Is my recipe ok?

[DollDoctor]

I had posted that wheat bran would not be an acceptable substitute for wheat, as it is only fiber and has no nutritional value, however, I just found out that I am totally wrong about this, and wheat bran does in fact contain protein. I was basing this on what I know about human nutrition, not chicken nutrition. So can chickens digest wheat bran, even though humans cannot?

 

[digitS']

Quote:
I have a "Poultry Rations and How to Mix Them" from the University of Idaho, 1936. Back in those days, they made good use of meat scrap and powdered milk and other high-protein ingredients. I suspect that all changed when the use of soybeans in feeds became more common.

Here is a formula for Chick Rations "7 that looks like it may make use of some of the ingredients available to you:

100 lb. basis
bran: 16
ground oats: 15
ground yellow corn: 30
ground wheat: 25
alfalfa leaves: 5
oyster shell: 4
salt: 1
cod liver oil: 1 quart

The claim is that this is 11.7 percent protein and they advise feeding with skim milk instead of water. Milk was usually clabbered for feeding.

James Dryden in his 1909 "Feeding for Eggs" has a Layer Ration #5

in lbs.
wheat: 20
corn: 20
oats: 10
middlings: 5
linseed meal: 5
skim milk, cut bones, or beef scrap: 5
alfalfa or clover: 15, or kale: 20

Dryden has other rations but this he claims is the best. Dryden advises milling the grain. Middlings are coarsely ground wheat with bran. I see that you do not have wheat available to you. If the oats are without hulls, perhaps they can be substituted. I wouldn't go for much bran. It has only some oil, some protein and it's mostly indigestible fiber.

Dryden knew a good deal about chickens even tho' he was writing 100 years ago. Among his birds at what became Oregon State University were the first hens to be recorded at 300 eggs/year and 1,000 egg in a lifetime.

Probably, since your birds are free ranged, they can find adequate green food without including them in the feed. As to whether they can find sufficient animal protein is another question but certainly possible.
Just my 2 cents worth and it's all really old advice

.

Best of luck,

Steve

 

[MammaHen]

Thank you to all of you from your help and advice. I'll be sure to let you all know my final recipe and results....who knows what might hatch out em eggs with the concoction I'm working on.....