Feed Recipe - Not Sure How Much Of What...

[jan65764]

Probably not so much a money saver as having better feeds in them and knowing what is in the feeds. I have gotten some feeds from a feed company that looked like floor sweepings. If I'm eating the eggs and chickens I sure like to know what goes into them. I have gotten a lot more critical on all foods that we consume after all the EColi scares. I have a garden, raise poultry, goats and rabbits, cook from scratch rather than buy alread processed. Probably a little late in the game since I'm 61 but at least I know the grandkids that live with me will be healthier and so should the poultry.

 

[TFChickens]

An option for kelp - North American Kelp www.noamkelp.com sells it by the 50 lb bag for animal feeds, it doesnt take a whole lot to supplement chickens. Diamond V also makes some great products, and they have a line that includes selenium, which depending on where you are (like the Pacific Northwest) is a critical supplement.

If you can buy the untreated seeds from the grain mill and place them in drained plastic trays, supplementing daily feed with sprouts is a tremendous benefit, and is much more bioavailable that many of the supplements, especially over time. Something else to keep in mind is the crimping and cracking processes quickly cause the grain products to degrade so the quality and shelf life of the supplements in the feed become more of an issue, including sprouts in the daily diet, as noted above really helps with that and is quite cost effective if you are buying the seeds in bulk.

I have also used DDG (dried distillers grain) it is very high in protien and fat, and the yeast provide high levels of glutiothione as well, which will yield some of the same benefit of the Diamond V.

 

[TFChickens]

My concern would also be the side effects from GMO corn. There has been a lot of talk about how the scientists do not know what the side effects of this genetically engineered grain can do. I want to stay away from it if at all possible. Hostetlers in Buffalo, MO have a feed for chickens that is GMO free but not organic but it costs $14.00 a 50 lb bag. A little costly when we have over 100 poultry on the place.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...om-gm-crops-is-showing-up-in-human-blood.aspx

The problem with many of these modified crops is that the response tends to be subclinical until a condition develops. These issues are then considered unrelated becuase the condition wasnt the result of an accute reaction. Unfortunately there have been a number of trials with GM modified foodstuffs showing them to be extremely harmful to animals, its really just a question of getting a large enough dose before the animal is so sick it dies. Im afraid there is really no such thing as "GMO free" in open pollinated crops, its pretty much just less GMO, and it is becoming more and more difficult to find uncontaminated heirloom seeds to use as source stock.

 

[pdxpoppadaddy]

Just found this thread and astounded at the wealth of information. Even for just my 3 hens I love the idea of being able to mix my own feed and know completely what they're getting. Thanks everyone for all of the great, well though out, and factual information.

One question I have is: I am a home brewer and regularly have 12# or more of "spent" barley as a result of the process. This barley is malted (raising enzymatic levels), then cracked, converted (starches to sugars) and rinsed. Efficiency (a term in the brewing process) is around 70% leaving 30% or so of the nutritional value in the kernel. What I'm wondering is: are the negative aspects of barley with regards to poultry digestion negated or minimized by the brewing process or elevated? I'd like to dry my spent grain and add in others to create a balanced feed but I'm not sure what the nutritional value of these leftovers is. I have a friend who is a food scientist looking into this but no answers yet.

Thanks all. GREAT thread.

 

[rodneywolfe]

Great recipe. Thanks.
Grinders. Do you use a grinder and where can they be found?

 

[jan65764]

That's so sad. I use heirloom seeds for all my vegetables, but can't find it for grains to plant for the poultry. It seems we are out of a lot of choices.

 

[Coffeemama7]

WOW! I have spent the last hour plus reading this entire thread. Lots to ponder!!

I have been making my own feed for a year now. My goals were quite simple:
1. GMO free - I don't want to consume them and do not want my livestock to either. (I will eventually eat them and their eggs)

2. Soy free - soy is estrogenated(sp?), Estrogens are hormones that effect the body. Young girls develop early and young women are having fertility issues all linked to soy products.

3. Corn free - this is a filler, with not much nutritional value. If the birds are filling up on empty calories, they may have nutritional holes. Kind of like people eating empty calories.

4. Natural - If the chicken would not eat it in the wild, they do not need it now. I do not envision a chicken or duck pulling off a corn cob, shucking it, and eating it. I do see them digging in the dirt, eating weeds, digging up worms and running around eating bugs.

We feed millet, milo, sunflower, a little flax seed, oats, safflower, field peas, veggies, weeds, grass, and other seeds.
Our eggs are sold out everyday! Chickens are healthy and tasty! Not fatty.

I am not an expert! I do not think everyone can do this! Our chickens go outside, and although their area is very large, they have to be fenced/open netted due to coyotes, fox, and birds of prey. I know our feed is expensive, but we want food that is the best WE can produce. I am looking into some of the other ideas in this thread...like everyone, I will always be willing to learn and adjust!

THANK YOU to all of you who are willing to share your ideas, exposing yourselves to criticism! And being gracious when others share their ideas. That is why this website is so successful!

 

[Chris09]

WOW! I have spent the last hour plus reading this entire thread. Lots to ponder!!

I have been making my own feed for a year now. My goals were quite simple:
1. GMO free - I don't want to consume them and do not want my livestock to either. (I will eventually eat them and their eggs)

2. Soy free - soy is estrogenated(sp?), Estrogens are hormones that effect the body. Young girls develop early and young women are having fertility issues all linked to soy products.

3. Corn free - this is a filler, with not much nutritional value. If the birds are filling up on empty calories, they may have nutritional holes. Kind of like people eating empty calories.

4. Natural - If the chicken would not eat it in the wild, they do not need it now. I do not envision a chicken or duck pulling off a corn cob, shucking it, and eating it. I do see them digging in the dirt, eating weeds, digging up worms and running around eating bugs.

We feed millet, milo, sunflower, a little flax seed, oats, safflower, field peas, veggies, weeds, grass, and other seeds.
Our eggs are sold out everyday! Chickens are healthy and tasty! Not fatty.

I am not an expert! I do not think everyone can do this! Our chickens go outside, and although their area is very large, they have to be fenced/open netted due to coyotes, fox, and birds of prey. I know our feed is expensive, but we want food that is the best WE can produce. I am looking into some of the other ideas in this thread...like everyone, I will always be willing to learn and adjust!

THANK YOU to all of you who are willing to share your ideas, exposing yourselves to criticism! And being gracious when others share their ideas. That is why this website is so successful!

No offence BUT if you think Corn is a, "filler" you need to do a little more research on poultry feed.
Why do you think that Corn is, "filler" but you use Milo/Sorghum in your feed when it has a feed value similar to corn?
Also if you are worried about Estrogen in your chicken feed you may want to take out the Flax, Oats, Field Peas and Sunflower Seeds they all contain the same type of Estrogen as Soy.


Chris

 

[Reyvaughn]

Okay, okay... I wanted better nutrition and less dust. I have no idea if my mill's corn is GMO but I do know it is bought right from our local farmers. So, using their corn helps my neighbors. If the chickens were free ranging, they would be eating the corn and soybeans out of the neighbors' fields if they could. What I am feeding right now looks like fine dust and I don't like how dusty it is. It makes the girls sneeze and choke.

There was just a case on TV about a woman who shot their neighbors dogs for going after their show rabbits. Guess who got the fines and community service? Not the dog owner! I don't own a gun and even though I don't particularly like dogs, I don't think I could shoot it.

Jan there is many heirloom & organic seed places here on the web. The one everyone gets their chicken forage mix from has many organic grain and corn seeds.

As for the cost, once again, it will only be costing me $2 more per 50#. Wouldn't it be worth the extra $6 a week to know what my girls are eating? You should see the man made 'vitamins and minerals' listed on my feed's tag! There are only 4 ingredients I can read, which means the mix I am buying now has more than the 20% corn as the main ingredient - more than I will have in my mix.. And, as I stated, if the girls hate it and I see it isn't as cost effective, I will go back to the dust crap I am already feeding them. I mean, in the end, though, my crap has to be better than their crap.

ETA:
Something else... Since flax/linseed isn't good for them, corn, soybeans and peas (unless roasted) are bad for chickens, what should I replace those ingredients with? My birds will not eat milo or millet, either. They let it lay in the feeder. You hear clover is bad for them... I mean, really? They'd be eating this if it was available to them during free ranging.

 

[jiggs]

A 22 cal.is great on dogs and not very loud