BEST chicken feed recipe, ever.

[digitS']

From being around here awhile, I am beginning to see how some folks discover these complex recipes for feeding their birds. And, then . . .

Then, they apparently learn that it is too complex and too expensive.

Then, they drop out -- off the forum and maybe out of chicken-keeping.

Just looking at this thread, dates and some of the posters tells me that there was some quick-burning enthusiasm and then that was it. Even some who were around quite awhile or posting a good deal have flared-out. Perhaps, there was too much effort to it all.

We would all like to do the "best" for our birds. But, Heavens! There is virtue in simplicity, too!

Steve

 

[Organics North]

digitS' :

From being around here awhile, I am beginning to see how some folks discover these complex recipes for feeding their birds. And, then . . .

Then, they apparently learn that it is too complex and too expensive.

Then, they drop out -- off the forum and maybe out of chicken-keeping.

Just looking at this thread, dates and some of the posters tells me that there was some quick-burning enthusiasm and then that was it. Even some who were around quite awhile or posting a good deal have flared-out. Perhaps, there was too much effort to it all.

We would all like to do the "best" for our birds. But, Heavens! There is virtue in simplicity, too!

Steve

Indeed! What you say is very true..... It is all about what one chooses as "important" in their life.. And yes the degree of importance does change for people over time...I know for a fact my "interests" change regularly. Thankfully we have pre made chicken food for the sake of convenience and saving time for those that feel they need it...... With that said:::::

I will admit I am strongly entrenched in the concept of local agriculture and the back to the land movement. I am a fanatic.. I am passionate about the concept.

My concern is the trend the past 40 years to convenience in our own diets...... "Cooking from scratch is so much work." "Might as well get some fast food or highly processed convenience food."
"Why have a garden? It is time consuming, easier to go to the store."

With unemployment, and the future outlook being what it is I would like to see 30% of the population go back to agriculture.. People making basic livings doing honest work...Yes I dream of a Pre-WWII America.. Enough of the Hummers and SUV's Enough Mc Mansions in the corn fields... I feel we are finding out it is not sustainable.
.

It is my personal opinion we as a society would be better off with less time for football games and american idol on TV, and spent more time preparing food. We would have better health and need less physiologist, less depression meds, less ADD in our kids, less high blood pressure. Growing and preparing your own food requires sacrifice. However the simple daily rhythm of preparing food can be deeply satisfying to the body and soul. It still is for most cultures of the world..

My sprout and wet mash daily regimen is time consuming indeed.!! Some mornings I think I am nuts.. However, I can always fall back on the home made mix being fed as a dry mash. What keeps me going is my yolk color and flavor. They stand out from the crowd. It is satisfying it makes me "feel" proud and "good"...Also I know what my chickens are eating. I know I am voting with my pocket book, I put what products I think are sustainable in my feed. My dollars do not go to support companies who's policies I disagree with. I am not supporting an industry I feel needs to change...

If enough people take action, and make the sacrifice of time for their ideals change is inevitable.. In a capitalistic society I feel the most important vote you cast is with your pocketbook.....

Be well
ON​

 

[cuntryuppiechick]

I totally agree with Organic. I am doing the same. I did not get chicken fever one day. I've been working into this over a couple of years. I do a similar real food recipe for my chicks and it does make a huge difference in taste and quality. I don't do processed food for myself. This is unfortunate because I was not inspired but forced through GI medical issues that they have not been able to treat but real home cooked food without pesticide works for me. Have gerd, ibs, ibd, chrones, etc? I highly suggest looking at your intake. I have a very limited ability to take in food so I have to maximize the vitamins I get from it. My quail eggs have 4-5 times the value of a grocery store egg 4 times its size. I make the recipe once a week and put them in jars in the freezer. I assemble it while I am cleaning the kitchen so it adds little more than a few minutes. The biggest hassle is hunting down the ingredients initially. My recipe would make a very good bland casserole if I baked it. When I make it I am constantly snacking on it. I find that reassuring that I can eat what I give them since I will eat them or their eggs. I will have more garden space installed by next year to produce more of it myself further reducing my cost. After that the initial costs are null and they will be self sustaining for the most part. I won't have to keep selling my soul to Purina indefinitely.

Oh, and i haven't had a tv in about a decade!

 

[Medicine Man]

digitS' :

From being around here awhile, I am beginning to see how some folks discover these complex recipes for feeding their birds. And, then . . .

Then, they apparently learn that it is too complex and too expensive.

Then, they drop out -- off the forum and maybe out of chicken-keeping.

Just looking at this thread, dates and some of the posters tells me that there was some quick-burning enthusiasm and then that was it. Even some who were around quite awhile or posting a good deal have flared-out. Perhaps, there was too much effort to it all.

We would all like to do the "best" for our birds. But, Heavens! There is virtue in simplicity, too!

Steve

This is true. Personally, I'm extremely jaded on reading some newbie touting that "Greener Pastures" recipe as the greatest thing since sliced bread when in fact it's really very amateurish. I guess it's true that there's not fiercer advocate than a recent convert.

Folks, avian nutrition is a very complex science. People go to school for this. People are paid lots of money for this. You're not going to crack the code by giving "a scoop of this a scoop of that two parts of this one part of that...."

This is not in defense of commercial feed, I do mix my own, but it's also a constantly evolving process and yes, I have f[oul]ed up a chicken, albeit in a minor and temporary way, by using an inadequate recipe. You won't see me on here telling you of my grand new epiphany.​

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
This is true. Personally, I'm extremely jaded on reading some newbie touting that "Greener Pastures" recipe as the greatest thing since sliced bread when in fact it's really very amateurish. I guess it's true that there's not fiercer advocate than a recent convert.

Folks, avian nutrition is a very complex science. People go to school for this. People are paid lots of money for this. You're not going to crack the code by giving "a scoop of this a scoop of that two parts of this one part of that...."

This is not in defense of commercial feed, I do mix my own, but it's also a constantly evolving process and yes, I have f[oul]ed up a chicken, albeit in a minor and temporary way, by using an inadequate recipe. You won't see me on here telling you of my grand new epiphany.

This is probably a stupid question but here goes.......

What did folks feed their chickens before commercial feed came along? Just plain, folk like me, who think simple and don't have a degree or understanding of avian nutrition. Did the chickens only live a few months? Where the eggs unhealthy?

 

[Medicine Man]

Did they keep chickens in tiny, dirt pens? Did they have "production strain" chickens which laid 300+ eggs per year? Did they have chickens laying well beyond 10 years of age? Or did their chickens free-range over wide territory and wind up in the soup pot or lost to predators by age two?

It's important to keep in mind that there is very little "natural" about the domestic chicken, even more so now than way back when.

 

[PortageGirl]

I have a couple comments, first, to the question about what people fed their chickens in the past... they free ranged them and feed them whatever extra grain they had on hand. Not much science to it, and no, the chickens didn't drop dead from it but they probably didn't lay the quantity or quality of eggs that they had the potential to lay. If they got too much corn etc, they probably became too fat which interferes with good health and egg production, or if the farmer was skimpy with the corn, and they free ranged a lot, they were probably lean mean laying machines till they stopped laying very well or got eaten by predators like Medicine Man said. They went broody more often and most people kept roosters so they had lots of replacement chicks which was good because when they stopped laying well for whatever reason, they became soup or stew. Thanks to more modern nutrition knowledge, and breeding research etc, chickens have a longer and better laying life, and they are just generally in better health (IMO of course).

As to people burning out, well just because they don't post too much, doesn't mean they aren't still keeping chickens or enthusiastic. People stop posting for many reasons. I admire the admins and the moderators here for being able to keep replying to questions without giving in to the urge to say USE THE SEARCH OPTION - This Question has been answered at least a thousand times!!!!!!

No, not THIS question, just various other questions that get asked over and over and over. I don't spend a ton of time here and once I have the urge to be snarly to anyone who re-asks questions, I step away for a bit because that's just not fair! People asking questions is a really good thing and I know it. I'm just happy that more patient people than myself are the Mods here and do such a good job of helping N00bs. Bless them all!

 

[Speceider]

"If they got too much corn etc, they probably became too fat which interferes with good health and egg production, or if the farmer was skimpy with the corn"

I seriously doubt farmers in, say the 1930's, gave chickens ANY corn.

and no, the chickens didn't drop dead from it but they probably didn't lay the quantity or quality of eggs that they had the potential to lay

They didn't, but you are entrirely correct, they only laid 60 or so eggs/year!

You do identify a HUGE issue...what is POTENTIAL vs generally POSSIBLE.

Clint

 

[Clay Mudd]

Quote:
Good point -- getting fed up with a board isn't the same as getting fed up with what the board is about.

 

[Orindagardener]

Keep this conversation going, guys. This is very very interesting and informative.

For those who make their own feed, please share what you do. I would really like to see and learn!