How to Make my own Homemade Feed?

[cluckcluckgirl]

With the price of chicken food on the rise (I noticed it went up $1 in 4 weeks), I was curious about how to make my own feed, but I don't know how to. Can anyone give me a "recipe" for laying laying hens that doesn't require all these bizzare ingredients?

 

[Missa Chickabee]

Hello! I see no one bit on this one. I also have the same question. My mind always goes to the 'what ifs'. For example, what if we lost our supply sources of starter/grower and then layer food. I think I had better head to my Encyclopedia of Country Living. Old Carla may have some wisdom on this. We'll see.

I don't know this for sure but I think the formulated feeds for layers are to maximize the egg production but then the laying peters out earlier because of that. Because I've made the babies my pets (the girls anyway) I'm wondering if a more relaxed pace won't keep them healthier and provide a longer laying span. Not so economical that way maybe. Hence the need for a cheaper food source. (For us free-ranging just feeds the predators.)


Thoughts, anyone?....and any ideas for Chicken food alternatives....just in case? (the day may be coming in America when we won't be able to give the table scraps to the chickens. We'll need them for ourselves) Maybe we'll have to depend on free-ranging.

 

[SunnyAlberta]

I found this recipe before I got my own birds. I have never used it since my pullets are just starting to lay and are on commercial starter feed. There are some people who have said that taurine in cat food -- which is essential for felines -- is actually dangerous for chickens, so please do further research before replacing a good feed with this homemade recipe.

Layer Food Recipe: 20% dry cat food to 75% grain/scratch/seed and 5% oyster shell/calcium bicarbonate; mix in a bit of vegetable oil, bacon fat or lard before feeding if it is dusty.

Checkout post #92 on this page,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/277593/how-much-are-you-paying-for-layer-pellets/90#post_3535254

Googling brought up this page
http://www.avianaquamiser.com/posts/Recipes_for_homemade_layer_chicken_feeds/

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

I like the idea of free ranging your chickens, and I would, but I can't. Our land doesn't have much of nothing for chickens to peck at, and we have all sorts of daytime predators. I thought of an idea to make food, but would it work? Here's what I thought of: 2 parts grass clippings, 1 part eggshells (sterilized), some grains or even dried corn, and some source of protein. Would this meet a laying hen's nutritional needs, and is it safe for chickens and ducks?

 

[Lacy Blues]

I found this recipe before I got my own birds. I have never used it since my pullets are just starting to lay and are on commercial starter feed. There are some people who have said that taurine in cat food -- which is essential for felines -- is actually dangerous for chickens, so please do further research before replacing a good feed with this homemade recipe.

Layer Food Recipe: 20% dry cat food to 75% grain/scratch/seed and 5% oyster shell/calcium bicarbonate; mix in a bit of vegetable oil, bacon fat or lard before feeding if it is dusty.

Checkout post #92 on this page,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/277593/how-much-are-you-paying-for-layer-pellets/90#post_3535254

Googling brought up this page
http://www.avianaquamiser.com/posts/Recipes_for_homemade_layer_chicken_feeds/

Wow! I just read that and am quite impressed. I'm looking at my feed practices again now.