Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[trsturself]

I'm trying to wrap my head around the whole thing. It's overwhelming. I have a feeling this will take a lot of researching. If homemade feed works for chickens, I could try it for the dogs next. It's pretty unlikely that I could end up feeding them something worse than some of the cheap commercial stuff that's out there, right?

Most definitely! I was going to post my recipe but I can't find it on this computer.
The ingredients currently are: wheat, oats, peas, lentils, flax seed oil, kelp powder, and BOSS. I don't have the amounts right now though. Basically equal parts wheat and oats and then 1/4 peas and lentils (each), a few ounces of kelp powder (for minerals), 1/4 BOSS, and a few tablespoons of flax seed oil.

It's super easy. I just mix half a batch at a time in a large trash can. I keep it in the run next to my fermenting buckets and feed 5-6cups out of it in the morning (for 18 birds) and put 3 scoops back in after feeding. Yes, the food expands that much.
As I mentioned, I sprout the peas and lentils now separately so I can't be sure if my ratio is correct on that anymore but I start with 1/4c of each in the jar and they expand to almost fill a quart jar by the time I feed those. I have 2 jars going by my kitchen sink at all times.

I need to do an updated blog post about this!

 

[COChix]

Can I toss something out there,even if you cannot afford to buy and mix your own grain, you could do a lot to improve their overall health by fermenting commercial feed. That is what I a currently doing andi have to tell you I notice a huge difference in their coats, the shine, their overall demeanor seems a little less chaotic. Fermenting for birds is just a beneficial as us eating fermented foods. I was lazy for a week and didn't do it and boy did I notice a difference in the smell, they stink less on fermented food. I am still trying to find the sweet spot for the flock on how much feed they get a day. Between 3-4 quarts seems about right,they free range most of the day and get some bread or pasta and fruit/veggies for dinner. Their are lots of threads on her to go read up on. However it is basically as easy as filling a feed can (whatever you use,I ferment in 5 gallon buckets and usually have two going at a time). Put in your grain, can't tell you how much just assure you cover with at least 1/2 with water if not 3/4, the grain will swell. Cover and let it sit for as many days as you want even if you only have time to soak overnight it is still full of probiotics and it has had time to break down the anti-nutrients found in today's over processed grains. Of course the longer like 3-4 days is the best, keep it covered stir its couple times a day. At day 3 strain out feed and keep the water, you basically now have a starter culture of latic acid. Make sure you keep it out of the sun, it will bubble and smell much like yeast. That is the good bacteria at work! Can you tell I am sold? Anyway, just wanted to say I have noticed a huge difference in our girls.

 

[COChix]

Most definitely! I was going to post my recipe but I can't find it on this computer.
The ingredients currently are: wheat, oats, peas, lentils, flax seed oil, kelp powder, and BOSS.  I don't have the amounts right now though. Basically equal parts wheat and oats and then 1/4 peas and lentils (each), a few ounces of kelp powder (for minerals), 1/4 BOSS, and a few tablespoons of flax seed oil. 

It's super easy. I just mix half a batch at a time in a large trash can. I keep it in the run next to my fermenting buckets and feed 5-6cups out of it in the morning (for 18 birds) and put 3 scoops back in after feeding. Yes, the food expands that much. 
As I mentioned, I sprout the peas and lentils now separately so I can't be sure if my ratio is correct on that anymore but I start with 1/4c of each in the jar and they expand to almost fill a quart jar by the time I feed those. I have 2 jars going by my kitchen sink at all times.

I need to do an updated blog post about this!

sorry,I didn't see your post, we must have been posting at the same time. Glad to know you ferment as well and thanks for the recipe, will be heading that direction.

 

[christine9]

Can I toss something out there,even if you cannot afford to buy and mix your own grain, you could do a lot to improve their overall health by fermenting commercial feed. That is what I a currently doing andi have to tell you I notice a huge difference in their coats, the shine, their overall demeanor seems a little less chaotic. Fermenting for birds is just a beneficial as us eating fermented foods. I was lazy for a week and didn't do it and boy did I notice a difference in the smell, they stink less on fermented food. I am still trying to find the sweet spot for the flock on how much feed they get a day. Between 3-4 quarts seems about right,they free range most of the day and get some bread or pasta and fruit/veggies for dinner. Their are lots of threads on her to go read up on. However it is basically as easy as filling a feed can (whatever you use,I ferment in 5 gallon buckets and usually have two going at a time). Put in your grain, can't tell you how much just assure you cover with at least 1/2 with water if not 3/4, the grain will swell. Cover and let it sit for as many days as you want even if you only have time to soak overnight it is still full of probiotics and it has had time to break down the anti-nutrients found in today's over processed grains. Of course the longer like 3-4 days is the best, keep it covered stir its couple times a day. At day 3 strain out feed and keep the water, you basically now have a starter culture of latic acid. Make sure you keep it out of the sun, it will bubble and smell much like yeast. That is the good bacteria at work! Can you tell I am sold? Anyway, just wanted to say I have noticed a huge difference in our girls.

Wow. This doesn't get moldy? Am I a sceptic or what?! I'm totally intrigued!

 

[trsturself]

Wow. This doesn't get moldy? Am I a sceptic or what?! I'm totally intrigued!

It won't get moldy if you keep everything under water. Mold needs air to grow.

 

[trsturself]

FYI, I just put up a blog post with more detail for my homemade fermented feed.

 

[christine9]

FYI, I just put up a blog post with more detail for my homemade fermented feed. 

Yay!!

 

[NotableNancy]

Wow. This doesn't get moldy? Am I a sceptic or what?! I'm totally intrigued!

X2... I keep reading about it but haven't tried it yet. I'm afraid of doing it wrong and killing all my chickens!!

 

[christine9]

Oh! I think I get it now. Sometimes I just need the same thing explained six times before it makes sense! Thank you @trsturself!! I think I could totally do this. I think I will start doing it as a supplement and increase until I can stop buying commercial stuff. I absolutely love it.

 

[NanaLynn]

Such a nice set up!!!!  HUGE  and grass growing in it... that's awesome!

Wow, that would make me nuts too. I would be out there every day sweeping up after them. And they have such a nice area to free range. I'm sure if you can find a way to direct them to the area you want them to go they will be thrilled to be out there an hour or 2 a day. 

Yeah, that was part of the problem. I "was" out there every day sweeping! They'll definitely have a more limited time plus a limited area too. They were in today but I felt bad for them and gave them some plants and leftovers. I'm going to add more roosts for them soon too. We've come up with a few ideas for the run expansion too.

I do want to decrease our flock size to only the breeds we want and have about 12 chickens but also rotate some new chicks in too. We have way too many right now. We'd be fine with less eggs. I do sell them and always have people who want some but I'd rather just worry about us and the immediate family. I never got into chicken keeping to sell eggs anyway.