Need formula advice for heritage chicken feed

[they'reHISchickens]

Call me stupid but shouldn't heritage chickens eat heritage food to be authentic? I mean, our forefathers didn't know about all this stuff and raised these breeds. I'd be afraid that giving them a *balanced* diet would ruin them! Feed them what they were developed for: Corn, wheat, oats, garden scraps, weeds...heritage food?
Yes, I know it sounds awful these days, but do you get my point?

 

[capayvalleychick]

they'reHISchickens :

Call me stupid but shouldn't heritage chickens eat heritage food to be authentic? I mean, our forefathers didn't know about all this stuff and raised these breeds. I'd be afraid that giving them a *balanced* diet would ruin them! Feed them what they were developed for: Corn, wheat, oats, garden scraps, weeds...heritage food?
Yes, I know it sounds awful these days, but do you get my point?

That makes sense and I don't understand it, myself, why they need a better diet than production breeds. All my other heritage breeds (cows, pigs, sheep) do better on less or worse forage, compared to production breeds. Yet these chickens need more protein than others, plus more nutrients because they are breeding stock.
Part of the problem, I've been told, is that all the animal protein was taken out of commercial feeds. Chickens do need protein because they are omnivores.
Personally, I wanted a feed with healthier ingredients. Most feeds are mostly corn with fillers & additives. Then my egg customers want no soy, no corn, which makes it complicated.

Most barnyard chickens fed what they can scrounge are not well fed enough to be healthy breeding stock. I've tried feeding a mostly whole grain diet and sprouting grains for them and they did poorly. A necropsy revealed that the hen had the beginnings of fatty liver disease. So, I have to limit the grains & energy feeds and up the protein & balance the vitamins.

Thanks,

Kim​

 

[KenK]

Here are some formulas I came up with. I have no particular knowledge of chicken nutrition, these are just combinations that come out to a particular percentage of protein.

I will point out that my "heritage" breed chickens seem to be doing fine on commercial 18% chick starter/grower and that just because a number is on the ALBC website don't make it so. I would do additional research on the subject before I concluded that my chickens really needed a 28% feed.

I aggregated the wheat, oats and millet into "grain" and set the protein level at 12%.

First is an 18 1/2 % feed that is more or less the original formula from U.C. Davis.

Feed Percent Protein Pounds

Grain 12.00% 30
Flax 23.00% 5
Rice bran 13.00% 17
Peanuts 26.00% 12
Peas 23.00% 12
Sunflower 17.00% 12
Fish meal 60.00% 5
Alfalfa pellets 15.00% 4
Nutri-balancer 0.00% 3

Totals 100


Second is a 20 % feed.

Feed Percent Protein Pounds

Grain 12.00% 15
Flax 23.00% 5
Rice bran 13.00% 18
Peanuts 26.00% 20
Peas 23.00% 15
Sunflower 17.00% 15
Fish meal 60.00% 5
Alfalfa pellets 15.00% 4
Nutri-balancer 0.00% 3

Totals 100

Third is a 28 % feed, note the high level of fish meal needed to get the protein this high.

Feed Percent Protein Pounds

Grain 12.00% 10
Flax 23.00% 5
Rice bran 13.00% 5
Peanuts 26.00% 25
Peas 23.00% 20
Sunflower 17.00% 8
Fish meal 60.00% 20
Alfalfa pellets 15.00% 4
Nutri-balancer 0.00% 3

Totals 100


Sorry that the columns don't line up when I pasted them into the post but I think you can follow it.

 

[knittychickadee]

There is no need to keep Buckeyes on the high protein after 8-10 wks of age. I start mine out on a turkey/game bird feed that is 27 percent protein, then switch to an 18 percent at 8 wks. Chris over on the buckeye thread always has good info on feeding them. -Marci

 

[capayvalleychick]

Quote:
Thank you very much!

Kim

 

[capayvalleychick]

Quote:
The Buckeye breeders have always been very helpful with questions that I have had, much more so than my other breed groups. They are also the only breeders that I have found that advocate extra protein for breeding birds. They either have found a mill that will make a custom feed or they supplement. The supplements are nothing fancy. Catfood & meat scraps from the butcher are what I've been told to use.

The catfoods that I've checked all contain chicken and I don't want to feed chicken to my chickens. Next time I have a steer butchered, I may look into using scrap.

Thanks,

Kim