Commercial Feed vs. Homemade Feed

[The Happster]

Wow. That’s degrading. Because I’m disabled I must have all the time in the world? Perhaps I can’t afford them? Really?? I was disabled when I had sixty chickens. The only difference is that I didn’t use a cane. I use one now. I know what caring for chickens entail. Being disabled doesn’t mean that I can’t handle caring for them or having them. That’s ridiculous and insulting. Being disabled also doesn’t mean I sit on my duff all day either. I take care of my one year old granddaughter. I’ve babysat her since she was eight weeks old. DISABLED. If I can care for an actual human being, I’m sure six chickens will be fine in my care. And I have a dog that has lived in my disabled care for three years. Like really??
Noticed I didn’t say I was unprepared for them? I am waiting till next year to get them so I have everything set up for them. Disabled doesn’t mean lazy. It doesn’t mean incapable. I was just explaining my circumstances so anyone reading this doesn’t think I can do physically what I can’t. But if I can lift 40 lb bags of soil for my gardens, I’m sure I can handle this. I’m absolutely disgusted by your comment.

Chicalina absolutely did not mean it in that way.

Hopefully you can find your answer and get your birds feed you are happy with.

 

[Leasmom1013]

Chicalina absolutely did not mean it in that way.

Hopefully you can find your answer and get your birds feed you are happy with.

That may be the case but that was absolutely how I interpreted it. I would prefer to focus on the subject of the feed and not whether I should be physically capable of raising chickens or whether I can afford them. I can but my desire is to keep the cost low.
It’s just like the fact that I was spending probably $150 a month on bulk diapers and wipes for my granddaughter for my house. So I changed to cloth diapers. She’s still diapered but the cost has dropped dramatically. I want to provide them with what they need but in a more cost efficient way.

 

[Leasmom1013]

Scratch is not chicken food. It is mostly fat and has zero nutritional value for the chicken. That person on YT who grounded up scratch to make chick food was not making a nutritionally sound food at all. Scratch is a treat, and treats should only make up 10% of the diet. As far as vitamins. There’s vitamins for chickens that could be bought as well.

Chickens do not have to eat commercial food, but they need a balanced diet, which commercial food provides. Commercial feed is the easiest, most accessible way to get a balanced diet for a chicken for most people. If someone wants to make their own food, they absolutely can, but it should provide a good diet for the chicken (scratch is not good for them, and should not be included as part of the main food).

Currently my flock eats a whole grain food, and it does provide them with good nutrition, so it is definitely possible to feed your chickens without buying processed feed. A few members on BYC make their own food. @Flockincrazy has a good recipe for homemade chicken food here.

Fermenting is a good way to add protein and make the food last longer. Some people even do it to commercial feed. I ferment food for my broilers because of the benefits and to save food. I don't know much about fodder, but it sounds like a good way to provide healthy greens for the chickens.


This sounds like a pretty good food for your chickens, as long as the scratch without added ingredients is limited to 10% of the food. Yes on the apple cider vineger too, because provides some vitamins that are good for the chickens. If your food provides good nutrition to your chickens, there is no reason for it not to be a good feed.

Previously I used a wild bird seed mix which had black Oil sunflower seeds, milo and corn mixed in with the crumbles or pellets. I added oats as well. I fed them that daily. They were extremely healthy and gave me lots of eggs. I lost just one chicken out of the flock of 60. My thought is to use ingredients I can grind up into feed until their older. And then to soak the grains overnight to feed them. I just watched a bunch of videos a few minutes ago so my thoughts are a little disjointed but like them, I would be feeding these grains as feed and not as a snack. Barley. Oats, peas, Sunflower seeds, milo, millet as the grains. And mealworms for added protein and as a snack. And giving grit.

 

[FuzzyCritters]

Previously I used a wild bird seed mix which had black Oil sunflower seeds, milo and corn mixed in with the crumbles or pellets. I added oats as well. I fed them that daily. They were extremely healthy and gave me lots of eggs. I lost just one chicken out of the flock of 60. My thought is to use ingredients I can grind up into feed until their older. And then to soak the grains overnight to feed them. I just watched a bunch of videos a few minutes ago so my thoughts are a little disjointed but like them, I would be feeding these grains as feed and not as a snack. Barley. Oats, peas, Sunflower seeds, milo, millet as the grains. And mealworms for added protein and as a snack. And giving grit.

Sounds like a great food for them! I'm not a nutrition expert or anything like that, but the food I feed them is pretty similar and my chickens are healthy and lay good eggs. It also ferments well.

 

[Leasmom1013]

You’re over thinking this. Since you’ve successfully raised chickens in the past trust your instincts. Chickens today are no different now than when you raised them.

Commercial feeds, whether National Brands (e.g., Purina or Nutrena) or Regional Brands, are specifically formulated to meet the dietery requirements of poultry at specific life stages (i.e., starter, grower, layer, etc.). These feeds contain all of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and probiotics at the daily dietery levels needed for a healthy flock. The majority of people (me included) do not have sufficient knowledge of the specific daily dietery needs of chickens so commercial feeds take care of that for us and our chickens. Chickens whose dietery needs are not properly met are more susceptible to disease or infection (e.g., necrotic enteritis) caused, in part, by an imbalance of their intestinal flora thus allowing bad bacteria to flourish. So, unless you have a working knowledge of how to properly mix a nutrient complete feed, I would suggest you feed commercial. If you do have such knowledge then go for it.

I’m also of the opinion that it will be more expensive per pound to purchase all of the ingredients needed to make your own complete feed. Scratch grains, mealworms, etc. are good for treats in moderation (10% or less of daily diet) but are not a complete feed.

Thanks. I’m planning on buying the bulk of it before I get chickens and then use grocery store oats, barley, split peas, lentils etc to add to it. I did that before. And wild bird seed which has the rest of the grains. It would be very expensive if I had to buy them individually every month. There’s a chicken vitamin that could be added for their vitamin needs to ensure they have that. I’m trying to make my cost per month minimum. I still have to buy things for my granddaughter. Plus I’ll have garden scraps and food scraps. There’s so many times this year I wish I could toss somethings to them. When I had chickens before I just bought the feed locally and mixed in the bird seed and oats. But not having a feed store nearby, the cost of feed per month plus shipping would be out of my range now. I want healthy birds and plan on giving a diversity of grains and greens..

 

[kerbotx]

You are not wrong! I think fodder & fermented feed are still popular, as there are always threads popping up on those topics. A lot of folks are more interested in whole grain diets - Scratch & Peck Feeds seems to be quite popular right now, and their organic layer feed is running $24.49, for a 10 pound bag! And that stuff looks like scratch to me - but it's wheat, barley, peas, etc. There are lots of ways to do this.

 

[Nigel27]

Seaweed is a great addition for vitamins and minerals

 

[Leasmom1013]

You are not wrong! I think fodder & fermented feed are still popular, as there are always threads popping up on those topics. A lot of folks are more interested in whole grain diets - Scratch & Peck Feeds seems to be quite popular right now, and their organic layer feed is running $24.49, for a 10 pound bag! And that stuff looks like scratch to me - but it's wheat, barley, peas, etc. There are lots of ways to do this.

Thank you.

 

[Leasmom1013]

Thanks.

 

[Leasmom1013]

Sounds like a great food for them! I'm not a nutrition expert or anything like that, but the food I feed them is pretty similar and my chickens are healthy and lay good eggs. It also ferments well.

Thanks.