Homemade feed

[PirateGirl]

Also do a web search of "chicken feed calculator" or something similar. There are a few out there that when you enter your ingredients and proportions they will tell you what your nutritional content is. Some work in reverse too, like you list your 3 main ingredients and enter your nutritional goal and it will tell you how much of each and what you are missing that you may need to add.

 

[KikiLeigh02]

If they aren't fond of the pellets you could try crumbling them up, or buy complete feed that is already crumbled. If they have the option they will pick the treats every time, if treats are limited (or taken away completely for a while) they will eat their feed when they get hungry.

 

[DobieLover]

Mine don’t seem to eat the layer pellets very well & my husband bought a bag of scratch feed that had cracked corn, (looks like) wheat, bird seed, etc & they pick out the seeds & wheat pieces first, so I figured if that’s what they want to eat, I’d buy bigger bags of it & save money by mixing it myself.

How many chickens do you have?
First, I will say that I do make my own chicken feed. I came up with a recipe after many weeks of research followed by many more weeks sourcing ingredients to ensure I have a well balanced feed. I can say that you will NOT save money making your own feed. Between the time and money spent driving around to get ingredients, acquiring and preparing proper storage for the grains/additives and weighing and mixing everything, you won't save money over a quick trip to the feed store. I'm not doing it to save money though.
I have also been fermenting my feed from the first day the chicks arrived from the hatchery. The chickens LOVE it. You may try fermenting your layer ration to see if they go for it then. It greatly improves the nutritional value of the feed and costs nothing to do it. I asked how many chickens you have because that will make a difference on how much feed you need to ferment daily. I have a flock of 11 birds and I ferment in my kitchen pantry. I have plenty of room in there to do it.
Good luck!

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

No Vawala!! This is not a complete diet for any animal ... your hens will not thrive on this , look up chickens nutritional needs

Corn, corn and oatmeal is not going to sustain them in the long run ... no no no

We use this when we are out of feed and need to run to the store. This is a 30 (tops) minute just in case food. We give them Layer feed, fresh foods, and the option of oyster shells.

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

Is this all you feed yours?

no, no, no. This is a just in case recipe. They get gresh foods, oyster shells, and layer feed

 

[rjohns39]

There is a lot of effort and learning that goes into creating a balanced ration. There are ingredients that if too great a portion will actually inhibit nutrient absorption. You'll need a good vitamin pack (I only recommend Fertrell) and you have to make decisions on how to achieve desired protein levels, given your location, personal beliefs and locally available ingredients. Balancing the amino acid content is also critical to nutrient absorption. You'll also need to add at least some calcium to your feed, but in the proper portion for your flock's needs.

I don't make my own feed and pretty much can't unless I acquire adequate storage facilities and containers, and get sturdy enough equipment to do it. Before my Co-op decided they weren't going to support Non-GMO custom feed blends, I was working on a base mix that I could modify in 50 pound batches to meet specific nutritional needs for specific purposes (i.e, rooster booster 30 days before breeding begins, Breeding formula for hens, etc.). I've spent a lot of time in the books, playing with feed calculators, looking at sample recipes and debating/questioning real animal nutritionists.

If you'd like some sample recipes, PM me and I'll provide them to you.

 

[snow5164]

We use this when we are out of feed and need to run to the store. This is a 30 (tops) minute just in case food. We give them Layer feed, fresh foods, and the option of oyster shells.

Just be careful when you are advising new or any people . She was asking for a recipe to feed her hens .... not a snack mix

Making your own complete feed is not something to take lightly , it involves considerable expense , time and space .

Not worth it to me , my time is money

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

Ah! This is a good one my friend uses!

- 2 parts whole corn

- 3 parts soft white wheat

- 3 parts hard red winter wheat

- ½ part Diatomaceous Earth (not the kind you put in your pool)

- 1 part hulled barley

- 1 part oat groats

- 2 part sunflower seeds

- ½ part peanuts

- 1 part wheat bran

- 1 part split peas

- 1 part lentils

- 1 part quinoa

- 1 part sesame seeds

- 1/2 part kelp

Heres the website she found it from- https://home.howstuffworks.com/green-living/organic-chicken-feed-cheap.htm

 

[snow5164]

It really best to recommend from experience, there are a million recipes online and more ingredients doesn’t mean it’s sound nutritionally.
Have you fed this to your hens and have nutritional information about what’s in it ??

Let’s let the people with knowledge in this area advise the person asking.

I’m unfollowing this post
Good luck

 

[rjohns39]

Ah! This is a good one my friend uses!

- 2 parts whole corn

- 3 parts soft white wheat

- 3 parts hard red winter wheat

- ½ part Diatomaceous Earth (not the kind you put in your pool)

- 1 part hulled barley

- 1 part oat groats

- 2 part sunflower seeds

- ½ part peanuts

- 1 part wheat bran

- 1 part split peas

- 1 part lentils

- 1 part quinoa

- 1 part sesame seeds

- 1/2 part kelp

Heres the website she found it from- https://home.howstuffworks.com/green-living/organic-chicken-feed-cheap.htm

Sorry, I'm lazy, but if you want to convert parts to pounds I'll be happy to share the nutritional analysis with everyone.