I would like to know how as well. I use a good quality lay mash but I sure would like to know what's in it so I could make my own. I have plenty of storage area.
You could make your own, but just corn won't provide enough protein for the chicks to do well. A fairly decent substitute for chick starter would be a mixture of oatmeal (not whole oats, oatmeal, like you eat for breakfast) and finely ground corn, with about 20% soybean meal. I would also add some ground cat food to provide fat and essential amino acids. This will not be cheaper than buying actual chick starter however. And---if cocci is a problem, you will also need to add amprolium to the mix. Then, there is the problem of balancing the vitamins, and that brings another set of problems into the topic. If it were me, I'd get the stuff from the feed store, but whatever works for you. Good luck!
We have starter feed out all the time, but ours get piles of cooked whole grain steel cut oats, barley, quinuoa, brown rice, raisins, cranberries, blueberries, sunflower seed (shelled), mashed up almonds, etc. They also get fresh mixed fruit for snacks. We cook wild salmon and onions and mushrooms for them once in a while. They get TONS of live crickets and mealworms for more protien. Oh, they get soup with every wholesome veggie in it. But I don't think most people would spoil their chickens this much It is so much fun, they go crazy when we bring them warm food and if they don't get it they yell at us until we go back in and fetch them something
Here are several organic recipes for chicken food... This one is my favorite It's not necessary to follow this recipe exactly... just make sure your birds are getting enough protein, which is predominant in the hard red wheat and the legumes. Free-range birds usually find plenty of protein from bugs, etc. I also add plain oatmeal to it on ocassion. 2 parts whole corn (in winter this is increased to 3 or 4 parts) 3 parts soft white wheat 3 parts hard red winter wheat 1 part hulled barley 1 part oat groats 1 part sunflower seeds (in winter this is increased to 2 parts) 1 part millet 1 part kamut 1 part amaranth seeds 1 part split peas 1 part lentils 1 part quinoa 1 part sesame seeds 1/2 part whole flax seeds 1/2 part kelp granules free choice of granite grit free choice of oyster shell ----------------------------------------------------- These recipes are from an expert poultry nutritionist working at a long-established organic feed company. *Note from Cetawin - I would not add the soybeans as according to my vet, they are not good for the chickens to have in any large quantity. Alfalfa Included! For Pastured or Confined Chickens 19% Broiler Grower: 1015 lb. Shelled Corn 625 lb. Roasted Soybeans 100 lb. Oats 100 lb. Alfalfa Meal 75 lb. Fish Meal, 60% 25 lb. Aragonite(calcium) 60 lb. Poultry Nutri-Balancer 2000 lb. 16% Pullet Grower: 1215 lb. Shelled Corn 450 lb. Roasted Soybeans 100 lb. Oats 100 lb. Alfalfa Meal 25 lb. Aragonite(calcium) 50 lb. Fish Meal, 60% 60 lb. Poultry Nutri-Balancer 2000 lb. 17% Layer Ration: 965 lb. Shelled Corn 600 lb. Roasted Soybeans 100 lb. Oats 100 lb. Alfalfa Meal 175 lb. Aragonite(calcium) 60 lb. Poultry Nutri-Balancer 2000 lb. All Rations should be Medium ground or rolled. The Chick Starter Ration may be slightly altered to feed other species of fowl. You may add 2lb. of fishmeal to 20lb. (5gal. Pail) of Broiler Grower 19%. This addition will provide a 21% protein mix for Chick Starter. This would be for chicks while in the brooder. You may add 4lb. of fishmeal to 20lb. (5gal. Pail) of Broiler Grower 19%. This addition will provide a 26% protein mix for turkey and game bird starter. To be fed from day 1 thru day 28. You may add 2lb. of fishmeal to 20lb. (5gal. Pail) of Broiler Grower 19%. This addition will provide a 21% protein mix for Turkey Grower #1. To be fed from day 29 thru day 56. Once Turkeys are out on pasture they should receive regular broiler grower until slaughter. No Alfalfa Rations 19% Broiler Grower: 1015 lb. Shelled Corn 625 lb. Roasted Soybeans 200 lb. Oats 75 lb. Fish Meal, 60% 25 lb. Aragonite(calcium) 60 lb. Poultry Nutri-Balancer 2000 lb. 16% Pullet Grower: 1215 lb. Shelled Corn 450 lb. Roasted Soybeans 200 lb. Oats 25 lb. Aragonite(calcium) 50 lb. Fish Meal, 60% 60 lb. Poultry Nutri-Balancer 2000 lb. 17% Layer Ration: 965 lb. Shelled Corn 600 lb. Roasted Soybeans 200 lb. Oats 175 lb. Aragonite(calcium) 60 lb. Poultry Nutri-Balancer 2000 lb. All Rations should be coarse ground or rolled. The Chick Starter Ration may be slightly altered to feed other species of fowl. - You may add 2lb. of fish meal to 20lb. (5gal. Pail) of Broiler Grower 19%. This addition will provide a 21% protein mix for Chick Starter. This would be for chicks while in the brooder. - You may add 4lb. of fishmeal to 20lb. (5gal. Pail) of Broiler Grower 19%. This addition will provide a 26% protein mix for turkey and game bird starter. To be fed from day 1 thru day 28. - You may add 2lb. of fishmeal to 20lb. (5gal. Pail) of Broiler Grower 19%. This addition will provide a 21% protein mix for Turkey Grower #1. To be fed from day 29 thru day 56. - Once Turkeys are out on pasture they should receive regular broiler grower until slaughter. ~~~~ end of nutritionist's instructions ~~~~ Here is another link for you to look at... http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/poultry/bba01s20.html
I have seen all these recipes regurgitate from the Internet. I'm looking for recipes used and proven PERSONALLY with success. I don't get red winter wheat in Australia and other such exotic things at my feed store. It's just too complex. Wheat should suffice. Also kamut is expensive I'm looking for economy. Chick starter is expensive as is. In trying to get away from that. Anyone REALLY DOING THIS with success?????? You must be out there......
In America, it's more expensive and very difficult to actually make a balanced diet. The feed companies have spent $$$ to develop complete feeds, and can produce them for less per pound than the small flock owner. Vitamin/ mineral suppliments come in big bags here; enough for 1000 pounds of feed at a time, and the vitamins deteriorate in a couple of months max, so can't be stored very well. The best we can do here is to combine with other nearby flock owners to buy somewhat larger quantities at a time. I only buy what I use in a month or maybe two months in winter. The high producing birds do need the best diet; they aren't grandma's chickens from 1902! Mary
A recipe from my book Grow it by Richard W.Larger From 1972 Laying mash 100lbs. Ground yellow corn 100lbs. Ground heavy oats 100lbs. Ground wheat 75lbs. Fish meal 25lbs. Dried milk 15lbs. Ground oyster shells 4lbs. Salt I remember as a kid you went to the feed mill and they would mix up rations like this depending on what you wanted or needed. I haven't personally tried this because most feed mills have disappeared, being replaced by big prebagged companies, I find it sad.
That is the short of it, it's cost prohibitive for most to make their own balanced feed... The exception would be those that live near a well stocked mill where you can get the stuff locally or go to a co-op and purchase in bulk... I'm not saying it's the best food but you can get but you can get layer food from Walmart and have it shipped to your house for free if you order $35 worth of stuff... http://www.walmart.com/ip/Family-Fa...Complete-Animal-Feed-40-lb-Livestock/10323565 Of course this is a layer feed and thus not suitable for mixed flocks or chicks due to the excess calcium, but it's an option for layers... Depending on your chick count you could toss in a few bags of chick starter with the layer feed and still get free shipping... http://www.walmart.com/ip/MANNA-PRO-5-LB-STARTER-FOOD-FOR-CHICKENS-Chickens/23984427 It's only 5lb bags though so you are paying a premium, but if you only have a few chicks it might not be too brutal...
