Financial Incentive?

[Chickenman623]

I had a couple dozen laying hens about 12 or 13 years ago. Was feeding a commercial feed at the time. (can't remember the brand.........but it was purchased based on the recommendations of proportions of protein, etc., etc. etc. that I'd researched about here on the forum.) Flipping through the pages of the calendar to today, I've got 8 chicks on order from Murray McMurray and am thinking of feed.

Is there any financial incentive or health incentive to gathering the individual ingredients to mix my own feed or should I just settle on a commercial feed like Purina Flock Raiser and be done with it?

 

[Sally PB]

Is there any financial incentive

Not likely.

health incentive to gathering the individual ingredients to mix my own feed

Also not likely.

or should I just settle on a commercial feed like Purina Flock Raiser and be done with it?

Better option. But you might want to start with a bag of chick starter/grower type feed. Chick feed is nutritionally balanced for what they need at the beginning of life, and in crumble form for little beaks.

Flock Raiser/Flock Maker (different brands call them one or the other, usually) is great for mixed flocks of ages/genders and some are suitable for ducks, turkeys, etc., as well as chickens. If you feed this, make sure you have grit available. Once pullets start laying, have a source of extra calcium, usually oyster shell or crushed egg shell.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I had a couple dozen laying hens about 12 or 13 years ago. Was feeding a commercial feed at the time. (can't remember the brand.........but it was purchased based on the recommendations of proportions of protein, etc., etc. etc. that I'd researched about here on the forum.) Flipping through the pages of the calendar to today, I've got 8 chicks on order from Murray McMurray and am thinking of feed.

Is there any financial incentive or health incentive to gathering the individual ingredients to mix my own feed or should I just settle on a commercial feed like Purina Flock Raiser and be done with it?

People ask about mixing their own feed almost daily. For almost everyone, in almost every situation, it is considerably cheaper to buy commercial - particularly for chicks, whose nutritional needs are higher than adult layers.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Please please please take the advice above and don't go buy a thousand pounds of ingredients to make a 50lb bag. By the time you use up all the stuff it will be stale and if you don't grind it into pellets they pick and choose so you end up with waste (to the delight of all squirrels chipmunks and mice in your area.

Other than feeding rodents I see no use to self-mixing.

When I started I saw a YouTube of a woman mixing big trashcans of feed, and I bought grains and mixed them..
That was SUCH a waste of time money and food. Not all hens eat all grains, so the ones they didn't like fed mice

 

[Chickenman623]

Okay, thanks for the comments. I'm at that point "I don't know what I don't know!"

I'll forget going down the "mix your own feed" wormhole. Thanks a bunch.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Okay, thanks for the comments. I'm at that point "I don't know what I don't know!"

I'll forget going down the "mix your own feed" wormhole. Thanks a bunch.

If it helps, I've made it a little hobby of mine to read up on chicken nutritional needs. The more I learn, the less inclined I am to attempt it on my own - even if it were cost effective.

I'm finding greater happiness selecting weeds for my pasture that my chickens (and ducks, and goats) free range upon, some of which I use as treats for my rabbits. but they all get a high nutritional quality locally milled feed as their primary ration.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

At least you are smart enough to learn from other people's mistakes Much better than I did! I tried to learn from their successes

 

[Chickenman623]

Every "subject" forum I join I end up asking so many questions I almost get kicked out. But that's how I learn. It's no fun having to toss out the mistakes and start over when you can just ask questions and decide what you want to do with the knowledge of those who have experienced doing what you are asking about. I'm a newbie in a WHOLE bunch of subjects and I never mind exposing my ignorance.

I started a thread about mealworms in this sub-forum, and am anxious to read the responses. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/anyone-raising-mealworms-to-give-as-treats.1562855/

 

[Brooks_]

But you might want to start with a bag of chick starter/grower type feed. Chick feed is nutritionally balanced for what they need at the beginning of life, an

I'd argue that flock raiser is better than most starters.
Either are better than making your own.

 

[sdm111]

I had a couple dozen laying hens about 12 or 13 years ago. Was feeding a commercial feed at the time. (can't remember the brand.........but it was purchased based on the recommendations of proportions of protein, etc., etc. etc. that I'd researched about here on the forum.) Flipping through the pages of the calendar to today, I've got 8 chicks on order from Murray McMurray and am thinking of feed.

Is there any financial incentive or health incentive to gathering the individual ingredients to mix my own feed or should I just settle on a commercial feed like Purina Flock Raiser and be done with it?

In my experience it is if you have alot of chickens I'm talking 100 or 125 head. Only problem I personally had it they left what they didn't like and it was just a burden.
Mine that I mixed was
Not in equal parts
Base of pigeon conditioner
Lay pellets
Catfish pellets
Calf manna
Milo
Race horse oats
Black sunflower seeds
Cracked corn in the cold weather
And fish meal mixed at the time of feeding in the bucket. Just a dusting.
I stopped cause they picked alot but moreso cause it became more of a second job. From then on I have just fed mine lay pellets and they have excellent plumage, nice tight feathering, and have good weight and feel like footballs in the hand
We're talking mid to late 90s so to do that today would probably be too expensive for me compared to then