Common feed mix for pigs/cows/chickens?

[harley96cube]

I have a small homestead and currently have 6 chickens...2 roosters and 4 hens.
I have been feeding an egg mash from the local feed mill, plus any and all table scraps.
I live in a cold climate and after starting the chickens on the table scraps this winter, I think I am getting pretty good egg production.
I have been getting 3 or 4 eggs per day out of the 4 hens.

I plan to fence several acres and get some pigs and/or cows(steers) to raise through the summer and put in the freezer in the fall.

My question is:

What is the best route to go for bulk feed?

I thought about getting a grain bin that holds 500 or 1000 bushels and buying corn from the local farmers.
Should I look into a feed grinder?
Will cows/pigs/chickens all do o.k. on whole kernel corn, or should I grind it (or buy it ground).

Anyone think that I can find a "mixture" of corn + whatever that would be good for chickens/cows/pigs.
I would rather not grind/mix 3 different feed mixes and have 3 separate storage places.

I would like to utilize the pasture as much as possible, but of course that is only part of the year.
Thanks

 

[SpringChickens]

If you're going to feed corn, the animals can eat it whole, but get a much more nutrition from it if you grind it and you will get a much bigger bang for your buck.

That said, corn is NOT a complete feed for any animal. It can be a supplement for cattle, pigs and chicken, but you don't want to try to use corn for a replacement for a balanced diet, especially if your cattle/hens aren't pastured year-round.

Also, cows, pigs and chickens have VERY different nutritional needs. Cattle are a ruminant, which requires very different things than a monogastric such as pigs and chickens. Even pigs and chickens have very different nutritional needs, and if you're going to get the best performance out of each of these animals, you really need to have them on a feed designed specifically for their specie. I think it would be worth your while to have 3 separate storage facilities for the 3 separate feeds in the long run.

Good luck!

 

[eggbuster]

Pigs need high levels of protein and lysine. Peas are high in lysine so make a mix of peas and wheat keeping lysine levels in mind and you can feed both chickens and pigs. Peas will need to be ground to keep them from being wasted. You can feed eggs to pigs but they MUST BE COOKED first as uncooked eggs act to bind up crucial nutrients and the pigs will have foot problems. Do a search on the protein/vit. requirements of pigs and you can then design a recipe.

DP chickens do better with higher protein then is currently offered in most feeds as well, so it is win win if you can find a good source of peas. If you don't wish to feed the chickens as much protein as the pigs, just keep the 2 ingredients separated and mix individual recipes. You can add corn as well keeping in mind the lysine levels are lower. Most pig grower rations are mostly made up of soybean and corn, so check the protein content of pig pellets and see if it is suitable for chickens as another option. Feed the chickens oyster shell and grit on the side. Milk is also high in lysine and protein and both chickens and pigs love it. I have pigs, chickens, geese, turkeys and they all eat the same stuff. They also get mixed legume hay. My pigs eat a lot of hay.

 

[Shotguncoop71]

Howdy! I'm hoping someone can give me guidance on feeding our pigs milk and eggs in their diet. We are going to start growing fodder to use as a large % of their diet, but know they wont get the lysine and aminos they need from just fodder. So 1) can I use milk(goatsmilk) and/or eggs to get them what they need in terms of lysine and aminos beneficial for swine and 2) approx how much does a 300lbs plus sow need per day? Thanks, Shotgun

 

[Herdsman01]

You could definitely store and grind your own feed, but if your only going to be feeding out a few head of cattle, hogs and chickens it may be more cost effective to buy a complete feed or have your local feed mill mix the rations for you. As has already been mentioned all three species have different nutritional needs. Getting feed formulated for each species is going to be the best route if you want the the animals to grow and perform to their best potential. Good luck!