How do I make homemade feed?

[ozark hen]

What can I mix for a simple homemade feed for layers? I understand oats without the shell is a good source, now what?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Good question.

 

[ozark hen]

I know this has been answered before but for the life of me I cannot find it.

 

[BethieofVA]

This is the one I tried making, just not cost effective.

http://www.greenerpasturesfarm.com/ChickenFeedRecipe.html
I used this recipe. I ended up ordering Country Side Naturals.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

You probably can't make one as good as what you can buy.

You could use most any type of whole grains, but a commercial feed will have extra calcium, vitamins and minerals they need too

 

[ozark hen]

Quote:
thank you but I still would like to try to make my own.

My flock free ranges and gets lots of protein, grit, etc. I would like to try this for the summer months.

 

[digitS']

Keeping protein levels up would be the main concern. Oat protein, or any plant protein, is not the same as chicken protein. To grow chickens and for them to produce eggs, they need to have a balance of protein that adds up to what they need for their bodies and eggs. And, they need about a 17% balanced protein diet, especially in the summer when they cut back on eating because of heat.

You can over-estimate the value of bugs. Yes, they are animal protein and therefore closer to chicken protein. However, some bugs aren't even 17% protein, themselves.

This University of Kentucky information may be of help to you: Feeding and Nutrition. Take a look at their "Common grains used in poultry diets" and "Common protein sources for poultry diets" especially. I hope they are some use to you.

Steve

 

[annie3001]

i found this online for you.



Homemade Poultry Feed Mix


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
3 parts millet
1 part wheat bran
1 part split peas
1 part lentils
1 part quinoa
1 part sesame seeds
1/2 part kelp

Mix the feed by hand so that it is thoroughly mixed. It doesn't hurt to run your hands through it before feeding in case something settles. This is based on a good bit of Internet research from a variety of places. You may find Bird Farm helpful. It has a lot of specialty mixes. Another good place for information is the forum at Backyard Chickens.

i also found this website!
http://www.lionsgrip.com/recipes.html

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Are you wanting to go full fledged homemade or would semi-homemade work also?
A semi-homemade feed would be a lot easier to do than a full fledged homemade.

Chris

 

[Akane]

You can supplement with grains but you really need to give them a good amount of animal protein. Most of the year they will not be able to find enough bugs. Unless you plan to give them plenty of meat in some form you would be best off continuing to feed them a commercial feed along with any supplemental grains or seeds. Mine get straight whole oats and sunflower seeds year round. They also make off with plenty of spilled bird seed and sometimes have a flock block. In balance to that they do have meat sources like any mice we catch and the leftovers if we butcher a rooster. For around 2 or 3 months in late summer they don't even eat their layer feed despite it still being offered 24/7. Some people make homemade suet blocks for their chickens.