial feed would be a good start. U Tube videos and the fad feeding stuff is best avoided. Research means reading proper studies.

 

[Folly's place]

x2!

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

LOL, Exactly my point in my apology. We are not Face to Face, so I assumed my post was just too Sarcastic, or Biased. My words seem to have upset others for these reasons.
I should have asked you what you would Add, Delete or Reword to make it a GREAT ARTICLE? I do wish to become a Trusted Authority on BYC at some point and I count on Member Feedback to help me get there. Thank You...JJ

I would just reword it a little
So it’s not so much of a question

 

[Chef JimmyJ]

Shadrach Thanks. Yes I have looked at various nutritional studies. But i can't dismiss what other folks are discussing on BYC, assorted Chicken Forums, Blogs and Youtube. There is a lot of great info out there and it all doesn't have to come from folks with a bunch of Letters after their name.
Likewise, Not everyone in these media outlets touting the virtues of Organic Mixed Grain Feeding is a Sandle Wearing, Hemp Cloth Covered, Incense Burning, Neo-Hippy or publisher of Trendy Hipster, Beware of Franken Food, Agro Rag, Quasi-news Reports.
Lots of forks who have no more education than what was taught by earlier generations, Growing Up on a Farm. Future Farmers learned to Blend Grain that has created a Nutritionally Balanced Ration for generations
In comparison by age, Commercial Feed Mixes are " New and Trendy ", when you consider Mixed Grain Feeding was what fed the Chickens that nurished America's GREATEST GENERATION (Born between 1900 to 1930) and Generations before them.
Mixed Grain Feeding is not New at all, it is just undergoing a Rebirth and challenging the Status Quo of the last 70 years. Agriculture Scientist have accomplished much. Fed the Post WWII population growth and improved the Nutrition of countless millions both here and abroad...BUT...What Damage has Agro science done?
I grew up in the 60's and 70's. I went to a large Public School. I did not know a single kid with a Peanut Allergy or anyone with Celiac Disease. Heck, on any weekday 75% of the Kids would have a PBJ on Wonder Bread in their Bugs Bunny Lunch Box, that, and a Thermos of COW'S Milk to wash it down! How do you Milk an ALMOND Anyway?...JJ

 

[Shadrach]

Likewise, Not everyone in these media outlets touting the virtues of Organic Mixed Grain Feeding is a Sandle Wearing, Hemp Cloth Covered, Incense Burning, Neo-Hippy or publisher of Trendy Hipster, Beware of Franken Food, Agro Rag, Quasi-news Reports.

when you consider Mixed Grain Feeding was what fed the Chickens that nurished America's GREATEST GENERATION (Born between 1900 to 1930) and Generations before them.

The patriotic lid banging is wasted on me. I'm a Scott, living in Catalonia Spain.

 

[Chef JimmyJ]

A Scott aye? America's Greatest Generation, SAVED Association Football Too! ...JJ

 

[Folly's place]

And I have no idea what's available in commercial feeds in Spain!
Almond juice isn't milk!
Many people can't manage lactose after childhood, even if they could earlier. Especially cow's milk.
I did know three children, siblings, your contemporaries, who had anaphylactic reactions to peanuts, and it wasn't pretty.
Wonder bread? You bet! It was awful!
Nobody knew the cause, or had a name, for celiac disease.
I do think that there are more allergies now, and there's data showing that raising children in too 'clean' and environment ain't good.
It's well known that pet rodents, and pet birds, and chickens, can have issues with whole seed diets. Not all of them, but a fair number of individuals will eat the best tasting stuff, and leave the rest, causing malnutrition in those individuals. That's one reason that I prefer to feed a crumble or pelleted feed, with a recent mill date.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

And, grain mixes tend to be unbalanced without careful suppliments added. One reason is that chickens, like humans, are omnivores, not vegetarians, and need the right amino acids in balance. Cats MUST have meat proteins, a different issue, but still...
Mary