Has anyone tried this?

For our 33% increase in feed costs, plus the hassle of mixing it, and the hope that the chickens don't pick out favorites and leave other stuff behind {like red millet - disfavored by most birds, dirt cheap, and a significant component in both the mixed bird seed and many 5 grain "Scratch" mixes}, maybe this provides superior nutrition???

NOT ON THEIR LIVES.

CP? (16 x4) + (2 x8) + (1x 38) + (2 x16) + (2 x 9) = 168 / 11parts = 15.27% Crude Protein. Congratulations, even with the very expensive cat food, you have still produced a final product with less Crude Protein than the thing you were trying to improve upon (at increased cost, no less).

CA? (Math. Do I need to keep showing my work???) = 1.55% Ca average. Yep, if you want decent egg shells out of your production layers, you need to supplement w/ a calcium source like Oyster shell. You've cut it by more than half. [This is why I didn't count the cost of oyster shell w/ the Flock Raiser/All Flock, because the recipe above is almost equally deficient]

P? (Needed in a ratio of about 2:1 for almost every biological process except shell production. Too much P negatively affects calcium uptake and creates nervous system problems, among others. Too little? Huge negative to bone growth & maintenance, also nervous system problems. You want a number around 0.35 - 0.5%. Due to some oddity of nature, Chickens almost can't use Phytate P [plant based], unlike mammals [us, the cat, the rabbit]). So, best case (more math, trust me???) = 0.36%. If you are lucky, you just scraped into the minimum recommend. Reality is that most of the recipe gets P solely from Phytate sources, exceptions being the Chicken feed and the Cat Food. It is a mathematical certainty this has sub par P levels]

Vitamins? Trace Minerals? No clue. There's no way to calculate. Almost certainly not what your birds need.

Amino Acid Balance? Can't be calculated. But since your crude protein dropped (CP being the number you get when you add all the amino acid contents up into a single figure), you are already at a disadvantage. Red Millet (in the bird seed and the scratch grain mix) is terrible for Lysine, not good for Threonine, and has essentially no Tryptophan. Cracked corn (see where I'm going with this?) is across the board uniformly deficient in the first four critical amino acids. The other seeds & grains? W/o knowing inclusion rates, no way to calculate the end result. And you have no AA profile at all for the cat food, which provides almost 25% of the total protein in the recipe.

and Lastly... [yup, next post]
 
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As others have wisely observed above. This recipe is advertised as "keeping your hens laying all winter long". Chicken's rate of lay is controlled largely by genetics, reduces with increase in age, and affected seasonally by average light levels, NOT nutrition. Setting aside that its not good for the long term health of a bird to maintain unnatural light levels to encourage them to lay non stop, the ONLY time nutrition provides significant impact on rate of lay is when the nutrition is deficient. Then, the bird will harvest itself to continue to produce eggs at declining rate until it can no more.

Summary as continuation of what I've observed above? "Congratulations, someone has formulated an overpriced, nutritionally inadequate, feed recipe reasonably anticipated to reduce rate of lay, extend duration of molt, and negatively impact their immune system over time."

Now, if one was to spend more money than the example Layer feed ($0.56/lb instead of $0.48/lb) to buy the flock raiser, with its 20% CP and superior AA profile, provide an $8 bag of oyster shell which may well last a year or more, and allow the birds to self regulate Ca intake, they can reasonably expect...

a slight increase in rate of lay [keep VERY good records, we are talking a couple %, essentially a few more eggs per year]
somewhat faster, less stressful molts
a slight increase in disease resistance
a potential improvement in certain behaviors [such as feather picking] IF it is present in the flock
and a somewhat longer average life span [how much longer, on average, isn't studied]
Also better fertility, and faster rate of growth for the chicks.
 
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As others have wisely observed above. This recipe is advertised as "keeping your hens laying all winter long". Chicken's rate of lay is controlled largely by genetics, and affected seasonally by average light levels, NOT nutrition. Setting aside that its not good for the long term health of a bird to maintain unnatural light levels to encourage them to lay on stop, the ONLY time nutrition provides significant impact on rate of lay is when the nutrition is deficient. Then, the bird will harvest itself to continue to produce eggs at declining rate until it can no more.

Summary as continuation of what I've observed above? "Congratulations, someone has formulated an overpriced, nutritionally inadequate, feed recipe reasonably anticipated to reduce rate of lay, extend duration of molt, and negatively impact their immune system over time."

Now, if one was to spend more money than the example Layer feed ($0.56/lb instead of $0.48/lb) to buy the flock raiser, with its 20% CP and superior AA profile, provide an $8 bag of oyster shell which may well last a year or more, and allow the birds to self regulate Ca intake, they can reasonably expect...

a slight increase in rate of lay [keep VERY good records, we are talking a couple %, essentially a few more eggs per year]
somewhat faster, less stressful molts
a slight increase in disease resistance
a potential improvement in certain behaviors [such as feather picking] IF it is present in the flock
and a somewhat longer average life span [how much longer, on average, isn't studied]
Also better fertility, and faster rate of growth for the chicks.
Well said! Bottom line, buy a quality all flock feed with oyster shell on the side and have healthier more productive birds! 🙂
 
SO if I glance at this:
1760192993805.png


and immediately think "that's stupid", understand that basis for my opinion is [partially] captured in the posts above. I believe it an educated and well considered opinion. Its a reasonably safe bet that whomever is sharing/reposting that on social media knows less about both chicken nutrition and feed costs than what you have learned by reading this thread.

[/steps off soap box, turns off calculator]

I need a cup of coffee.
☕
 
Thanks @U_Stormcrow for doing the math! I occasionally hear/see chicken advice on social media and it almost always strikes me as designed more for clicks than chicks 😆
Hahaha lol! I agree! 😊 I like to feed the best commercial feed I can afford and forget these odd homemade feeds! Where I live I can buy Kalmback flock raiser for just under 20.00! Hard to beat that IMHO! 😊
 
Hahaha lol! I agree! 😊 I like to feed the best commercial feed I can afford and forget these odd homemade feeds! Where I live I can buy Kalmback flock raiser for just under 20.00! Hard to beat that IMHO! 😊
Kalmbach is good feed. At that $, VERY hard to beat. Consider yourself fortunate.
 
Thanks @U_Stormcrow for doing the math! I occasionally hear/see chicken advice on social media and it almost always strikes me as designed more for clicks than chicks 😆
Happy to help.

Clicks > Chicks does seem to be a common motivation.
 
My mom found this and wants me to try it, but my gut tells me chicken food is created for a reason. What are your thoughts?
View attachment 4230531
My mom found this and wants me to try it, but my gut tells me chicken food is created for a reason. What are your thoughts?
View attachment 4230531
I add in leftover Box Turtle food (Omnivore Mix) from my one little turtle, Phoenix. She's so small, she can't ever eat it all before expiration. It's just (dead) grub worms, roaches, crickets + dehydrated strawberries, carrots, peas, etc. Chickens love to eat & they are Omnivores. They don't see anything wrong with it & neither do I.
 

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