Help Chicken rickets

[Mary Monk]

If you are going to continue to try to make your own feed you have to be exact...about a cup isn't going to work.
So you put about a cup each of the
wheat, groats, flax seeds, barely, peas and chia seeds and you free choice how much oyster shell and kelp per day.
How much OS and kelp are they eating each day?

No we mixed the whole of all the ingredients into a big container and we fill a blender each day which is more than they can eat.

 

[Kiki]

I have zero experience with making my own feed.
I'd like to try to help you understand that what you are doing is not working and your chickens are paying the price.


Don't worry...I am not quitting but I do need to go to bed.
I'll be back.

 

[Kiki]

No we mixed the whole of all the ingredients into a big container and we fill a blender each day which is more than they can eat.

Ok so you are mixing this:
50 lbs wheat
50 lbs groats
25 lbs flax seed
5 lbs kelp
45 lbs barely
25 lbs peas
5 lbs chia seeds
plus the whole 10 lbs of Fertrell?

And on top of that you offer kelp and OS free choice right?

I am almost sure they are not getting enough calcium.

 

[Mary Monk]

Ok so you are mixing this:
50 lbs wheat
50 lbs groats
25 lbs flax seed
5 lbs kelp
45 lbs barely
25 lbs peas
5 lbs chia seeds
plus the whole 10 lbs of Fertrell?

And on top of that you offer kelp and OS free choice right?

I am almost sure they are not getting enough calcium.

 

[Mary Monk]

Yes all of that. I did a lot of reading on the calcium. Pretty much everything I read says they will eat the oyster shells as needed. I did read today that sunlight is needed and we have been overcast badly for two weeks now which can affect their Vitamin d. I do agree they are not getting enough but I have a full bowl I top off every day. I also have a full bowl of kelp that I top off every day.

 

[Mary Monk]

Yes all of that. I did a lot of reading on the calcium. Pretty much everything I read says they will eat the oyster shells as needed. I did read today that sunlight is needed and we have been overcast badly for two weeks now which can affect their Vitamin d. I do agree they are not getting enough but I have a full bowl I top off every day. I also have a full bowl of kelp that I top off every day.

....also I read up on kelp...here is some of what I read....The benefits of sea kelp. Nutrients: Sea kelp is a natural source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E, as well as minerals including zinc, iodine, magnesium,iron, potassium, copper and calcium. In fact it contains the highest natural concentration of calciumof any food

 

[Mary Monk]

Ok so you are mixing this:
50 lbs wheat
50 lbs groats
25 lbs flax seed
5 lbs kelp
45 lbs barely
25 lbs peas
5 lbs chia seeds
plus the whole 10 lbs of Fertrell?

And on top of that you offer kelp and OS free choice right?

I am almost sure they are not getting enough calcium.

The fertrell is separate. I put a teaspoon on their food every day. I also mix an eighth of a cup of kelp in their fermented food each day. I didn't want the vitamins to degrade during the fermentation process. I ferment the grains which are all mixed up and then when I take it out and rinse them off (this removes toxins according to what I read) blend them so they are easier to eat ...then I fill their bowl mixing in the teaspoon of fertrell and the 1/8 cup of kelp. ( as I mentioned kelp is also in a bowl by itself for anytime they want it on top of thier regular feed)

 

[Mary Monk]

Welcome! It's very difficult to make a balanced feed at home; I had poultry science and nutrition classes in college, and would never try.
If your birds are malnourished, the fix is to return to a good balanced diet immediately. The ration balancer needs to be very fresh too; it ages out and looses some of the vitamins in the mix.
Did you work with an actual nutritionist to develop this diet? Have you had batches analyzed?
Your obviously sick hen may have another problem entirely; she's weak for some reason.
I feed Flock Raiser, with oyster shell on the side, and have for many years. There must be something out there that you would be willing to buy already mixed, at least I hope so.
Mary

I just bought it less than a month ago.

 

[Mary Monk]

Yes I see them eating it.

and I have to fill it up by about 1/2 inch or so every two days plus the kelp at about the same rate.

 

[ChickNanny13]

KikisGirls Purina Flock Raiser widely used by BYC members as well as other feed that I'm sure would work for you. KikisGirls has a feed comparison chart in the article section, she's a Guru for research
When I raised rabbits, I used Nutrena brand feed but prefer the Purina chicken feed.