Any wheat-free, soy free feed suggestions?

[AmyBella]

Hi! My husband is highly allergic to wheat and has been reacting to the girls pellets. I do most of the feeding and try to keep it out of the kitchen, but it would be best if we could find a wheat-free formula. I do not want soy to be the main component of their diet. Does anyone know of a wheat-free, soy-free commercial feed? I have searched to no avail.

So that leaves me to mix my own feed. DH brought home some fish meal and wild bird seed (mostly millet, black oil sunflower seeds and nuts). The guy at the feed store told him that it would be fine to use. The birds seem to like it OK, but I am concerned that it is not nutritionally balanced. Does anyone have a recipe that I can modify? The girls get plenty of forage, greens and treats... I am looking for something to leave in their feeders for "free choice". Thanks!

 

[canada-goose]

Soy-free is easy....wheat-free is harder.... I suppose a whole grain recipe using spelt or something instead of wheat could work. One of these days someone is going to get mad at me for adding links so often but here is my favorite recipe: www.greenerpasturesfarm.com/ChickenFeedRecipe.html
Maybe you can modify it without ruining the nutrition.

 

[AmyBella]

I bet if I was using wheat berries it would not be as dusty and problematic as the pellets. I'll see what he thinks. This is hard because frankly, I want the convenience of a pellet!

 

[Bosque]

Maybe there is a rice based feed?

 

[AmyBella]

That was the first grain I though of to substitute! There is no mention of rice in any of the links on the page that Kooshie sent, though.

I remember being at a wedding a few years ago and commenting that we didn't throw rice. Somebody said that it is not allowed anymore because it's bad for the birds.

I will investigate!

 

[AmyBella]

Ha! It is a myth that rice will make birds sick! http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/birdrice.asp

 

[AmyBella]

I really like this person's feeding philosophy! I wondered if I was overthinking this whole thing.

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/1/1-4/Harvey_Ussery.html