Does anyone have a good chicken feed spreadsheet they will please share?

[Chickeeaholic]

What are you frustrated about in your feeds? Nutrition? Cost? Something else?

As @U_Stormcrow said, you will not be able to get cheaper than mass-produced feed. Mixing a good quality/nutritious feed is possible, but definitely takes an investment in learning.

Some possibilities: adding some type of supplement depending on what you feel is missing, free ranging (if possible), fermenting feed.

I have not yet tried fermenting though. That may help.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I’m frustrated because no matter what brand of feed or type of feed I still seem to be dealing with health issues with my birds. I’ve tried them all. The only one I haven’t tried is Modesto Milling.

My flock has MG. I know I might not be getting optimal results for that alone? I have three MM at 2.5 years old now too. I’ve been reading on here for months. From what I gather that breed is susceptible to problems after 2 years? It seems what one MM is okay with the other starts having problems. My other breeds not so much. I don’t want to cull and start over though. I got attached. I was thinking whole grains with all the added nutrients like Fertrell nutri balance might work better for everyone?

I have EE, Brahmas, Orpingtons and MMs. If it wasn’t for the MMs I think everyone would be okay.

For now they are on nutrena. They are molting so they are on feather fixer and oyster shell in a different container. It’s okay but one MM seems to have a reproductive infection acting up again on this. She was okay on Layena but a different MM was having problems on that. Same issue. It’s been like that since May.

I honestly don't think it's the feed. If your hens have reproductive/organ problems they can get better but will most likely get worse again. It can be a roller coaster; it's just the way it is. Most modern chickens were bred to lay WAY more eggs than their ancestors and it's very hard on their bodies.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

I will add that I learned enough building mine that I will, eventually, completely rebuild it from the ground up - it has too many errors and unwritten assumptions for me to loan it out to anyone that doesn't know at least the little that I do about feeding chickens - and those that know more generally have their own tools to rely on.

if you find Garden Betty's spreadsheet, steer WAY WAY WAY clear of it - not only does it look at essentially nothing but crude protein, but its data sources aren't simply suspect, they are clearly wrong. Sadly, that's pretty typical.

I was wondering between Joel Salatin and Justin Rhodes recipes if you think one is better than the other. I’m not great at researching but I have tried. Even on reading the old books posted here.

I was down to one or the other of those and thought Justin’s was easier to source for about the same nutrients?

 

[Chickeeaholic]

I honestly don't think it's the feed. If your hens have reproductive/organ problems they can get better but will most likely get worse again. It can be a roller coaster; it's just the way it is. Most modern chickens were bred to lay WAY more eggs than their ancestors and it's very hard on their bodies.

That could be it. It seems to be brought on with a change in the feed for one or the other MMs. I just thought I would try the whole grains. I don’t want to be risking my other girls though? I do want to be sure I have the recipe right.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I really appreciate your thoughtful reply and advice. I have read all I could here and actually thought I would base my recipe on what you told someone about Justin Rhodes recipe in another thread. I have everything for his but peas. I’m having trouble getting them. I’m having trouble with soy beans too. That’s what I need a spreadsheet for. To really tune it if I can.

I don’t want to make my own. I realize what a pain it is. I have a flock of hybrids and heritage and all with their own needs. It seems one type of feed doesn’t work well for one or the other whatever I feed them. I’m also dealing with MG. I have to manage that. I really just want the best I can do at this point for their nutrition. I’ve already lost one. They have been on pellets and very little treats now. They still seem to be lacking something. Making my own in whole grains is a last ditch effort.

Yes, J Rhodes is a good place to start. Every component has a purpose. The peas are high crude protein, balanced heavily towards lysine. Soy is high crude protein, heavily balanced towards methionine.

The two most critical amino acids? Yup, Lysine and Methionine.

Sourcing ingredients for J Rhodes's recipe can be challenging. I can't do it locally - no availability for winter peas here, either. Can you get field peas (i.e. black eyed peas, purple hull peas, cowpeas, etc?) I can sometimes get those, but I'm "down South"...

 

[U_Stormcrow]

My opinion, and its not strongly held, but my opinion is that unless you know more than I do, you shouldn't use Salatin's feeds without also using his methods. That's a conservative opinion because I haven't looked real closely into his recipe to see what he's counting on his tractors for. In short, I'm ignorant. If someone went thru the list one by one and gave it some thought - 30 min, maybe an hour worth of work, they'd have a more educated opinion than mine. I jsut don't recall ever sitting down and comparing recipes.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

Yes, J Rhodes is a good place to start. Every component has a purpose. The peas are high crude protein, balanced heavily towards lysine. Soy is high crude protein, heavily balanced towards methionine.

The two most critical amino acids? Yup, Lysine and Methionine.

Sourcing ingredients for J Rhodes's recipe can be challenging. I can't do it locally - no availability for winter peas here, either. Can you get field peas (i.e. black eyed peas, purple hull peas, cowpeas, etc?) I can sometimes get those, but I'm "down South"...

I can’t get the peas of any kind or roasted soy beans. I have the fish meal. I got a lot of what I needed from Azure Standard but they were sold out of the peas.

I understand the peas and soy beans can also have adverse effects? I was hoping to find a replacement for them and have researched to find one but I haven’t found one. That’s my dilemma.

I’m in WV near Ohio, our feed stores do not carry them. The ones near me don’t carry any whole grains except oats and corn. Most farmers here are happy to feed corn or the mash from the feed store because they keep chickens two years then put them in the pot.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just the feed stores don’t carry those other grains here. Not much of a demand.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

I appreciate everyone’s help. Thank you! With everyones advice I’m thinking I’ll hold off making my own until I have more understanding and a more complete recipe. One thing I haven’t tried is all flock with separate free choice oyster shells. It was my suspicion my MMs are coming to the end of their egg laying years and the layer pellets are causing trouble?

 

[TooCheep]

I appreciate everyone’s help. Thank you! With everyones advice I’m thinking I’ll hold off making my own until I have more understanding and a more complete recipe. One thing I haven’t tried is all flock with separate free choice oyster shells. It was my suspicion my MMs are coming to the end of their egg laying years and the layer pellets are causing trouble?

I'd recommend that direction. When you have a mixed flock- layers plus non-layers (males, young, older hens, in winter), then the layer feed may be a problem. I used to use layer feed and switched to a higher protein feed in the winter, but it was a hassle and finally switched to flock feed + calcium all year. This may be important for you since it sounds like you won't be culling older birds who lay very little.

You can still check into fermented feed. It is supposed to make some of the nutrients more bio-available and my chickens prefer it to dry feed (I offer both).

 

[Chickeeaholic]

I'd recommend that direction. When you have a mixed flock

Thank you.