Feeding chickens

[Timkie]

I mix a 10 lbs. bag of saflower and a 10 lbs. bag of wild bird seeds (black sunflower, milo, corn, and other) to a 50 lbs. bag of pelleted chicken food for my hens regular diet. Should I change the wild bird seed to black sunflower? Any other suggestions?
Thanks

 

[scratch'n'peck]

If you mix stuff with the laying pellets you want to find things that maintain fairly closely the nutrition balance of 16% protein and enough calcium.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Just my thoughts, but my birds peck out what they want to eat (the sunflower seeds) preferentially. I now just have chicken food in the feeder and use all that other stuff you mention as scratch in the morning and evening. If you want them to get it with food, I also in the mornings do a low-sided black rubber bucket with a couple of cups of their food mixed with linseed or flax seeds and hot water. Gets them out of the coop (an incentive in winter) and stops boredom.