Everyone, post your best homemade chicken feed recipes!

[mudhen]

The decimal place on my original post was off. I corrected it later on, but I think some folks missed that.

50# Layer Mash
7.5# cracked corn
2.5# whole oats
5# soft shell wheat
5# rice bran
10# sunflower
10# millet mix
5# flax
2.5# granulated garlic
2.5# brewer's yeast

I've modified it slightly since then by replacing the millet mix with dried mealworms (Chubbyworms!) and reduced cracked corn to 5#, and added .5# of DE and 4.5# Safflower.

In addition, they free range year round, plus daily treats such as veggies, grapes, table scraps, and/or cooked oatmeal or lentils (a couple time per week in the winter months), as well as crushed oyster shell available at all times.

I was interested in replacing the soft shell wheat with kelp, but have not had a chance to read more about kelp nor find out where it is available.

In any case, I don't have the protein % here right now, but I think it was, with the original mix about 21%.

 

[TalkALittle]

[COLOR=333333]The decimal place on my original post was off. I corrected it later on, but I think some folks missed that.[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]50# Layer Mash[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]7.5# cracked corn[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]2.5# whole oats[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]5# soft shell wheat[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]5# rice bran[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]10#    sunflower[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]10#    millet mix[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]5# flax[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]2.5# granulated garlic[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]2.5# brewer's yeast[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]I've modified it slightly since then by replacing the millet mix with dried mealworms (Chubbyworms!) and reduced cracked corn to 5#, and added .5# of DE and 4.5# Safflower.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]In addition, they free range year round, plus daily treats such as veggies, grapes, table scraps, and/or cooked oatmeal or lentils (a couple time per week in the winter months), as well as crushed oyster shell available at all times.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]I was interested in replacing the soft shell wheat with kelp, but have not had a chance to read more about kelp nor find out where it is available.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]In any case, I don't have the protein % here right now, but I think it was, with the original mix about 21%. [/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333] [/COLOR]

I know it has been a while since your original post and I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I still don't see how this formula can yield a 21% protein feed though. I still come up with a % protein of less than that of your mash. Perhaps the % protein of each ingredient that I'm using to calculate are different than yours. Admittedly, I just googled the protein of a number of the grains. Would you mind posting the % protein for each ingredient that you used when calculating your mix? Or perhaps my math is off. If so, perhaps someone else could try their hand at it?

 

[ladyearth]

I dont understand how can something homemade CAN have a commercial "mash" or feed in it.....huh?
I know one thing its prob a whole lot better than just the plain everyday junk feed from big box stores If you look at the ingrdients its mostly corn and soy....
Oh well at least they prob waste less than picking out stuff they dont like first. LOL
I dont want my chickens to be just egg mchs.... course that just me....
thanks yall

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I dont understand how can something homemade CAN have a commercial "mash" or feed in it.....huh?
 I know one thing its prob a whole lot better than just the plain everyday junk feed from big box stores If you look at the ingrdients its mostly corn and soy....
   Oh well at least they prob waste less than picking out stuff they dont like first. LOL
I dont want my chickens to be just egg mchs.... course that just me....
thanks yall

To each their own, but most people who make homemade soup happily use pre-made noodles.
I use a homemade mix, along with freeranging and throw in a store bought pellet, during the winter months. It is just an added supplement. Because of this my feed bill is much lower, I still consider my birds on homemade food.
If you do not like a suggested recipe, that is fine, but it is still homemade.

 

[ladyearth]

Mudhen and others how to you keep them" Chicken Girls" from flingin out or just eating what they want of your mixture??? Esp if it is NOT moistened or fermented ???also you said safflower? Oil ? One recipe in a chicken keeping book said Sesame seeds..... Yeah right unless you can get them cheap... LLOl Mine got some cause I found a reduced salvage store bag.. cheap...
They are supp to be growing hemp expermentally herein KY... dang them. They should be doing it NOW.. I buy them or try growing them if I could I d eat them myself.... Its supp to be a superfood.. I bought some Nutiva brand seeds I ate.. tasted okay to me. expensive thoug... Also got some kind of protin powder and oil too...
I dont know why we Americans let a powerful FEW tell us what to do about every thing.. I guess that why its all Nanny state now.....
I was at useless county extension office a while back and saw a phamplet extolling the virtues of registering your livestock...
WE need to tell them all to go pound sand...
Like a radio host said years ago"americans will accept anything if done incrementally...
Now I will jump off my box and go and eat an avocado... LOL

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Personally, I just put the store feed in a pan near their water. Then I scatter their grains around the yard, or if weather is bad the barn. Makes them work for the good stuff. They pick at the store bought, especially when stuck in the barn, but really dig for the good stuff.

 

[ladyearth]

heck it would had to be scattered in over 1/2 acre.... Naw... LOL
too expensive to waste. Plus dem wild birds would get it.... I just spatula it back in and give it back to them the spoiledrotten chicken girls.... I put like big pans and trays under the bowls etc to catch the "fling"
esp feed them in one their shelter toppers. It has a " patio brick floor" with an old garage rubber mat over and cardboard.. Easier to clean up...
we have to keep "screen shades" up over and if front of their big 5 ft kennel gate.. Them dang cardinals etc fly thru the open gate.... the creepos..and steal their food...

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I have 7 acres, not that I scatter over them, but I have never had a problem with much waste, and way to many cats and dogs for wild birds to be a big issue. Besides they have their own feeder, nice, safe, up in a tree.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

My best recipe is filling the feeder for our layer flock with a high quality layer feed supplemented with table scraps.

 

[ladyearth]

well dont have high quality around here... and have very few table scraps.....