Custom Co-Op Feed Blend for Laying Hens

[rmanney]

Hi friends! We have decided to move away from commercial feed and have our feed blended at a local co-op so we can buy in bulk totes to store in our barn. The co-op does not have a specific blend they offer, but we were given a 16% "recipe" from a friend which we recently had the coop blend for us to try. We got 500 lbs to start with. The chickens seem to like it, but they don't eat all the corn. I feel like it has way too much corn in it (or maybe just needs to be ground finer). They also have very water stool--which may just be them adjusting to the new feed. We've been feeding it for about a week. They are still laying great on this feed. My questions is: Does anyone here have experience with buying a custom blend that they are happy with for their layers? And if so, will you share the "recipe?" Or if you are just a chicken nutritionist who can make recommendations, I'd love that, too. They do free range about half a day every other day (I have two separated pens of chickens so they have to take turns.)

Bonus question: Would you recommend a higher protein content so it can be used for our chicks as well? Or do you have a recommendation of something I can mix in by hand to the feed I give the chicks to raise the protein?

Here's a picture of the coop blend:

So this breaks down to (roughly):

• Wheat - 25%
• Corn - 25%
• Milo - 25%
• S/B Meal - 16%
• Oats - 7.7%
• Molasses - .7%
• Oyster Shell - .7%

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hi friends! We have decided to move away from commercial feed and have our feed blended at a local co-op so we can buy in bulk totes to store in our barn. The co-op does not have a specific blend they offer, but we were given a 16% "recipe" from a friend which we recently had the coop blend for us to try. We got 500 lbs to start with. The chickens seem to like it, but they don't eat all the corn. I feel like it has way too much corn in it (or maybe just needs to be ground finer). They also have very water stool--which may just be them adjusting to the new feed. We've been feeding it for about a week. They are still laying great on this feed. My questions is: Does anyone here have experience with buying a custom blend that they are happy with for their layers? And if so, will you share the "recipe?" Or if you are just a chicken nutritionist who can make recommendations, I'd love that, too. They do free range about half a day every other day (I have two separated pens of chickens so they have to take turns.)

Bonus question: Would you recommend a higher protein content so it can be used for our chicks as well? Or do you have a recommendation of something I can mix in by hand to the feed I give the chicks to raise the protein?

Here's a picture of the coop blend:
View attachment 3419721


So this breaks down to (roughly):

• Wheat - 25%
• Corn - 25%
• Milo - 25%
• S/B Meal - 16%
• Oats - 7.7%
• Molasses - .7%
• Oyster Shell - .7%

OK,

I'me going to have to make some assumptions here, since the mill hasn't provided the nutritional assays of the ingredients. I'm assuming they mean bicolor sorghum for "milo", its used sometimes for other things (some of the millets, which vary considerably in their nutritional profiles), I'm assuming a high protein soy meal (that may be wrong), I'm using the Feedipedia averages for corn (which according to actual experts, like @Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay , gives corn more credit than its due - and I'm inclined to agree), and I'm using whole oats. and I'm using "soft" wheat - its a bit cheaper, but much lower in overall protein.

Putting all those things into the calculator I made from Feedipedia data, and NOT compensating for water content ("as fed", which should reduce these figures around 10%- ish), here are my outputs:

Protein: 17.03, Fiber 4.19, Fat 3.07 (remember, these all get reduced about 10% to account for moisture in the grains). Your Methionine is low - you REALLY want a Nutribooster type addative here, such as Fertrell's product, your Lysine is good, Threonine is borderline, and Tryptophan is fine. FOR ADULT LAYERS Your Methionine is low. Yes, worthy of emphasis.

I would definitely not use that for feeding hatchlings/adolescents, and I would definitely provide a side dish of calcium - calcium diphoshate or dicalcium phosphate, not oyster shell, if you can get it. Or, like I said, the Fertrell Nutribooster.

Hard "Winter" Wheat would improve outputs, reducing corn and replacing with almost anything else is an improvement, soy or wheat the greatest improvements.

and if you are looking for an "all flock" type formulation, yes, in addition to fixing your amino acid profile to increase the Met relative to the others, the total protein should be at least 18% (preferably after accounting for moisture), meaning almost 20% on a dry matter basis.

Those are my thoughts, anyways, as someone who is NOT an expert. Just better read than many.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

The nutritional breakdown for that mix is:

Crude Protein 15.89%
Lysine 0.74%
Fat 3.72%
Fiber 4.99%
Calcium 0.38%
Phosphorus 0.36%

That is a nutritionally deficient ration, if the feedmill sells that to you without questions then you need to find a different mill. In addition it has no vitamins, trace minerals, or salt. Those alone are a recipe for disaster.

 

[nuthatched]

@U_Stormcrow
I hate to bug ya but you're the most knowledgeable person here on feeds.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hard wheat is a net benefit , red milo is a downgrade. And in the quantities you are looking at, the mil lshould be able to get the nutribooster for you. Baiscally, its vitamins, calcium, some other stuff, and added synthetic Aminos if desired (yes, you desire).
Fertrell's product, or something like it, is like the bottom 15-20 ingredients on many feed bags.

Follow the link above, look at the ingredients, then compare you a common commercial feed. You will see some similarities.

and trust Lazy J's numbers over mine, he's adjusted for moisture, and has more accurate tables than I do.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Hard wheat is a net benefit , red milo is a downgrade. And in the quantities you are looking at, the mil lshould be able to get the nutribooster for you. Baiscally, its vitamins, calcium, some other stuff, and added synthetic Aminos if desired (yes, you desire).
Fertrell's product, or something like it, is like the bottom 15-20 ingredients on many feed bags.

Follow the link above, look at the ingredients, then compare you a common commercial feed. You will see some similarities.

and trust Lazy J's numbers over mine, he's adjusted for moisture, and has more accurate tables than I do.

I used my formulation program that I use with commercial livestock feeds.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

@U_Stormcrow
I hate to bug ya but you're the most knowledgeable person here on feeds.

Haaahahahaha! No, I am DEFINITELY not.

I'm just one of the most vocal.

 

[saysfaa]

It needs salt. It might need selenium, depending on where your grains were grown. Trace mineral salt is the best way to add the salt because it will have the rest of the micro nutrients also. It is available with or without selenium.

DiCal (DiCalcium phosphate) is a better source of calcium than oyster shell in feed (it works well enough as a supplement on the side). Among other things it also supplies phosphorus. Ground limestone is less expensive than oyster shell; it also needs phosphorus considered. I don't know enough to recommend how to formulate the calcium/phosphorus balance; only that it is important.

Potassium, manganese, and magnesium are the rest of the macro nutrients. Like the micro nutrients, they tend to be too low in grain/soy based diets.

 

[saysfaa]

... We have been unsuccessful in finding a place that is knowledgeable in chicken nutrition, and ratios/nutritional information online that,

https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/backyard-poultry/

Scroll down to "Poultry Ration Calculator" under Resources

The directions didn't work on my phone. If they don't on your computer, try the county extension office for help. Or call them. Or stop in the main office.

..nutribooster. Should I mix it in to the feed or have it available separately? Will it fill in the gaps, or do I need to also add salt?

Nurtibalancer is mixed into the feed.

It comes in various versions. Some are more complete than others, that is, have salt or not, trace minerals or not, vitamins or not, probiotics or not. You can even get some with the most limiting amino acids. It is called different things by different companies. Fertrell is the company many use.

 

[Geena]

Storm is definitely the one to advise you as to the nutritional content, but I wanted to add that molasses is known to have a laxative effect.