Feed in relation to egg laying

[Sic]

Unfortunately, I dont have my speeadsheet right now, I'm at work. Where are you located? There are soy free feeds available that can be shipped to your local feed store or sometimes walmart. .
You are missing a more complete source of protein, usually from fish meal, swine blood meal, by product (tripe) meal. Etc or amino acids. I thunk it may be a bit high in fat.
To make a decent homemade feed, it costs about $5 a pound, for soy free, about $8 a lb. it's going to be much cheaper and easier to source a soy free bagged feed, if possible

The problem with fish meal is that in most cases it is treated with Ethoxyquin (EQ, 6-ethoxy-1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline) which will end up in your eggs and/or poultry meat.

 

[Jgahugg]

The problem with fish meal is that in most cases it is treated with Ethoxyquin (EQ, 6-ethoxy-1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline) which will end up in your eggs and/or poultry meat.

I agree, I looked into this option and found the same thing, I experimented with bone meal too, but the costs started to sky rocket. When I started to ferment my feed, I eliminated the bone meal

 

[LaFleche]

Sprouting field peas, barley and wheat will up their nutritional value.

 

[Gax000]

Unfortunately, I dont have my speeadsheet right now, I'm at work. Where are you located? There are soy free feeds available that can be shipped to your local feed store or sometimes walmart. .
You are missing a more complete source of protein, usually from fish meal, swine blood meal, by product (tripe) meal. Etc or amino acids. I thunk it may be a bit high in fat.
To make a decent homemade feed, it costs about $5 a pound, for soy free, about $8 a lb. it's going to be much cheaper and easier to source a soy free bagged feed, if possible

One option readily available at our local farm stores or online, is Scratch and Peck, Naturally Free Layer Mash.

https://www.scratchandpeck.com/shop/naturally-free-layer

 

[Jgahugg]

One option readily available at our local farm stores or online, is Scratch and Peck, Naturally Free Layer Mash.

https://www.scratchandpeck.com/shop/naturally-free-layer

$90 for 50lbs seems outrageous

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Technicallly, this meets the minimums accepted here in the US for crude protein, Lys, Threo, and is almost there on Tryp. Not surprisingly, its low on Methionine. Its at the high end, energy wise, but w/i the accepted range. Unmentioned is any calcium source, or source of non-phytate phosphorus. My calculator doesn't look at vitamins, but the recipe is around 11% fat (that's very high), so your fat soluble vitamins are probably there in adequate amounts.

Caveat being that I'm using published averages, your actual raw ingredients could be significantly better - or worse - than the numbers I'm using. I'm also not considering anti-nutritive factors that can negatively impact digestion. Generally, peas shouldn't exceed 10% of a feed by mass - here its 37.5%. With peas, tannins are a definite concern, as are trypsin inhibitors, both of which can block protein uptake in the digestive tract.

I am NOT a fan of make at home feeds. Looking at crude protein alone isn't even 1/4 of the job - though I commend you on reaching your 16% target. I've seen numerous claims of CPs at 18, 19% in home mixes which instead calculate out between 12 and 15%. You've made a fine start, but have a lot more work to do.

and the easiest fix is to have a small bag of Fetrells nutribalancer w/ Methione shipped in, and mix at the specified rate with your feed. Won't fix the high fiber or excessive fat, but it will cover a few of the more glaring likely absences.

 

[Gax000]

If you get it from a wholesaler, like Wilco, it’s only $40 for a 40 lb bag. It’s twice as expensive as the standard local feed ($20 for 40 pounds) but less expensive than trying to make your own. And it’s well balanced.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and fwiw, my flock is in my sig, below. I have TWO (2) eggs so far today. they are admittedly, not prime layers, and some are in their third year, while most of a dozen are still to young to lay. Even so, 6-8 would be a more reasonable expectation. Don't discount the weather, locally we've had lows of low to mid 80s, highs just shy 100, and true triple digit heat indices (120 today, 119 yesterday, 114-116 most every day for the last week or more). Its punishing on all living things, and my bird's egg production shows the effect of days after day of this.

 

[Jgahugg]

Technicallly, this meets the minimums accepted here in the US for crude protein, Lys, Threo, and is almost there on Tryp. Not surprisingly, its low on Methionine. Its at the high end, energy wise, but w/i the accepted range. Unmentioned is any calcium source, or source of non-phytate phosphorus. My calculator doesn't look at vitamins, but the recipe is around 11% fat (that's very high), so your fat soluble vitamins are probably there in adequate amounts.

Caveat being that I'm using published averages, your actual raw ingredients could be significantly better - or worse - than the numbers I'm using. I'm also not considering anti-nutritive factors that can negatively impact digestion. Generally, peas shouldn't exceed 10% of a feed by mass - here its 37.5%. With peas, tannins are a definite concern, as are trypsin inhibitors, both of which can block protein uptake in the digestive tract.

I am NOT a fan of make at home feeds. Looking at crude protein alone isn't even 1/4 of the job - though I commend you on reaching your 16% target. I've seen numerous claims of CPs at 18, 19% in home mixes which instead calculate out between 12 and 15%. You've made a fine start, but have a lot more work to do.

and the easiest fix is to have a small bag of Fetrells nutribalancer w/ Methione shipped in, and mix at the specified rate with your feed. Won't fix the high fiber or excessive fat, but it will cover a few of the more glaring likely abs

Technicallly, this meets the minimums accepted here in the US for crude protein, Lys, Threo, and is almost there on Tryp. Not surprisingly, its low on Methionine. Its at the high end, energy wise, but w/i the accepted range. Unmentioned is any calcium source, or source of non-phytate phosphorus. My calculator doesn't look at vitamins, but the recipe is around 11% fat (that's very high), so your fat soluble vitamins are probably there in adequate amounts.

Caveat being that I'm using published averages, your actual raw ingredients could be significantly better - or worse - than the numbers I'm using. I'm also not considering anti-nutritive factors that can negatively impact digestion. Generally, peas shouldn't exceed 10% of a feed by mass - here its 37.5%. With peas, tannins are a definite concern, as are trypsin inhibitors, both of which can block protein uptake in the digestive tract.

I am NOT a fan of make at home feeds. Looking at crude protein alone isn't even 1/4 of the job - though I commend you on reaching your 16% target. I've seen numerous claims of CPs at 18, 19% in home mixes which instead calculate out between 12 and 15%. You've made a fine start, but have a lot more work to do.

and the easiest fix is to have a small bag of Fetrells nutribalancer w/ Methione shipped in, and mix at the specified rate with your feed. Won't fix the high fiber or excessive fat, but it will cover a few of the more glaring likely absences.

Thank you for the info. As I mentioned I googled a lot, so it wasn't a totally made up mix. I do free range oyster shell and grit, I just didn't want it in the fermentation process. Will have to do more homework on non-phytate phosphorus. I haven't found fetrells nutribalancer around my area. Can it be fermented? I was trying to find a high crude protein grain without all the ill effects, but didn't consider the tannin. I have noticed this current flock isn't keen on the BOSS and was looking at reducing this, if not eliminating it, thus reducing the fiber and fat content. Any suggestions on what can be used to reduce the pea content but maximize the CP?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thank you for the info. As I mentioned I googled a lot, so it wasn't a totally made up mix. I do free range oyster shell and grit, I just didn't want it in the fermentation process. Will have to do more homework on non-phytate phosphorus. I haven't found fetrells nutribalancer around my area. Can it be fermented? I was trying to find a high crude protein grain without all the ill effects, but didn't consider the tannin. I have noticed this current flock isn't keen on the BOSS and was looking at reducing this, if not eliminating it, thus reducing the fiber and fat content. Any suggestions on what can be used to reduce the pea content but maximize the CP?

Nutribalancer is a vitamin/mineral premix, mostly. Yes, you can ferment with it, or you can add it post ferment. You don't need much, so you will be ordering the smallest bag you can have delivered. There are other companies making similar products, Fertrells is merely the best known.

As a high CP replacement for peas? What's grown around you? You are looking for a legume meal - one where the crop has had its fat/oil extracted for a primary product, and the dried leavings are being sold as a byproduct - a byproduct which has been heat treated (which breaks down many anti-nutritional factors) and has had its protein concentrated by removal of all the fat. Soybean meal is #1 for a reason, but if you could get a hold of corn gluten meal, cottonseed meal, peanut meal (the low fiber stuff), all those could be subbed in to replace some of the peas, maybe save a few dollars, and increase your Met levels at the same time. You could ditch the proso millet, too - I know its pricey, or the flax - though of course the whole recipe will need to be rebalanced.

OR, you look for an animal protein. I understand why you said no to fish meal. DO you have slaughterhouses nearby? have you considered porcine blood meal, or bovine blood meal? You could also use brewer's yeast, but that's stupid expensive - good for an emergecy, bad for a long term solution.