Hi Phlimm,
I'm new too, and also have 3 chickens...they are only 9 weeks old. I also do not want to spend a fortune on food for them so Ive been researching what they need, what value things have, how to go organic, etc.
Here is what I found:
Each full grown hen eats from 1.8 to 2.2 lbs per week
( mine are medium sized, use 2.0)
Total food for 3 hens x 2 lbs = 6 lbs per week
Pasture grazing of bugs and greens is estimated to use 10% to 25% of total
.25 x 6 = 1.5 lbs. 6 - 1.5 = 4.5
Need 4.5 lbs of feed per week
I am raising earthworms and hope to reach a sustainable population to include them as a portion of feed.
Worms sell for about $25 a pound and up! Can you imagine paying that much for a steak for yourself?
One idea I saw was to use a bug trap at night by an outdoor light to catch free nibbles for the girls. I want to try this but have yet to do it.
My girls like to free range more than eating their store bought food. They have access to the food, but just come in once in a while to nibble and nap. I'm in Florida and I have a very buggy environment, but weve had drought so Im low on both bugs and green forage...even so, when they free range they reduce their store bought food intake from 12 ounces a day down to six to eight ounces, so it does help. They have shown no interest in any people food except a mcDs french fry I shared!
That is not part of our normal diet, however!
And even though we have lots of sand, I still give the granite grit because it is not polished smooth and it varies in size more than our sand.
I also discovered the girls LOVE spanish moss, which I have in abundance. It is not toxic, but internet research finds it is also not very nutritious. It must have something good, though, unless it's the chicken version of those french fries!
Considering mixing my own chicken food:
I modified a recipe I found, I'd love some feedback on it folks...
Summer Chicken Feed Recipe
Winter feed
To make one months worth of mixture (20 lbs)
Ingredients
(For winter, reduce oats 2 lb and increase corn by 2 lb
decrease millet 1 lb increase sunflower seeds by 1 lb)
(for northern climates you would want more carbs from corn than this for winter)
Items where the source provided amount equals the amount required only lists that price:
Note that some items need or are better with heat treatment: quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, barley, flax,sesame seeds. I would boil them with the peas and lentils then divide into daily portions and freeze for the month.
(Percentage)(weight needed)(pricing on internet)(Weight supplied) (price per perctange used)
25% oats. 5 lbs. 10.99
25% millet. 5 lbs. 8.39
10% split peas 2 lbs. 7.99
7.5% quinoa. 1.5 lbs. 24.00. 5 lbs. 7.25
7.5% amaranth seeds 1.5 lbs. 19.95 5 lbs. 6.00
5% cracked wheat. 1 lb. Cracked. 8.96. 6.5 lbs. 1.50
5% sunflower seeds 1 lb. 11.75 5 lbs. 2.35
5% pumpkin seed (cracked or hulled) 1 lb. 15.95 5 lbs. 3.25
2.5% cracked corn 0.5 lbs. 2.85 5 lbs. 0.30
2.5% lentils 0.5 lbs. 7.80. 2 lbs. 2.00
1.25% hulled barley 0.25 lbs. 6.25 1lb. 1.60
1.25% buckwheat 0.25lbs. 3.29 1 lb. 1.00
1.25% flax seeds 0.25lbs. 11.50 2 lbs. 1.50
1.25% sesame seeds. 0.25 lbs. 9.95. 1b. 2.50
Granite grit
Oyster shell (layers only)
I'm confused why would you feed $25 a pound food to your chickens ?