If you mixed your own feed, what would you use in it?

[g-momto11]

My plan is to use a tractor pen and, keep pulling it over what grows here naturally and, stuff that I will purposefully plant for the chickens. During the hot summer months, the only greens that I know will grow, are Malabar spinach, New Zealand spinach, and Amaranth .

I might try a short-growing Milo for a grain. Keeping them out of the grain until it produces a seed head might prove to be a challenge. I would love some ideas of good heat-tolerant grasses that would also be nutritious.

Now, I'm told that my chickens will probably need a supplemental "laying" feed. I just wondered if I could mix my own cheaper than the feed store sells it for. Of course, I'd have to buy the separate components from the feed store also. I do have a couple of sources for corn and milo really cheap. How much corn and milo and, what else would I need in order to have a good "laying" feed?

Any other ideas on what I could do to lower the cost of feeding these soon coming chickens, without compromising on nutrition?

 

[Mahonri]

You need a good source of protein and calcium.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

I used a mix of scratch, BOSS, and gamebird feed as described here. I still have a lot of it, so I am going to blend in some M-G 20 pellets to improve the calcium.

 

[dirtsaver]

I've done a bit of thinking on this and my conclusion is that I'd have a hard time coming up with a high-quality complete ration as good and cheaply as the mills(with all their research staff and time invested). Anything I could produce to match the needs of my chickens would likely cost two to three times as much as I pay for Layena.

Larry

 

[g-momto11]

What's a good source of protein? I live smack in the middle of oyster country so, the calcium thing shouldn't be too difficult.

 

[tammyd57]

I grow Swiss Chard year round for my chickens, and it gets extremely hot here in summer. I just plant it very thickly so the sun isn't shining directly on the ground between the plants and keep watered well. I use the old fashioned varieties, like Fordhook Giant and Ruby Chard, very productive and hardy. It's also a good source of calcium and other trace minerals. The newer varieties tend to bolt and make seeds mid-summer.
Fish meal is a good source of protein, and other nutrients.
Also, if you grow Amaranth, there are different kinds, greens or grains types. Some work well both ways. The really tall varieties are great! you can use some of it for greens and then by the time it gets really tall the chickens won't bother it too much, so the seed heads can form.