Growing grain for chicken feed in the Pacific Northwest - Advice Needed!

[AraucanaAnne]

So I've got a lot of birds and they eat a ton and it's getting expensive. We've got some land so it occurred to me that perhaps I should grow a small field of grain to supplement the store bought stuff. I've been doing some research online but am having a hard time finding the exact info I'm looking for. I'd appreciate a little first-hand advice on how to do it on a small scale in the Pacific Northwest environment.

1) Corn grows well here, I know that, but are there any other grains that grow well in the Pacific Northwest that are good for chickens to eat?

2) When growing corn for feed, what kind should one use?

3) How do you dry it? Do you grind it into scratch, and if so, how? How do you store it so that it doesn't mold or get eaten by rodents?

4) We'd prefer heirloom/non-GMO varieties... do any places offer heirloom/non-GMO feed grain seed in bulk quantities?

Any advice would be appreciated.... thanks!

 

[bullrunslabs]

Hello, Also in the PNW, and it seems we have a similar situation. I was wondering if you figured anything out yet?

I was thinking of doing sprouts in a green house for this winter and making some type of quick growing "chicken salad" type mixture. It would be very awesome if they were plants that my family could eat also, like carrots, and give the stock the tops and my son the carrots...

I also thought, if you haven't heard anything yet or come up with a viable solution, possibly reach out to the OSU extension service closest to you. Or if you are in Washington, maybe they have something similar?