homemade chicken food

[dinabean]

I'm new to being a chicken mommy. I only have 4 and my chicks are 8 weeks and are doing well. I was thinking of making my own chicken food and wondered if anyone makes their own or has recipes. I'm looking for cost saving yet good for the chickens. I did a lot of research before getting the chickens and found the people and forums here extremely helpful

 

[Percheron chick]

You aren't going to save $$ by making your own feed for only 4 chickens. A 50# bag of oats and a 50# bag of chopped corn are going to run $15 each, soybean meal will run $25, a vitamin/mineral mix will run $26 for 25#.... while a 50# bag of feed will run $18 or an organic bag will run $28. You will waste more feed as well. You can reduce your feed cost by adding vegetables and kitchen scrapes that would normally end up in the compost pile or tossed to the birds. Free range birds will eat a considerable less amount of feed as they get their fill on bugs, seeds, grass and plants and just top things off with their feed. You can also add spent brewer's grains (barley and wheat are preferred over hops) that are free from home brewers or small brew pubs.

 

[dinabean]

That was my concern, that id wind up spending more time and money when it wasn't needed. Thanks for the advice