Everyone, post your best homemade chicken feed recipes!

[Chris09]

Has anyone seen http://beckyshomestead.com/ (Becky's Homestead) videos? Each time I watch one, she seems to contradict nutritional knowledge that I already know - does anyone here know if she's legit? It seems to be more of a gimmick-type take-your-money website.

One particular item she claims is that cracked corn is useless nutritionally and I know that isn't the case, it has some nutrition, even if its not highly bioavailable.

Ideas?

She has no idea what she is talking about.
It's people like her that think they now something (really they don't) and confuse beginners by feeding them false information.

For people that don't know,, Cracked Corn is just that corn that has been cracked it has the same nutritional value as whole corn.

 

[Seatrout00]

She has no idea what she is talking about.
It's people like her that think they now something (really they don't) and confuse beginners by feeding them false information.

For people that don't know,, Cracked Corn is just that corn that has been cracked it has the same nutritional value as whole corn.

I appreciate this clarification.

 

[chickengr]

She has no idea what she is talking about.
It's people like her that think they now something (really they don't) and confuse beginners by feeding them false information.

For people that don't know,, Cracked Corn is just that corn that has been cracked it has the same nutritional value as whole corn.

I agree with you.

she feeds bread in summer. bread might be a treat only, and not every day.

DE proved to be a bad idea for chickens (you can find the information at http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/05/diatomaceous-earth-de-benefitrisk.html).

 

[Seatrout00]

I too thought that garbage white bread she was feeding was just filler - that stuff is so chock full of chemicals and junk, its a wonder its still legal. Thank you for the information on DE - I use DE with my dog and cats and inside for ant control - was going to use it in my chicken coop for mite control - I will read the article.

 

[towboatermkc]

So i have been reading all the blogs. My question is how do we keep the cost down. if i can by a 50# bag of layer feed and a 50#bag of scratch for nless than 20 dollars then why would I want to make a 50# recipe of mash that costs close to a hundred dollars? We have a flock of over 30 and from all the reciepes i have read on here leads me to believe that you all are rich or just like spoiling your birds to the point of uselessness.
Very confusing people.
Craig Ranch in Metropolis,IL.

 

[ladyearth]

I am far from rich.. We are what we eat... I want my eggs as "natural" as can be... I give my chickens unfortunately (some of its organic though)... reg feed now ,but also give them also a meal of bunch of human grade mixed grains and grasses. peas, lentils I get most of these items on clearance...like buckwheat , quoia.. the other items are less than $1.50 per lb..... Plus acess to 1/2 acre all day
and I only have less than a dozen.... chickens.......
cause I hate soy...Plus occ canned salmon, pumpkin, tuna,carrot,litle home grown sweet potatoes.. In season a few straight from the vine green beans, few cherry tomatoes...., little yellow squash,cantelope seeds, a bit of our canteloupe, et and raise some mealworms... leftover steamed kale or other cooked greens" juice". if I had a geenhouse they be getting fresh "greens".. now if I had acess to REAl MILK lil of that too they would get...
It all depends on what is imp to each of us..... and what we spend our money on and what each of us can afford
as long as I can afford to do so I will
just my humble opinion

 

[chickengr]

I am far from rich.. We are what we eat... I want my eggs as "natural" as can be... I give my chickens unfortunately (some of its organic though)... reg feed now ,but also give them also a meal of bunch of human grade mixed grains and grasses. peas, lentils I get most of these items on clearance...like buckwheat , quoia.. the other items are less than $1.50 per lb..... Plus acess to 1/2 acre all day
and I only have less than a dozen.... chickens.......
cause I hate soy...Plus occ canned salmon, pumpkin, tuna,carrot,litle home grown sweet potatoes.. In season a few straight from the vine green beans, few cherry tomatoes...., little yellow squash,cantelope seeds, a bit of our canteloupe, et and raise some mealworms... leftover steamed kale or other cooked greens" juice". if I had a geenhouse they be getting fresh "greens".. now if I had acess to REAl MILK lil of that too they would get...
It all depends on what is imp to each of us..... and what we spend our money on and what each of us can afford
as long as I can afford to do so I will
just my humble opinion

your chickens are lucky.

 

[redsix]

I am far from rich.. We are what we eat... I want my eggs as "natural" as can be... I give my chickens unfortunately (some of its organic though)... reg feed now ,but also give them also a meal of bunch of human grade mixed grains and grasses. peas, lentils I get most of these items on clearance...like buckwheat , quoia.. the other items are less than $1.50 per lb..... Plus acess to 1/2 acre all day
and I only have less than a dozen.... chickens.......
cause I hate soy...Plus occ canned salmon, pumpkin, tuna,carrot,litle home grown sweet potatoes.. In season a few straight from the vine green beans, few cherry tomatoes...., little yellow squash,cantelope seeds, a bit of our canteloupe, et and raise some mealworms... leftover steamed kale or other cooked greens" juice". if I had a geenhouse they be getting fresh "greens".. now if I had acess to REAl MILK lil of that too they would get...
It all depends on what is imp to each of us..... and what we spend our money on and what each of us can afford
as long as I can afford to do so I will
just my humble opinion

Have you tried sprouting grains? You can buy a 50 lb. bag of barley for about $7.00 and it will last a long time if fed as sprouts. I only have 9 laying hens. I use 3 wide mouth quart jars with metal bands to hold plastic window screen over the end..The grain in each jar is at a different stage of development. I start out with a 1/3 jar of barley and soak it for 24 hours. Next day I dump the water out and rinse the grain leaving the jar turned upside down on a metal rack in the laundry room sink and start the 2nd. jar 1/3 full of barley soaking. By the time I start the 3rd. jar of grain soaking, the first jar is sprouted and ready to feed. I rinse each jar of grain two times a day. I use warm water to accelerate the process. I am only doing this during the winter months when not many greens are available.

 

[chickengr]

Have you tried sprouting grains? You can buy a 50 lb. bag of barley for about $7.00 and it will last a long time if fed as sprouts. I only have 9 laying hens. I use 3 wide mouth quart jars with metal bands to hold plastic window screen over the end..The grain in each jar is at a different stage of development. I start out with a 1/3 jar of barley and soak it for 24 hours. Next day I dump the water out and rinse the grain leaving the jar turned upside down on a metal rack in the laundry room sink and start the 2nd. jar 1/3 full of barley soaking. By the time I start the 3rd. jar of grain soaking, the first jar is sprouted and ready to feed. I rinse each jar of grain two times a day. I use warm water to accelerate the process. I am only doing this during the winter months when not many greens are available.

can you post any pics?

would wheat do the same thing?

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

can you post any pics?

would wheat do the same thing?

Wheat works great for sprouting