Do you mix your own feed?

[harleyjo]

Just curious how many mix their own feed. We are having a problem finding the feed we want around us. My husband wants to just use cracked corn and soymeal. I am researching this and find that corn raises body temp.

I live in Iowa and our summers are hot. My chickens have to be in a coop all day sometimes when we work. I do have 2 good sized windows and run a fan for them but still am concerned about the corn issue.

I have Storey's Raising Chickens and see the recipes in there. They also list corn as a possible ingredient, main ingredient but I wonder if I need to subsitute a different grain in the summer.

If you are making your own feed I would love your recipe.

 

[canada-goose]

Corn and soy meal probably wouldn't work. Neither of those ingredients have a lot of nutritional value, as far as I know.

Here's the link to the recipe I use. It's worked pretty well for my chickens. http://www.greenerpasturesfarm.com/ChickenFeedRecipe.html

 

[Chris09]

Corn does not raise body temperature.

If you do some researching I think you will find that Soy is not good at all...

Chris

 

[harleyjo]

I swear it gets more confusing with every article I read. I just want to be able to my coop 2 blocks away and get some feed that will work for my flock that is unmedicated and healthy for them. I have ducklings that are a month, 9 and 12 week pullets. So what would be the good things to mix with cracked corn if soy is not good for them?


ETA.. my girls can't totally free range but I do get them outside everyday. The days they are in the coop most of the day I pull grass, clover and weeds and put it in the coop for them.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
What brand name feed does you Co Op carry?

Chris

 

[harleyjo]

Home Grown, which is made by Purina. They have no flock raiser and no unmedicated chick feed. I had to go to layer and soy meal to finish out my broilers.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
Really? Well I disagree but don't have the time to debate the point right now.

Jim

 

[crossedwires]

if using something like just corn/soymeal the main problem you will face is a gradual mineral and vitimin deficiancy that will slowly build up. also if you have layers you will quickly face calcium deficiancy, but having said that there is a easy solution

solution 1.
once or twice a week add a little codliver oil (now be careful where you get this, its possiable to track down cheap sources for it, try equine stores if all else fails) add just enough oil so the feed has a barely noticeable coating, the feed should not be sticking together. to this mix add a teaspoon of chicken spice per KG of feed (dosnt have to be exact) and mix it in, if you get some the spice in powder form in the bottom of the bucket then you need to add a little more oil. if you want to be realy on the ball then buy some soluable poultry vits and add them to the drinking water once a week as well. for layers make sure you have a high calcium grit (crushed oyster shell is what we use).

solution 2

you can do this ontop of solution 1. (personaly i would) feed all your kitchen scraps to the chickens!!! make sure they get plenty of veg! thats it very simple and easy to do. in winter with temps above 2C i would feed a higher wheat content if temps below 2C i feed 20% cracked maize as well.

hope this helps, i am in the process of doing a ethno herbal thread but after i do that i will do a feeding thread and hopefuly post aload more info and debunk some the long standing myths seem to hang around the net

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I mix my own feed- I am adjusting it, but here is what I have found on the internet to use for now (sorry I don't remember which website it is from)

(for my layers when they get to laying age) with oyster shell, diatomaceous earth, salt, and grit offered free choice:

20 parts corn
10 parts oats
60 parts wheat
10 parts wheat bran
30 parts millet
5 parts split peas
1 parts unsalted peanuts
4 parts sunflower seeds

My pullets are getting a variation on this for now to get slightly more protein, but will switch to this when they lay (and get the oyster shell).

Then occasionally I give kitchen scraps and scratch for fun...also they free range every day under the netting in a large garden.

I got a variation of this recipe from various sources on the web (search for chicken feed recipes) and used Pearson's square etc to make my choices on how much to give of what. I am experimenting now with substituting crushed pumpkin seeds and more oats, instead of split peas and peanuts since they really dislike them.

Also, I find that the wheat bran works out better if I just put it in their feeder straight instead of mixing it with everything else. It kind of blows away or something with all my sifting. I think I might just substitute something else.

I get wheat berries from my local farm store 50 lb for $18, which forms the base of my feed. I wanted it to be soy free. My chickens really love all the feed except the split peas and peanuts.

 

[harleyjo]

I would like to hear more about the corn/soy meal from Jim. I am going to try to make this work with supplementing a few things. I do either free range when I can or pull grass and weeds to feed them. I take kitchen scraps to them. I feed them oatmeal I make for them. I am hoping there are things I can do like the cod liver oil and a few other things like adding oyster shell when they start laying to make this work.