Hello all! I know there is a hundred wonderful threads on feed. But I just wanted to check with some seasoned veterans and make sure our own mix is nutritionally sound. We don't feed corn here until the winter just because its so high where we live. We also prefer to mix our own because its cheaper and feed stores are hard to come by. Here is our mix 3 Parts Wheat 2 Parts Oats .5 Parts Soybean Meal .5 Parts BOSS .5 Parts Alfalfa Meal .25 Parts Flaxseed This comes to about 67.5 lbs of feed and 17.81% protein IF I did my math right. This doesn't include their vitamin supplement, DE, Oyster Shell or Grit we feed. We also feed them fodder we grow from the Wheat and Boss. And various fruits and veggies. This our layer mix. We vary it for our starter and grower mix. Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Make sure your soybean meal is roasted. The following is just an estimate: wheat 12% protein (can be higher up to 14 commonly for the hard red wheat) oats 10% protein (unless human oats are used) soybean meal alfalfa meal 16% protein flaxseed 20% BOSS 16% These protein amounts are from memory and may not be exact...so I calculate you are at about 14% by my eyeballing it and not using a calculator. I like to use lbs instead of parts, per Chris09's recommendation- to make it more exact. The volumes are not the same as weights, and the weights are usually what the protein % is calculated upon from what I have read. So your mix is great for layers! I favor using the following too: rolled barley was approx $13 per 50 lb I think at feed store split peas currently 50 cents a lb in grocery store bulk bins millet (birdseed) currently about $20 per 50 lb at feed store Peas are around 24% pro., barley I think was 10%, millet was 11% protein. Good recipe and thanks for sharing! Here is what I like to feed: one scoop each of the following as 2/3 of mix, 1/3 of mix is org. chick starter (soy and corn only ingred. with vitamins): rolled barley rolled oats wheat millet org. cracked corn BOSS split peas oyster shell grit available woodstove ashes to bathe in also they eat for trace minerals. I vary the mix, sometimes not buying everything at once. Other times everything is included, but always including the BOSS and some grain mixed with the starter. I like this since the org. feed is so expensive...I just make sure my soy and corn are organic (to avoid GMOs).
Thank you for the response! Yes our soybean mill is roasted and organic. So that's why we use it a little sparingly, it's a little high. Our wheat is the Hard Red! I had considered using the split peas, do you need to cook them first? Or Are they good to go out of the bag? I found some Organic on sale at my local grocer. Oh! I had no idea about the wood ash, we happen to heat with a wood stove! What type of vitamins do you use? Thank you very much for all of the great info!
You don't need to cook the peas: http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/poultry/bba01s21.html I don't use vitamins- only I make sure they have fresh green grass year round- grass clippings 1/2 inch long for new chicks, and only 2-3 inches long for adults (to prevent impacted crop as the longer pieces can wind around and cause a blockage). There are vitamins in the organic chick starter that we use - but that is only 1/3 of what they are eating. You are welcome! They will also eat the charcoal from the ashes and it makes the poo black, just so you know. They LOVE the ashes and the charcoal. It helps to keep away mites too if you let them bathe in it. I put them in a metal fire pit so I never have to worry about the sparks igniting wood. Sometimes I put them into a small pit lined with bricks in the ground also.
I will definitely put some wood ashes in with them now! May I ask where you found your protein number and calculators? I am having a hard time finding consistent numbers lol
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list usda is where people pointed me to originally - they have it listed per 100 g so it is a percentage But for wheat I look on the feed bag, since it comes from the feed store and it lists the protein there- those percentages are usually lower than the usda lists. I don't know why. I also googled for protein numbers and found many different numbers as you said. As long as I keep layers in the 15% protein range and offer a wide variety I don't worry about it...but here are some fun sites: http://www.lionsgrip.com/chickens.html http://www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/feed_ingredients/proteins.html http://www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/feed_ingredients/grains.html http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/poultry/bba01s20.html http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/1/1-4/Harvey_Ussery.html Finally, I really like "Feeding Poultry" by GF Heuser (Norton Creek Press)- a book.
