Mixing your own feed vs bying "processed feed"?

[Meg09]

Does anyone mix their own feed and feed a whole grain feed instead of lay mash or crumble? Is it better nutritionally? Also are there benefits to feeding a soy and corn free diet? Also, I found this link and was wondering if this is a good balance, minus the corn. What type of grit do you feed your chickens? http://www.gardenbetty.com/2012/06/garden-bettys-homemade-whole-grain-chicken-feed/ Thanks guys!!

 

[TacomaFarms]

I saw this and can't wait to try it. As of now, I'm mixing rolled oats, barley, and my layer crumble.

 

[Demosthine]

I'm still in the process of trying to find a good recipe with grains that are available in my area, but one thing I recently discovered is that the millet hull is virtually indigestable to the human. I'm wondering how true that is for the chicken as well. I've found recipes recommend both hulled and unhulled. Another thing is that the hull and seeds contain some goiterogenic substances, which interfere with the thyroid. Again, I'm not sure if this affects chickens or just humans, but it is something to keep in mind. By removing the hull, these levels are reduced. Check out http://chetday.com/millet.html for the best guide to millet I've seen so far.

Thanks for posting that link, too. I hadn't read that article yet.

 

[Meg09]

Really good article on millet. I think I will incorporate it in to my diet now! Lol. As far as reducing the ability for the thyroid to intake iodine ( i hope i worded that right) I think IF it is true for chickens as well, its fine as long as there is a balance just like with any thing. Especially if you only feed it it twice a week or every other week. Besides I assume they are talking about people that eat it as a staple ie in most breads as cereals, ect. I guess the REAL question is HOW much is too much, really.

 

[Chris09]

Does anyone mix their own feed and feed a whole grain feed instead of lay mash or crumble? Is it better nutritionally? Also are there benefits to feeding a soy and corn free diet? Also, I found this link and was wondering if this is a good balance, minus the corn. What type of grit do you feed your chickens? http://www.gardenbetty.com/2012/06/garden-bettys-homemade-whole-grain-chicken-feed/ Thanks guys!!

There are some breeds that benefit more from a feed that is mostly "whole grain" than others. e.g. Hard Feather Breed do much better on a feed that has a good percentage of "whole grain" in it where a Soft Feather Breed will tend to have poor and weak/brittle feathers.
The other problem you will have with a whole grain diet is that the bird will pick out what they want and leave the rest and most "all grain" mixes lack a lot of nutrition e.g. vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, animal fats and animal proteins plus that are very expensive to make.

I think you would be feather ahead just to get a premixed feed and add some (around 10%) grains to it.

I don't see any real benefits to feeding a soy/corn free feed.

Chris

 

[jdywntr]

I think that one thing alot of people forget is that chickens are omnivores. A diet free of animal protein kind of goes against their nature. I looked at the link and comparing it and info from other sites of well known breeders and hatcheries the protein levels that are given are lower than what some the grains contain. Chickens need a well balanced diet (like that in commercial feed) and I would worry that feeding an all grain diet wouldn't provide them with the appropriate levels of everything they need.

 

[Meg09]

What kind of premixed feeds would you reccomend? And just for the info what kind of traceminerals, vitamins and animal fats is essential for a chickens diet? Im looking at getting cochins in particular.

 

[Chris09]

What kind of premixed feeds would you reccomend? And just for the info what kind of traceminerals, vitamins and animal fats is essential for a chickens diet? Im looking at getting cochins in particular.

Minerals /Trace Minerals - Zinc, Maganese Copper, Iron, Selenium, Iodine, Calcium, Phosphorus etc.
Vitamins - A, D, K, B1, B5, E, G (riboflavin) etc.
Animal Fats - Fish, Pork, Chicken, Beef, Sheep etc.
For a good Premixed Feed that I would recommend, there are 2 that come to mind right now - -
Buckeye Big 4 http://www.buckeyenutrition.com/media/137494/big 4 pellets.pdf,
Purina Game Bird http://www.wildlife.purinamills.com/products/ECMD2-0017383.aspx

I keep my poultry mixes as simple as possible, here is a example of a 22% protein adult feed that I mix. - - -
33.33 lbs - Purina Game Bird Conditioner
33.33 lbs - Purina Game Fish Chow
33.33 lbs - Grain mix (this grain mix is a custom mix that that I have mixed for my livestock and it contains - whole corn, whole oats, whole roasted soybean, soybean meal, beet pulp, dicalcium phosphate, trace mineral salt w/ selenium, vitamin A, D, E, magnesium oxide).

Note - this mix contains Fish Meal, Poultry Meal and Porcine Meat Meal

Chris

 

[Meg09]

Thankyou so much! Now do you show your birds? Ive seen with my friends show bird, Imm trying to remember what kind he is- he has a lot of birds anyways he is silver and when my friends mother visits she always loves to feed him corn, and his feathers have turned yellowish. My friend says its from the corn. Has this ever happened to your birds?