Making your own feed

[paneubert]

I don't know if I would listen to videos from Becky's Homestead. She feeds her chickens a lot of bread, which isn't good for their health.
Definitely try mixing your own chicken feed though.

Her feeding bread is one of the less crazy things she does/says.

 

[archeryrob]

I did not think either of the two really knew what they are doing. The second one was the one I made comments on. She started spouting 30% protein and I was like wow, that's high! So I set to the spread sheet to verify what she was saying and it fell flat out wrong. I was calcing just short of 15% with her mixture without the calf manna. I could not calc it with calf manna as she just kind of threw some in unmeasured, so how could she measure it? I commented on her video and it is still at the top unanswered. I doubt she, or her followers, will answer me as "facts" are the inconvenient truth.

I sent my spreadsheet to rjohns39 and will see what they think or propose.

 

[agedog1]

Do any of mix your chicken feed?

Just saw a video on it and it got my curiosity up!

Yes I do. However my chickens are part of the family and they are spoiled rotten!

 

[rjohns39]

Finally got my outlook fixed and replied.

 

[foxtrotters19]

If your chickens free range the feed you supply may or may not be critical to their health. A lot will depend on the forage area available and the quality and diversity of what they can forage.
If your chickens are contained, then feed becomes very important. There is rather more to providing a balanced diet than any of the above videos suggest.
You need to know what are the essential amino acids for optimum health. This information can be found on the net. Then you need to know what will provide those amino acids and work out the correct percentages for the type of fowl you keep.
Chickens are omnivores, much like humans and the same problems that apply to eating a vegan diet if you are human apply to chickens.
Humans have got around the complexity of mixing the correct components in order to get the essential amino acids in their correct proportions by eating meat and fish and later by making dairy produce.
I would not even consider making my own feed without a lot of research and most certainly not on the advice of some random person on the internet who apparently doesn't have much of an idea about the science involved in feed manufacturing.
If you insists on making your own feed and can't be bothered to research it properly then my advice is feed them fish and meat mixed in with whatever random ingredients you come up with.
For contained fowl you will save yourself a lot of work and promote better health in your flock by feeding a commercially produced feed with the correct ratios and adding as a supplement some fish or meat every couple of days.

Well said - and I agree 100%.

 

[foxtrotters19]

I don't know if I would listen to videos from Becky's Homestead. She feeds her chickens a lot of bread, which isn't good for their health.
Definitely try mixing your own chicken feed though.

The lady from Becky's Homestead voice kinda gets on my nerves,

 

[alex5chickens]

Her feeding bread is one of the less crazy things she does/says.

That's probably right!

 

[foxtrotters19]

Ducks aren't suppose to have bread, I figured chicken couldn't have bread either. But then again I didn't know chickens could eat as much as they can... still learning.

 

[agedog1]

Yes I do. However my chickens are part of the family and they are spoiled rotten!

My girls and boys (the boys are guinea 's) free range in 5 acres during the day. From 1I 00 hours to 2100 ( mornings to evening) they free range. Otherwise they are happy and in their coops. Feed is mixed 3/4 16% protein pellets 1/4 high protein meal worm soldier worm grub mixed with sunflower seeds cracked corn etc. Ends up about 20% protein. They are very healthy and a bit rotund. Oh, as for treats they get 1/4 cup white millet - however I more or less throw this bit all over so they really have to hunt to get it. All food is GM0 and soy free.

 

[Kusanar]

Ducks aren't suppose to have bread, I figured chicken couldn't have bread either. But then again I didn't know chickens could eat as much as they can... still learning.

Bread for ducks is pretty much like fast food for kids. It's not ideal and that shouldn't be what they eat most of the time, but every now and then is perfectly fine and if it is a choice between letting them starve or giving them bread / fast food, then the bread / fast food is better than starving.