Emergency chicken feed substitution

[Faraz1]

So I am running low on chicken feed and don't have time to pick up more till Saturday afternoon. My chickens may have to go for 2 days (Friday and Saturday) without the usual preferred grower feed I feed them.

What would be a good substitution for 2 days ? Would a packet of rolled oats from the supermarket suffice or something similar ?

Suggestions please !

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Rolled oats are a terrible choice - oats are high in beta-glucans, makes sticky poop, reduces the bioavailability of the complete meal. In small quantity, fine. In large quantity (as percentage of the whole), not!

How many birds do you need to feed???

Better off with a can of tuna fish, some corn, some wheat, and some chickpeas all mixed together.

I'm off to the vet on an emergency basis, maybe someone else can step in, but "all oats" is a bad plan.

 

[cherrynberry]

So I am running low on chicken feed and don't have time to pick up more till Saturday afternoon. My chickens may have to go for 2 days (Friday and Saturday) without the usual preferred grower feed I feed them.

What would be a good substitution for 2 days ? Would a packet of rolled oats from the supermarket suffice or something similar ?

Suggestions please !

They can eat cat food. For two days, I wouldn't worry that much, but I second the question above.

 

[Faraz1]

They can eat cat food. For two days, I wouldn't worry that much, but I second the question above.

Thanks, canned cat food (wet) or the dry one ?

 

[Faraz1]

How many birds do you need to feed???

Thanks for your suggestions. I have 6 birds eating the grower feed.

 

[LaFleche]

How old are this 6 birds and what purpose (layers, meat birds)?

Provided they have free choice grit and calcium supply, for 6 birds I would feed some scrambled eggs with few rolled oats, millet, wheat, barley, peas and grated carrots with a teaspoon of germ oil and 1/2 teaspoon of brewers yeast.

 

[NatJ]

If you have whole wheat bread, you could give them a few bread crusts (not as the only food, but as one part of what they eat.)

In general, I would figure on some grains (corn, wheat, bread, etc) and some protein (cat food, meat, eggs, fish, cooked beans, etc) and some vegetables (could be things like carrot peels, while you eat the "best" part of each one. Raw or cooked is fine.)

When you don't have a complete chicken food, it probably works best to offer a variety of things (covering several main categories of foods), and let them pick which parts to actually eat.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

^^^ what Nat said.

(I'm back from the vet)

Its said that birds, on average, eat 100g per day of feed. That's about 1/4#. Six birds is 1.5#/day. You need at least two days worth of food - 3#. Life rarely cooperates. Lets make 6#, 4 days worth. Now compensate for water content, and you have 3 days worth. Lets do it the easy way - 6 ingredients.

You want an animal protein to ensure your birds are getting a complete protein, since your chances of "manufacturing" a complete protein are pretty slender, otherwise. You want a legume or two. Now bulk it out anc complete the veggie proteins with cereals/grains

1# "Family Size" foil pack tuna IN WATER. That's around 23% protein, 1% fat, insignificant fiber.
1# bag of edamame (soybeans) from the frozen food aisle. 13% protein, 6.8% fat, 4.2% fiber
1# can of Garbanzo beans (chick peas) - I like Bush's. 4.5% Protein, 2% fat, 3.8% fiber (dried would be better, but for these purposes, the can is fine - dried requires a lot of work)
1# of prepared enriched white rice
2x 1# loaves of whole wheat bread. 13.4, 4.2, 7.4 respectively.

Since the bread and rice are enriched, you are looking at a good vitamin profile, the tuna provides the needed selenium. Energy comes from the rice and bread. Combining legumes with rice or legumes with cereal is the key to a complete protein (and the tuna is already complete). After compensating for the water content, you are looking at 14.6% protein, 4% fat, 5.2% fiber. Salt content has been controlled, in part with the plain white rice.

I would NOT feed my birds on this all the time, but a few days??? Yeah, for a back of napkin math, its not terrible.

Looking at the price tag, its pretty obvious why we don't feed birds people food from the supermarket....

 

[Faraz1]

Thank you all for your help !

 

[cherrynberry]

Thanks, canned cat food (wet) or the dry one ?

I have seen people use both. Looks like you have recieved a lot better advice above though. Good luck!