Making Feed at Home

[U_Stormcrow]

Much better than my books! Thank you.

I **like** your old books.

I'm skimming the download now - 180 pages +/-, about 20 preface, cover, publisher, thank yous, etc. About 40 pages of reference at the end. 15 or so talking about units of measure. That leaves around 100 pages of "meat", some of which you may be able to skip as inapplicable (feed for avians other than chickens, or for chicken types you don't have). Basically, 1-2 hours of reading pleasure, and a lifetime of future reference.

 

[Solanacae]

Following . . . this is fascinating to me

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Following . . . this is fascinating to me

I blame @3KillerBs for this. My original answer was here. But this has been an incredibly useful and informative thread all around, with very valuable contributions from a number of sources we would not otherwise likely have discovered. @Kiki and @saysfaa particularly. Any patient third grader could have done my little part of this, if provided similar resources.

/edit thanks also to @Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay for looking over my shoulder and keeping me honest, either in this thread or another, regarding "as fed" differences, particularly when dealing with anything other than dried seeds and grains.

 

[Ascholten]

if not mealworms, how about soldierfly larva or are they more just an American bug?

Aaron

 

[RoosterBird]

Hey @U_Stormcrow hope you are doing good.
I have these ingredients available
Wheat
Pearl Millet
Corn
Basmati Rice
Oats

And twll me what is difference between barly and oats?

Can we make a proper feed through it only?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hey @U_Stormcrow hope you are doing good.
I have these ingredients available
Wheat
Pearl Millet
Corn
Basmati Rice
Oats

And twll me what is difference between barly and oats?

Can we make a proper feed through it only?

So productive day moving dirt. No a complete feed cannot be made with those ingredients alone. We'll come back to it this evening when I'm sore and start filling in some of the differences.

 

[Ascholten]

Google works too .
Moving dirt.. ugh don't remind me, got a big load coming first of next month and just my old ass back to move it. or maybe i should say my old ass and back... either way it's gonna be a sore night and morning after.

Aaron.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hey @U_Stormcrow hope you are doing good.
I have these ingredients available
Wheat
Pearl Millet
Corn
Basmati Rice
Oats

And twll me what is difference between barly and oats?

Can we make a proper feed through it only?

As promised. Source (Feedipedia) - These are Dry weight calculations, not "As Fed", which will reduce them somewhat (around 8-10%).

Of your ingredients, only "hard" winter wheat gets you in the right range for protein - every other ingredient from this list that you add will reduce protein levels below recommended. Many of these ingredients (foxtail and proso millets, standard oats) are very high fiber, which isn't generally recommended, needing to be balanced out witha lower fiber feed.

Lots of variation on Fiber recommends - I look for around 3.5%, but have seen 6%, even 7% in the literature. Over that, you are in qualitative restricted territory - not appropriate for most birds, ages, or management styles. Some concerns about higher incidence of crop and digestive issues at very high fiber levels.

Wheat is relativeley low fat, most sources recommend higher, again, around 3.5% is the typical target, with literature recommending 6%, even 7% for weight gain on CX for table, NOT for long term health. fat, of course, is the easiest thing to add to a diet - high protein seeds, like BOSS, tend to bring loads of fat with them, so starting at the lower end with your main ingredient actually makes it easier to assemble a complete feed.

You won't get your needed calcium from any grain -that's what oyster shell is for, and these P levels aren't corrected for digestibility, so they appear far higher than what the hen can actually use. I've not built in trace minerals and vitamin levels, where the individual grains also distinguish themselves.

Finally, I have key amino acids listed, corrected for the protein % in the ingredient. Barley, for instance, has a Methionine level of 20.06, that equates to a 0.2% on the label. 0.3% is the bottom end of the recommended level - its critical, particularly in developing birds and molting birds. Insufficient levels in early life virtually guarantee that a bird will never get as big, or be as robust, as it should have. I look for 0.5%, often settle for 0.4%. As you see, seeds like millet are a good source. Grains are not.

Lysine is next, your target is 0.7%. Again, this is a limiting amino acid, and the second most important in a chicken's life. 0.9% is better. Neither grains nor seeds are usually high in Lysine - this is where beans and legumes do well (cowpeas, soy, winter peas, even peanuts). If you get everything else right to that point, chances are, you've hit your threonine and tryptophan targets as well 0.6%, and 0.2% respectively.

Hope that helps!

 

[RoosterBird]

So productive day moving dirt. No a complete feed cannot be made with those ingredients alone.

Great

 

[RoosterBird]

Thats the great thing
But what is difference between barley and oats?