Hi Chris09
I think you are right that my protein calculation is slightly off, because I just checked.
soybean meal is 45% protein, and the grains are around 10% protein.
I originally figured the protein count for my layers by using the cross-multiplication rectangle that I found in this article:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...kens-zmaz75sozgoe.aspx?PageId=1#axzz3Ek0qZNAg , which is actually a really useful article.
Drawing the rectangle they describe in the article, using soybean meal as my protein supplement (which is what I use and is 45% protein), I have 10 in the upper left corner of the rectangle to represent the protein content of the grain, 45 in the lower left to represent the protein content of the soybean meal, and 20 in the middle to represent the desired protein content.
This therefore calculates out that I need 25 pounds of grain for every 10 pounds of soybean meal, which is actually 2.5 parts grain to 1 part soybean meal. My recipe is 4 parts grain to 1 part soybean meal.
Clearly, my protein content is therefore slightly lower than I thought, because it I use 4 parts grain and 1 part soybean meal, that is a protein content of 17% rather than the 25% that I wrote earlier in this thread. (It is however, higher than the 11% you wrote above, how did you arrive at 11%?)
Anyway, 17% protein is slightly low for broilers, which should have at least 20%, but it's perfectly fine (actually, it's too much even) for free-ranging layers because they will catch insects and eat worms to make up any protein shortfalls.
my broilers seem to do ok on this mix though, probably this is because they are in a trailer that I move around the pasture so they can eat bugs and stuff out on the ground.