Another Wanting to Make HomeMade feed for Chickens Question

[TheBarnSwallow]

I have been searching the threads here and like some of you I would like to raise our chickens on a more natural feed... I want to give this home made feed a try to see if its feasible for our family and birds... Currently our chicken flock number is 26 (22 girls 4 boys). They are all 6 weeks old. My questions are as follows and I would prefer to know the info from someone who does make their own and what results they have had with their birds... or even from someone who has tried both... homegrown vs buying already mixed organic...

1: Are there any HOME MADE RECIPES for the "Grower Stage"? or it doesnt matter (cause I have seen starter recipes)...

2: Since we have a few males do they get the same feed or separate kind?

3: I am lost when it comes to feed ratios like I have seen with some recipes... how can I convert that into pounds ect to make a batch... I have visited several sites that say 2 parts this, 1/2 part that... what exactly constitutes.... parts?

Your input will be valuable... Our goal is self sustainability with healthy happy egg layers and fryers... We also have 2 geese 1 duck and 5 bronze turkeys that I would like to do the same for also(home made organic if its feasable price wise)

 

[HEChicken]

I'll be interested in the other replies to this topic. I've never made my own feed so I won't hazard a guess at that. I did want to answer your "part" question though. Its rather easier than you might imagine because you get to pick the measurement. If you pick a cup, then 1 part would be 1 cup and 2 parts would be 2 cups and so on.

 

[the lemon tree]

Here is a link for a chicken feed recipe. I think it was meant for layers but I'm sure you can use it as a grower feed as well.

 

[RedStarDaddy]

Quote:
Whatever you want it to.

If you define one part as one ounce then your recipe would be two ounces this and 1/2 ounce that. If you define one part as one pound then it would be two pounds this and half a pound of that. Ditto grams, grain weights, kilograms, tons, metric tons, or any other unit of weight (or mass) you wish to use (11.2135 ounces, 0.1863 kilograms, or whatever).

RSD

 

[canada-goose]

Greener Pastures Farm has a chick feed recipe too. I think a mix of layer and chick feeds would make a good grower feed.

 

[TheBarnSwallow]

I have visited Greener Pastures website before and they do have a wealth of wonderful info... ''


For all you others thanks for helping me on the ratio question

 

[Big C]

Eventually it comes down to cost of feed per egg laid. At your flock size this could be a concern, unless cost is not an issue.
That said. If you have the property size you can supplement a "natural" purchased feed with a large free range area that has a mixture of grasses and broadleaves.

Good luck on finding all the ingerdients for an "organic" recipe for your flock in your area.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

For what it's worth, when I was a kid back on the farm, there was no such thing as purchased chicken feed. Since it was my job to feed the chickens, I can tell you what we fed them : whole Oats, Wheat, and corn, and a ground combination of cow feed that was home grown and included cob corn topped with layers of oats, brewers grains or soybeans, molasses to keep the dust down, and a bag of minerals mixed in. Oyster shells were on the side.
The flock had these selections in various feeders and could pick and choose what they wanted. Since my parents had a production laying flock for some years, I think the feeding would be pretty accurate. Heaven knows generation of chickens have lived on much less variety.
I'd say, if you want to go organic, get yourself these plain grains and set them out free choice just like in nature, and let the chickens eat.
Most animals, given what nature provides, will feed themselves accordign to what they require.
Now, if you give a kid candy, he will likely get sick. Too much of any good thing isn't good

 

[TheBarnSwallow]

We are allowing them to free range as well with grass rotation(meaning we will section off their run into 4 section to allow grazing without necessarily running down all the grass at once)... the full size of their run area is 21X36 coop size is 8X16 at 8 feet tall...

 

[NC chicken man]

Hey I make my own feed from whole grains 1200 lbs corn,600 lbs roasted soybeans,100 lbs crimped oats 100 lbs alfalfa meal ,50 lbs aragonite,50 lbs fishmeal and 60 lbs of poultry nutri-balancer from Fertrell ,and i make my hog feed using Fertrells supplyments works great for me. Aaron