Everyone, post your best homemade chicken feed recipes!

[ladyearth]

Cicklover1998
curious how do you keep them from picking thru and say just eating the BOSS ??? If I dont ferment it... they leave the dry split peas till last.... well they do now esp if peas arent real moist
one recipe I read said to steam rice and place peas on top.....
I occ give them rice. Not too often cause they would eat just that first....thanks

 

[Betsy57]

OK, here goes:
I've been doing an lot of reading over the past few months on this, and I am sure I am probably doing something wrong, so those of you with more knowledge, correct me please.
I want to provide a 1:1 ratio of mash:scratch. The layer mash I get has 18% protein.
In any ratio of mash to scratch, the minimum to maintain is 15% protein. I am going for 22-24% protein.
A scratch mixture of at least two grains is usually best for the laying hen, so I've overdone it and am using four. Each has a varying degree of energy content and benefits. You don't want any grain to be more than 50% of the scratch feed. Also, I've read that it is best usually fed in late afternoon and that overfeeding of the scratch will lower the feed intake of the mash and decrease their protein intake.
I am aware that summer/winter seasons will make a difference in the feed ratios, and that wether or not hens free-range also makes a difference.
So this mix is based on the fact that my hens do not free-range, get veggie/leafy greens in AM, and this mash/scratch mix in afternoon beginning in July of this year (when my pullets will be 19 wks old.)

100# Layer Mash:Scratch mix =

50# Layer Mash
.75# cracked corn
.25# whole oats
.50# soft shell wheat
.50# rice bran
1# sunflower
1# millet mix
.50# flax
.25# granulated garlic
.25# brewer's yeast

Final cost breakdown is $1.45/lb. So... I've mentioned before that my girls are the Paris Hiltons of the poultry world, haven't I?

So I'm waiting for your suggestions and comments...right off, I can answer a few of them....
-I'm not sure what I'm doing, most of this info has come from reading several thoughts, theories and weighing out the plusses and minuses of each of the items listed.
-I want to provide a high omega3 diet to decrease cholesterol content in the eggs.
-granulated garlic is used to reduce smell in coop.

That's a high protein content for birds that are laying age. I've seen on here where people have had fatalities among their birds due to high protein content in mature birds like yours. Your ingredients sound healthy but that isn't inexpensive. I've thought about making up my own feed too but it is too expensive and complex to come up with my own recipe. I have 50-60 birds and it is more convenient to use premium bagged feeds for me at this point.

 

[TalkALittle]

That's a high protein content for birds that are laying age. I've seen on here where people have had fatalities among their birds due to high protein content in mature birds like yours. Your ingredients sound healthy but that isn't inexpensive. I've thought about making up my own feed too but it is too expensive and complex to come up with my own recipe. I have 50-60 birds and it is more convenient to use premium bagged feeds for me at this point.

Don't worry about mudhen's birds. Every one of those ingredients has a protein level that is less than the 18% in their mash except for the flax and yeast but those are in such small quantities that they do little to raise the protein level. In fact, if my quick math is right, the scratch mix comes in at just around 16% so any ratio of that scratch to that mash will end up yielding a feed that is less than 18%. No where near their target of 22-24%.

 

[chicklover 1998]

Honestly they eat it all I have no wastage I use the pvc feeders a straight tube with a drain catch at the bottom no problem cause they can't throw the food out and for the peas I use canned peas because we have a bunch that are going out of date and no one eats them in my house so they get fed the peas on a pan and it is just put out in the yard for them to eat and they take theirs and run away like it's a huge prize and then come back and get some more.

 

[mudhen]

I have to say, I know that the mix I make is high in protein, but not enough to cause issues. And it is certainly not for everyone. But I do have healthy hens, and over the years I have not lost any to protein level fatality. Indeed, they all live long happy lives and die of age related issues. As you can see, I treat them as pets with dividends (eggs), and none go into a pot (those come from a local butcher or Purdue).
Admittedly, my feed mixture has fluctuated over the years, but I always strive for high protein and variety in their diet. For instance, even though they all free range during the day, I add a cup of dried mealworms in their feed during the winter months, and whenever they are molting as well.

 

[Teai]

Thank you so much for the answers!

 

[Seatrout00]

I'm following. I make my own dog and cat food, but with carnivores, its quite easy. They eat meat, bone and organ meat with occasional supplements if they have auto- immune issues - there are also many vit/min supplements you can purchase if you don't want to fuss with the specifics, and it all comes out to being FAR cheaper than any processed dog food, not to mention WAY healthier. I have learned quite a bit about the ugliness of the pet food industry - so I am very interested in taking this one more step and perhaps making my own chicken feed.

 

[copper2]

W

I'm following. I make my own dog and cat food, but with carnivores, its quite easy. They eat meat, bone and organ meat with occasional supplements if they have auto- immune issues - there are also many vit/min supplements you can purchase if you don't want to fuss with the specifics, and it all comes out to being FAR cheaper than any processed dog food, not to mention WAY healthier. I have learned quite a bit about the ugliness of the pet food industry - so I am very interested in taking this one more step and perhaps making my own chicken feed.

what is your recipe if you don't mind sharing?

 

[TalkALittle]

...

I have to say, I know that the mix I make is high in protein, but not enough to cause issues.

Mudhen, what is the % protein of your above mix? If I figured correctly you are feeding somewhere around 17% when I use standard crude protein levels for those ingredients. That wouldn't be considered high at all. Pehaps the amounts are listed incorrectly? Or perhaps you have changed your formula?

 

[mudhen]

Well I can see why there seems to be such a kerfuffle about the protein level in the mix I listed so many years ago! Its missing a few items!! Let me find my notes and correct it...