here's where I started my researching, and got lots of info from this site too
http://www.gardenbetty.com/2012/06/garden-bettys-homemade-whole-grain-chicken-feed/
http://www.gardenbetty.com/2012/06/garden-bettys-homemade-whole-grain-chicken-feed/
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Don't forget about split peas, going for about 50 cents a pound here and 24.5% protein. They don't need to be cooked for poultry. Lentils have more anti-nutrients in them than split peas (tannins) and thus I'd limit them personally. They will eat the split peas if mixed into the feed and not too many of them. Same with flax (they don't like a lot of them).Found a local health food store here (Mama Jeans) has the ingredients for making my own organic whole grain corn/soy free feed if I wish. Comes to $1.70 a pound even with the spendy trendy stuff like the chia or black sesame. That's not bad for the few chickens I have, and worth it to me. Here's what I think I'll use, adapted slightly from Garden Betty website, and very similar to other recipes I've seen:
5 pounds oat groats, 4 pounds of BOSS, 4 pounds of hard red wheat berries, 2 pounds white wheat, 2 pounds millet, 2 pounds kamut, 1 pound green lentils, 1 pound flax seeds, 1/2 pound white sesame, 1/4 pound chia or black sesame, 1/4 pound of kelp granules.
I can lessen the oats and increase the wheat if the yolks seem a little light colored, or tinker as I need to I guess. Any suggestions about what I should drop or add and why are always welcome. It paid to go local this time, rather than trying to buy in such a huge bulk that I'd take forever to use it up. Small time operation here. Just 12 now, and will be down to 6 when my neighbor gets his coop built and can take his girls off my hands.
There is one lady on BYC who feeds lentils uncooked. I have read that it is fine but that the tannin content is a bit higher than with the peas, is all. You should be OK in moderation.great tip about the lentils! I will take the lentils off the recipe and replace them with split peas. I've also pretty much dropped the chia, and might do so with sesame except on occasion, and will lower the flax content too. Since white wheat is actually more expensive for me here, I've decided to stick with hard red. The girls have been getting sprouts and microgreens I'm growing in flats everyday until I get a chance to build a light enough tractor to pasture them in a safe, confined way (chicken hawks and predators galore here).
I'll also try to find redmond salt locally, but can order it online since it's a smaller component of a feed mix. I'm also looking into Fertrell locally, but have been giving a non-organic "Rooster Booster" vitamin supplement for all fowl in the mean time.
Thank you SO MUCH for the wise advice!! I really am trying to keep my girls healthy, provide them everything they need in an affordable way without the corn and soy and gmo, so I really am forced to make my own. I love having this thread to get information from!
Thank you Leah...I avoid soy for myself and I would never feed it to my dogs or cats (they eat a raw diet), but there are things in the organic, soy and corn free feeds that I asked myself the same question you pose..."would this be a natural part of their diet?". Like fish meal. I have the same issue with commercial feeds for horses. In fact one of the ingredients they use in those is chicken egg. My horse would never seek out and eat chicken eggs!
I frequently say to people regarding their dogs... "when was the last time you saw a dog grazing in a wheat or corn field?" and.... "dogs do not catch their prey and line up in front of a grill master in the woods at 10 am and 5pm to have that rabbit they caught cooked before they eat it."
(this is usually a conversation about why I do not feed them grains, why I feed raw uncooked foods and why I don't feed on a schedule)
Thank you for the links..I already read Mercola frequently, but I will check out the other.