Does Anyone Make Their Own Food?

[wingsofglory]

Thank you Nourham for posting your grandma's experience.

I've been looking for just this information before my new chicks come.

Is it possible to give amounts or proportions of her chick feed recipe?

Did she feed the flax seed whole to new chicks? Or did she grind the whole recipe together?

Thank you very much, great info.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I mix my own feed- see my BYC page if you are interested in the recipe I use!

 

[wingsofglory]

Thank you ChickensAreSweet. Your recipe looks doable and it really helps hearing someone has tried it and it works. I copied and saved it.

Organic layer is $30 for fifty pound bags way last winter before all the recent price increases.

And they do not carry organic chick feed.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
I feed my chicks organic chick starter until around 6 weeks of age, since many of the seeds I feed are too large and I worry about them getting enough protein just eating the smaller things in my mix. I pay around $23 per 40 lb. for it.

 

[nourahm]

Sorry, I should have been clearer...yes, as chicks the mixture is ground (I use a magic bullet food processor) into a crumble consistency, but the flax is added after 3 weeks. Grandma said don't give a new chick flax because it's not good for them, maybe they can't process it??? I also give them cooked white rice. I make it kinda sticky, not grainy when they are chicks and they eat it off my fingers. Oh don't add salt to the rice, but instead add a drizzle of sunflower or safflower oil to the water so it doesn't stick to your pot and the oil is beneficial to them. I do have to admit, I kinda give my chicks a lot of stuff including blanched broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, sweet peas and butter beans. I kinda do spoil them, but just avoid salt and any kind of sugar, sugary stuff makes for pasty butt and that can kill them. As far as veggies, if I eat it, they eat it. With chicks you just have to keep in mind the choking factor. With root veggies always cook them soft enough so they don't choke on it. Chickens will eat just about anything. Cooked corn is good too, just run a bit through your processor or blender to make it smaller pieces when they are chicks. Oh yeah and soft boiled eggs, well, not runny yolk but you know when the yolk hasn't turned pale yellow, solid but still a bright yellow? Chop up the egg and man they go crazy. I avoid feeding them any type of chicken meat. Oh God, I almost forgot! We make worm beds for them. A worm bed will make your chickens fall in love with you. If you don't have the room in your yard, just go to a fishing or bait shop and grab a tub of wax worms, red worms, night crawlers, crickets, or any live bait for fish. Trust me after hand feeding your chickens live bugs, they will think you are some kind of treat god or goddess.