Homemade Chicken Feed

[Sally PB]

Excess nutrients are an issue with concentrated feed, not real food. That's why commercial farms using commercial feed have a problem with poop.

Can you explain more about this, @Perris, please? What are the problems?

 

[Perris]

Can you explain more about this, @Perris, please? What are the problems?

the first item is a bit extreme, but includes lots of refs to reliable sources and concerns the US, where you are. https://www.upc-online.org/fouling.html

Here the River Wye is a well known case; see e.g. https://www.theguardian.com/environ...pplier-river-wye-avara-foods-manure-pollution and
https://riveractionuk.com/Campaigns/the-poultry-farms-turning-the-wye-into-a-wildlife-death-trap/

Or for some scientific papers on it by and for the industry,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119393319 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003257911949130X
Poultry Science journal is now open access so you can search for and read any papers you like on any topic.

 

[Penpal]

You can save money by making your own feed. I am saving money by buying whole grains and presoaking them. I have to make adjustments for the winter when they can't forage. I have to add more protein.

 

[Penpal]

I just watched a YouTube video about feeding chickens without grain. He uses compost. Lots of compost. He also has beds of Jerusalem Artichokes. JA are native to North America. I've been growing them for years and didn't know they are good for chickens. They pick off the leaves. They forage for bugs in the JA bed. The bed also offers shade and a hiding place. I'm thinking the hawks. They can't see the birds in the bed once the plants are tall, and can't dive into them even if they do.

Also, beautiful sunflowers that last a long time.