Homemade Chicken Feed?

[Moon Goddess]

Has anyone ever made their own feed for their chickens? I have found several recipes online (and in a self sustaining farming reference book from the 70s, which is what inspired me to think about it haha), but I’m not sure if it is a good idea, or even cost effective.
Right now the feed we buy them is about $14 for 50lbs so I’m sure you can’t beat that, but when they start laying in the next couple of weeks we would like to switch them to organic so that we can sell the eggs as “organically fed”. My wife works at a local natural/organic foods store and can often get free or highly discounted grains, and it seems like most recipes for homemade chicken feed consist a variety of grains with added mealworms, oyster shells, and a few other things. Yesterday she got 25lbs of farro for free!
Right now we feed them all sorts of leftover produce from store as treats but it would be great if we could also make their feed organic without paying $35+ per bag.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You are right that you can't make 50 lbs. of a nutritionally balanced feed for anywhere close to $14.

Even feeding organic feed, you can't sell the eggs as certified organic unless the birds were fed organic their entire life and forage on property that has never seen chemical fertilizers, pesticides or fungicides for at least 3 years.
https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Transition to Organic Factsheet.pdf

I would buy feed and supplement with the free things depending on how many chickens you have. The feed has the correct ratio of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fats. Adding too much grain or vegetables can throw that out of whack.

 

[Moon Goddess]

Yeah we definitely don’t plan to sell them as certified organic, but would like say they are organically fed. It is definitely an important distinction!
Thanks for your response and advice

 

[Cindy in PA]

You would need to add poultry vitamins like Nutri Balancer by Fertrell if you want to be sure they are getting everything they need.

 

[anna-newhampshire]

What does the book say? I understand the fast rule is: 1/3 grains + 1/3 greens (including vegs and fruits) + 1/3 protein. Looks like you have the grains and greens covered. For protein, you could start worm bins - either red wrigglers or mealworms (or both).

 

[Moon Goddess]

What does the book say? I understand the fast rule is: 1/3 grains + 1/3 greens (including vegs and fruits) + 1/3 protein. Looks like you have the grains and greens covered. For protein, you could start worm bins - either red wrigglers or mealworms (or both).

I’d have to go back and look at it, but I think the recipe is for making a 500lb batch haha so would have to scale it down a good bit

 

[snow5164]

It’s all too time consuming for me , I looked into it . You almost need to be a scientist to get everything then need in it , yes you can get the grains and yes you can buy the minerals ..... but getting the exact measurements and storage facility set up ?? Is just entirely too much work for me when for $13 a 50 pound bag gives them everything they need .

I heard of a man mixing his own feed in garbage cans...well they went rancid from the heat
Good luck !!