Homemade chicken food

[Tookie]

Hi and welcome to BYC!

 

[Kenneth Zweerink]

Welcome to BackYard Chickens. The Best of Luck with your Plans. And a Big Hello from Eastern Nebraska!

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Welcome to the coop! I use the Forums and Articles tabs at the top of the page to do research. You can get lost for hours. It's nice to know you are minutes away from getting help with questions and emergencies!

 

[RedHillChicken]

Why are you adding this?

Most of the articles I read suggest adding DE to feed (small amount) to help chickens digest better, to prevent worms, and for general health purposes. Is DE bad in feed?

 

[Grammy60]

Hello and welcome to BYC We are so happy you have joined us

 

[DobieLover]

Most of the articles I read suggest adding DE to feed (small amount) to help chickens digest better, to prevent worms, and for general health purposes. Is DE bad in feed?

The only reason you'd ever need to add it to feed is to keep grain weevils from eating the grains. Digested DE doesn't do squat for a bird's health. It's all a bunch of malarkey. Additionally it's a respiratory irritant.

 

[RedHillChicken]

Welcome to BYC, Bob. How many chickens are you feeding?
Your best, and cheapest bet might be to check out feed stores in your area to find out if they mix their own feeds.

You are probably right. I can get Tucker feed at my local feed store. Right now I've got a bard rock rooster (Bok Bok), a one legged bard rock hen (Hoppie), and our broody hen (Easter egger) named Re-etta. ( Hen Reetta ). In February we're getting 15 chicks (3 each of 5 different varieties). I know that feed mills specialize in making feed that is blended for the specific needs of the different kinds and ages of birds. And like much of processed people food, I expect there's stuff in the processed feed for chickens that's not good. Just my opinion.

 

[RedHillChicken]

The only reason you'd ever need to add it to feed is to keep grain weevils from eating the grains. Digested DE doesn't do squat for a bird's health. It's all a bunch of malarkey. Additionally it's a respiratory irritant.

So have you used or evaluated the Tucker Milling varieties of chicken feed?

 

[rjohns39]

So have you used or evaluated the Tucker Milling varieties of chicken feed?

I have and am not a fan, but it's all I can get locally. I prefer the feed blend used by Joel Salatin.

 

[Sally PB]

Home made food for chickens... It's not easy to get all the nutrients right. Especially for chicks. If some of the essential amino acids are missing/inadequate, it can cause serious harm to developing/growing chicks.

I'm tagging one of our members who knows more about the topic.

@U_Stormcrow...