Anyone grow their own chicken feed? or a portion

[nadams4]

My husband and I want to!

We just bought a house-havent even got the keys yet!

but were thinking of all the things we can do. and i think growing the feed would be a money saver in the long run. we want to get chicks (layers and broilers)

Anyone have a good homegrown recipie?? for chick starter/ layer/ or mash for meat birds???

any help would be great!

 

[Camelot Farms]

Well you could definitely do corn

Thats about all I have for ideas today.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

You could grow your own for the knowledge in case you need to know how to in the future. But right now because of government subsidies it costs you more to grow it than buy it. Also remember chickens eat more than plants.

If I was to grow my own chicken feed I would start with corn an wheat grass. Grinding up the whole plant of both. Then grow worms an bugs to grind in to the mix. Then the parts of some livestock (goats or cows) that you dont want to eat your self: bone, innards, an whatever is left.

 

[cybercat]

Sunflower, kale, armatha(sp) this is a grass grain very nice in color and very healty. Dandylions, clover ect.

 

[GardenWeasel]

This is my first year with chicks and my first year on my new much larger property in TN. Was overly ambitious and still paying for it. So my over the top plan this year was a 20x 20 field of oats, three hundred sunflowers, a large patch of white clover, indian corn for chicks, a plot of buckwheat, some amaranth, alfalfa, millet , wheat and a chickfield of combined things from above and flax and fenugreek. Keep in mind that you have to harvest and deal with all you grow. If you don't have machinery it's back breaking long days. I always jump in with both feet so thought I would pass this on. All that and no eggs yet, but the chicks love it, I think?

 

[JessHall]

I'm starting to... I just planted a whole bunch of winter greens.
We'll see... I figure I have nothing to loose. When I grew stuff for the family, the chickens ate it... before we could...

Surely they'll eat this.

I think it's a great idea to plant some stuff for them!
Sorry I don't have any specific ideas for you, I am just experimenting myself!
Good luck and have fun!