ok chicken feed?

[lvesdg1]

I was reading about makin your own chicken feed ..WELL i buy chicken scracth and i add crushed corn and wheat along with some wild bird seed is that a bad idea ......... dried pea's is that like the peas you make pea soup with?

 

[bigspringshatchery]

I don't make mine so I'm no expert but to me that don't sound like enough. Corn doesn't have any value and scratch is just about as bad. The scratch I buy only has like 8.5 protein. Most ppl feed as a treat not as a whole feed.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Scratch & corn are ingredients in chicken feed, but they are not high enough in protein alone. You would need to add a protein concentrate (probably mostly soy) or soy beans, fish meal or peas. I just started making my feed that I will be feeding 100% after 2-3 weeks mixing with my no soy mash. I am using 33% field peas, 33% wheat, 10% spelt, 10% sunflowers & 10% of a mix of millet seed, pumpkin & nuts. To this I am adding fish meal & Fertrell Nutribalancer. The protein should be around 17-18%. Only time will tell how this works for me, but the girls went nuts over it yesterday.

 

[Judy]

You aren't supposed to feed uncooked dried beans. I'd be hesitant about the peas.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Quote:
All the literature I have read says peas & lentils are OK to feed raw. Pigeon grains are filled with 4-5 kinds of raw peas. I have fed them to chickens and never had a problem. You are right that soybeans & other beans must be heat processed.

 

[speckledhen]

Some of the game bird feed I've bought had dried peas in it. When making your own, you need to pay special attention to protein levels by adding fish meal or whatever.