Can you MAKE your own chick feed?

[shortgrass]

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.

True. I consider myself very blessed to not only nly have wheat, corn, and alfalfa in my stockpile already, because we farm it... But I still go to the mill and have them mix me up something special sometimes... I like to toss some millet or BOSS in the mix, and at $.24 per pound on BOSS and $8/ bu for Milo(@50 lbs)... I can get 500# of feed for just about $100 bucks...and that's splurging

Love the grain mill.....

 

[Folly's place]

But many of us can't use 500 pounds of feed in a reasonable time, and where are the vitamins in that mix? Mary

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

There's plenty of vitamins in that mix, especially since back in the day most chickens free ranged, grasses, weed seeds, bugs, stuff out of the other animals manure, I certainly would not feed it to confined birds, though I still think they would be fine, it's only in the last 40 years that we have become dependant on large companies telling us what is right. I prefer to try things and see how they work, that's how grandpa did it. Just my opinion, nothing more.

 

[MeepBeep]

it's only in the last 40 years that we have become dependant on large companies telling us what is right. I prefer to try things and see how they work, that's how grandpa did it. Just my opinion, nothing more.

As you eluded to back in grandpas day chickens had "grasses, weed seeds, bugs, stuff out of the other animals manure" and acreage that was mostly pesticide free at their disposal, not true for many today raising in urban environments even if they are free ranged in the backyard... Thus the demand and ultimate need for commercial balanced feeds for many...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I am lucky enough to still be country, if I had a city flock I would stick to rations, I do feed a ration, it's easier, but I also give all kinds of different things, including scratch and whole corn, and scraps, I think people over complicate chicken feeding, they are very adaptive. I'm not in the business of selling eggs or meat, if I was I might do things differently, who knows.

 

[MeepBeep]

I am lucky enough to still be country, if I had a city flock I would stick to rations, I do feed a ration, it's easier, but I also give all kinds of different things, including scratch and whole corn, and scraps, I think people over complicate chicken feeding, they are very adaptive.

I hear you, I'm in a rural area as well and feed a commercial feed 24/7 but my chickens get a ton of other things as well... I just posted today's supplemental feeding in this thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/407549/what-treat-did-your-chickies-get-today/5210#post_15655458

In the end if you want simplicity a balanced commercial feed isn't a bad choice...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That is impressive, mine get bits and ends of fruits and vegetables, and old noodle, or soup, anything the dog won't or shouldn't eat, you are very organized. Nice.

 

[shortgrass]

But many of us can't use 500 pounds of feed in a reasonable time, and where are the vitamins in that mix?  Mary

Well alfalfa, wheat, corn, millet, and BOSS is a pretty good mix. They get plenty of vitamins there, no doubt about that. I add oyster she'll, if that's what you meant.... And 500# of FRESH grain keepscWAY longer than pelletized bagged feed...

I'm 100% organic grower too, so that pesticide debate has been made moot here lol... Itvis very unfortunate that most can't have the space and time to do it this way... Just lucky I suppose