feeding grain from wheat to my chickens?

[unclejohn]

So the field next to my house was wheat. now that the farmer has harvested it there was a nice pile of seeds left behind and I fed some to my chickens and they loved it.

So I'm wondering is it okay to feed to them? what sort of nutrients will it give them? I was going to go this evening with a bucket and shovel and get the pile back to my place and mix it with the food i give them or just feed it to them in the driveway or whatever.

 

[pdirt]

Sure, it's fine to feed them. The protein content can vary and I'm not sure how you go about finding out what the % is. One thing you could do is buy some 21% broiler feed or even the high 25-28% game bird feed and then dilute it down with the wheat to made your feed last longer. PM me and I can send you an Excel sheet I made up where you can figure out protein percentages, costs, etc.

 

[unclejohn]

what about if i have laying hens? is there a higher protein layer ration i could buy? or something i could add to the mix that is cheap?

what about soy beans?

 

[pdirt]

what about if i have laying hens? is there a higher protein layer ration i could buy? or something i could add to the mix that is cheap?

what about soy beans?

Layer feeds are usually the lowest protein content so if you want a formulated feed, you will want a grower, broiler or game bird feed. If you do that, just be sure to also feed eggshells or oyster shells on the side. If you simply want to boost protein of your current layer feed, You could use any high protein food, legumes, fish meal, etc. If you use soybeans, make sure it's feed grade, which means its been heat treated, otherwise itmwill be largely indigestible. In any case, it would be a good idea to have oyster shell on the side so they can supplement their calcium intake if they need to for strong eggshells.

 

[CrazyTalk]

Wheat is about 10-15% protien

http://wengerfeeds.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/wheat-for-poultry-and-swine-feeds/

It's got less fat and carbs (energy) than corn, but more protien. I'd use it as a scratch grain, but I wouldn't use it as a sole feed.