New Feed Recipe input sought

[SwampFlock]

I am attempting to make a 20% protein/5.5% fat recipe for my exhibition Ameraucanas. I started with an Azure Layer Recipe at 16.5% protein. I went corn and soy free on purpose; therein is the challenge.

Here it is
48.58#s
19.6% Protein
5.3%Fat

Peas 22#
Wheat 8#
Barley 4#
Sunflower Seeds 4#
Oats 3#
Fish meal 2#
Sorghum 2#
Alfalfa 2#
Lentils 2#
Buttermilk Powder .5#
Brewers Yeast .33#
Kelp .25#
Ferrell Nutri-Balancer Per bag instructions also added

I'm trying to find a calculator that will give me a more complete picture including Fiber and other nutrition facts but no luck so far.

 

[Cecisflock]

Homemade food is hard thing to do, good luck my friend! can anyone help?

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I had to do this for a while too, it was always a bit of guess work as I couldn't find a good calculator either for the real detailed stuff. I used Paddy Rice in my mix... I wonder were I put my notes on the home feed formulas now. One of the local feed stores was finally willing to help find me a no corn feed mix. I still mix additional stuff in if I think the birds need it.

It is a massive challenge to find feed for any animal that does not have corn in it. In general you have a lot of the same ingredients I remember using though.

 

[Iveta]

Homemade food is hard thing to do, good luck my friend! can anyone help?

I have been feeding my babies home feed on and off and 100 percent since July- my hens never skipped a day laying since. I make it to what I have and what I know they like; I don't have money for chicken feed I only have EBT and buy seeds from Sprouts and the rest is good left overs and when they get whiney I crush some shells for them. Happy Hans give me eggs every day .

 

[Cecisflock]

I have been feeding my babies home feed on and off and 100 percent since July- my hens never skipped a day laying since. I make it to what I have and what I know they like; I don't have money for chicken feed I only have EBT and buy seeds from Sprouts and the rest is good left overs and when they get whiney I crush some shells for them. Happy Hans give me eggs every day .

Nutritionally complete homemade food is just not something I'm willing to risk. If I wouldn't do it for my dog I won't do it for my chickens.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I am attempting to make a 20% protein/5.5% fat recipe for my exhibition Ameraucanas. I started with an Azure Layer Recipe at 16.5% protein. I went corn and soy free on purpose; therein is the challenge.

Here it is
48.58#s
19.6% Protein
5.3%Fat

Peas 22#
Wheat 8#
Barley 4#
Sunflower Seeds 4#
Oats 3#
Fish meal 2#
Sorghum 2#
Alfalfa 2#
Lentils 2#
Buttermilk Powder .5#
Brewers Yeast .33#
Kelp .25#
Ferrell Nutri-Balancer Per bag instructions also added

I'm trying to find a calculator that will give me a more complete picture including Fiber and other nutrition facts but no luck so far.

Build your own with Excel. You will want to look at your amino acid and trace mineral profiles, too.

I use this site for nutritional information on bulk ingredients. Obviously, there's some variation between crops, and some disagreements between sources, but it should put you in the right range, and has the benefit of getting all your info from one place.

and like @Cecisflock , while my readings and review of the various studies makes me feel more qualified to "build my own" than most of the posters here, and my volumes start to make it potentially worthwhile as I feed tons per year, I'm more (not less) convinced by my readings that its a task that should not be attempted by the typical backyard owner. Better, feel I, to start with a very good commercial mix, close to the intended targets, then offer limited additional suppliment.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

https://humble-hills-homestead.com/2020/03/27/calculator-for-homemade-chicken-feed/

I put together this calculator that will calculate protein and fat. I set out to do amino acids, too. Unfortunately data for that was all over the place and often in varying units of measurements, so I didn’t know how to convert everything into a consistent unit of measurement. I provided sources for everything, and it is also a price calculator. You can edit and add everything as needed. Read the directions and let me know if you need any help!


Edited to add: whoops, didn’t realize how old this thread was.

I went down the road of making my own feed. It took me four weeks to make this calculator and what I learned was it is very expensive to make your own feed, and no guarantee it’s meeting appropriate nutrition requirements.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Actually its your calculator I start with. and one of the reasons I don't often offer feedpedia as a source is because it offers its amino acid profiles in multiple formats, requiring conversion at times.

May our combined messages serve as warning to others not to casually embark down this particular trail.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Actually its your calculator I start with. and one of the reasons I don't often offer feedpedia as a source is because it offers its amino acid profiles in multiple formats, requiring conversion at times.

May our combined messages serve as warning to others not to casually embark down this particular trail.

Thank you.

Yes even ordering bulk grains in 100 lbs or more, the price was still more, and then you’re stuck using aging feeds.


And all of that aside, there isn’t anything wrong with corn or soy. They are nutritional powerhouses. It makes me sad people demonize those food sources.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I love seeing Soy in feed - one of the few decent Methionine sources in the plant world. That and Alfalfa meal, rather rarer. After that, its fish meal and blood meal...

and even at over 100# of feed a week, I can't compete with the farm store, and they definitely can't compete with the local mills.