Extremely Simple Chicken Feed

[daniel3]

To provide a brief background, I am working as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Eastern Africa and I'm trying to help a local chicken farmer produce his own chicken feed. I have tried to read up on best-practices while also balancing our restriction to resources.

We are trying to mix a feed using:
-Corn, Corn bran, Soybeans, Lime (calcium), and salt

We have access to the following amino acids supplements:
-Lysine, Methionine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Toxin binder, Grower PMX 3kg packs, Coccidiostat, Zincbacitrach

There is a large cotton company in the area and we may try to see if we could rent their seed press for a small amount of time to make soybean meal - otherwise we would have to roast the soybeans.

From my understanding, for laying chickens the goal is 15-18% protein and 18-24lbs of feed per week per 10 birds. For meat chickens, 20-24% protein for the first 6 weeks and 16-20% protein after 6 weeks until slaughter/sell.

First of all, is it feasible to stick to corn and soybeans as the main content? Secondly, what should the ratios be? And lastly, how should we go about incorporating the amino acids and other supplements?

Thank you for any and all help!

 

[Fairview01]

The first step would to think in terms of living in a subsistence 3rd world country. Think of subsistence farming. In a subsistence environment chickens are generally allowed to free range and mostly fend for themselves. At best they get some extra scraps if any from the house. Chickens don't particularly relish soybeans. They will eat them when they get hungry enough.

If I were the farmer I would be hard to convince to to work hard and grow crops that first did not feed my family or bring cash in at the market for my family. In this environment the chickens will not produce but maybe 2 or 3 eggs a week but typically there are alot lot of chickens. Quantity in a subsistence agriculture environment out produces quality especially when there can be a lot of chickens that don't have to be fed valuable resources. One skinny chicken will feed a family as a fat one.

 

[daniel3]

Thank you for your reply! For most subsistence farmers you hit the nail on the head!! The specific farmer I am working with is mid-sized doing about 200 chickens every two weeks. He is hoping to cut costs a little since the nearest chicken feed is about 400 miles away, and as you may imagine the roads are not of quality. And chickens are generally sold here at a cost per kilogram.

 

[JaeG]

This article might be of interest to you. It shows how, given limited choices (grain, supplements, calcium), chickens are able to select the foods they need. That would at least save having to mix it to the 'right' proportions.
http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd17/4/pous17045.htm

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Have you thought about growing bugs?

 

[daniel3]

Thank you that is a very helpful article and a unique solution!! The article suggests keeping the number of chooses as few as possible to not overwhelm the chickens. Any idea how to best incorporate the amino acids?

This article might be of interest to you. It shows how, given limited choices (grain, supplements, calcium), chickens are able to select the foods they need. That would at least save having to mix it to the 'right' proportions.
http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd17/4/pous17045.htm

 

[daniel3]

Have you thought about growing bugs?

Not yet - can you point me in the right direction to learn more?

 

[Fairview01]

I will pm you a link that is on my laptop that discusses various feeds, feed values. Dept of Ag publication from early 1900s. How it is presented should be very appplicable to what you are trying to do. Addressed poultry raising before Tyson was in existence .

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Not yet - can you point me in the right direction to learn more?

Search here (or interwebs) for mealworms, black soldier fly. Not sure what kind of bugs are in E Africa, though. I'm actually raising mealworms on styrofoam.

 

[daniel3]

I will pm you a link that is on my laptop that discusses various feeds, feed values. Dept of Ag publication from early 1900s. How it is presented should be very appplicable to what you are trying to do. Addressed poultry raising before Tyson was in existence .

Much appreciated!