BEST chicken feed recipe, ever.

[Kilsharion]

I know this is an old post; but, I just stumbled across it...hopefully someone will have some input to a question that's been rattling around in my head...

Back when I worked with reptile rescue, we would have to provide a significant source of calcium to the reptiles, particularly when they were gravid. I see all over the place using oyster shells for this purpose with chickens. My question is - why oyster shells? We found that fresh collard greens and kale were some of the best calcium to bulk ratio and provided a great supplement to food with reptiles. I guess I'm just curious why such calcium rich greens are never mentioned for birds?

I know chicks aren't reptiles, don't get me wrong. But, a need for dietary calcium is certainly the same between them. IIRC the result of too many eggs and not enough calcium is the same for chickens as for reptiles (death).

So, anyway - just a nublette's question on an old thread. Sorry if it's a bother.

~K

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I know this is an old post; but, I just stumbled across it...hopefully someone will have some input to a question that's been rattling around in my head...

Back when I worked with reptile rescue, we would have to provide a significant source of calcium to the reptiles, particularly when they were gravid. I see all over the place using oyster shells for this purpose with chickens. My question is - why oyster shells? We found that fresh collard greens and kale were some of the best calcium to bulk ratio and provided a great supplement to food with reptiles. I guess I'm just curious why such calcium rich greens are never mentioned for birds?

I know chicks aren't reptiles, don't get me wrong. But, a need for dietary calcium is certainly the same between them. IIRC the result of too many eggs and not enough calcium is the same for chickens as for reptiles (death).

So, anyway - just a nublette's question on an old thread. Sorry if it's a bother.

~K

They get diarrhea if you give them a LOT of greens and they are caged and bored (but please don't limit their greens anyone reading this post - I am just mentioning why I wouldn't force feed them tons of greens to get Ca++). They need a lot of calcium and the large flakes of the oyster shell are great for providing hard shells.

Free ranging chickens I have noticed don't inhale the greens as though they won't ever see another leaf of whatever. But I wouldn't trust the greens to provide enough as they need so much calcium and if they get deficient it can kill them with broken eggshells inside them.

 

[Kilsharion]

Thank you. That helps clear things up

 

[Chris09]

I know this is an old post; but, I just stumbled across it...hopefully someone will have some input to a question that's been rattling around in my head...

Back when I worked with reptile rescue, we would have to provide a significant source of calcium to the reptiles, particularly when they were gravid. I see all over the place using oyster shells for this purpose with chickens. My question is - why oyster shells? We found that fresh collard greens and kale were some of the best calcium to bulk ratio and provided a great supplement to food with reptiles. I guess I'm just curious why such calcium rich greens are never mentioned for birds?

I know chicks aren't reptiles, don't get me wrong. But, a need for dietary calcium is certainly the same between them. IIRC the result of too many eggs and not enough calcium is the same for chickens as for reptiles (death).

So, anyway - just a nublette's question on an old thread. Sorry if it's a bother.

~K

Oyster shells are 95% Calcium Carbonate and pound for pound contains more calcium than Collard Greens or Kale.
To be honest there is more Calcium in Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens and Spinach than Kale which only has 8687 mg/kg of Calcium.


Chris

 

[Chicks Galore3]

*bookmarking*

 

[Kilsharion]

True enough (re: greens and calcium %s).

I have been picking this recipe apart to see what all is in it and, I'm going to have to assume that if this is solely for adult chickens, given the sesame seeds and the protien content. Is that correct?

I went through and found a replacement for the sesame seeds that would give much less in the way of calcium but more in the way of protien to change it out for a grower feed. I am figuring any missing protien in this to be supplemented by their ranging (given their vociferious and prodigious attacks on all things creepy crawly, they are most likely making up the rest out in the pasture). However, I find myself concerned that this may not be the case.

When I compare the protein % based on overall weights (grams), it comes out to ~20%. This works for starter feed, yes? A minor adjustment, later, to drop the protein levels puts you right where you need to be for grower protien %s.

Anyway, I'm hoping that's the way you figure it; because, if you have to figure it based on caloric consumption - well, let's just say the numbers get ugly fast.

Thanks so much.
Kili

PS: Info gathered and my tweak for my babies with nutritional info based on 1g (kl = calories, P = protien, % C = calcium, % vitC = vitamin C):

whole corn (in winter this is increased to 3 or 4 parts) 102kl/3g P/0% C (nothing special)
soft white wheat 95kl/3g P/1% C/8% iron (phosphorus and manganese)
hard red winter wheat 92kl/4g P/1% C/5% iron (manganese and selenium)
hemp seeds (shelled) 162kl/10g P/0% C/15% iron (zinc and magnesium)
hulled barley 99kl/3g P/1% C (thiamin, selenium and manganese)
oat groats 108kl/5g P/1% C/7% iron (nothing special)
sunflower seeds (in winter this is increased to 2 parts) 164kl/6g P/2% C/8% iron/1% vitC (thiamin, b6, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, selenium, vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol))
millet 106kl/3g P/0% C/5% iron (manganese)
kamut 94kl/4g P/1% C/7% iron (thiamin, manganese, phosphorus and selenium)
amaranth seeds 104kl/4g P/4% C/12% iron/2% vitC (magnesium, phosphorus, manganese)
split peas 95kl/7g P/2% C/7% iron/1% vitC (thiamin, folate, phosphorus, copper and manganese)
lentils 99kl/7g P/2% C/12% iron/2% vitC (thiamin, phosphorus, manganese and folate)
chickpeas 102kl/5g P/3% C/10% iron/2% vitC (copper, folate and manganese)
quinoa 103kl/4g P/1% C/7% iron (folate, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese)
pumpkin seeds 151kl/7g P/1% C/23% iron/1% vitC (phosphorus, zinc, potassium, copper, selenium, b12 and manganese)
flax seeds 150kl/5g P/7% C/9% iron (magnesium, phosphorus, copper, thiamin and manganese)
kelp granules 12kl/0g P/5% C/4% iron (high sodium content and trace minerals needed by poultry)
Safflower seed kernels 145kl/5g P/2% C/8% iron (thiamin, b6, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and manganese)
granite grit
------------------------------
sesame seeds 160kl/5g P/27% C/23% iron (magnesium, copper, manganese and phosphorus)
oyster shells

 

[Island Roo]

Holy homework batman !


ETA - I'm not making fun cause I do the same thing LOL

 

[Kilsharion]

Holy homework batman !


ETA - I'm not making fun cause I do the same thing LOL

**blushes** It's the engineer in me. I've been sitting here tweaking this spreadsheet for the starter, grower and development stages and have the protein levels where I want them. My mind is just boggling at the caloric intake, though. It took me a while to get the protein calculations figured out. But, I think I've got it, now.

Trying to tweak it for calcium calculations, now.

I'm sick in the head, I know.

 

[Island Roo]

It's like some demented puzzle - I keep going to the feed store looking for the missing piece.

I add powdered limestone to my feed so everyone gets a taste and oyster shell free-choice. The girls eat most of the oyster but even the rooster eat some.

So what's boggling about the caloric intake?

 

[Island Roo]

With free-choice calcium, chickens are able to regulate their intake to the level that they require. That's probably why many give it free-choice - there's no way to mess it up when the chicken is able to do a better job of adjusting the level themselves.