REVIEW my Gluten Free Feed Recipe

[FettuccineAlfredo]

So I've posted in the past about finding a gluten free recipe and have decided to try making my own. Our chickens are laying but less than a year old. Here is the recipe, we have little idea what we are doing do please give advice.

20 lb sunflower
10 lb millet
15 lb safflower
10 lb oats
10 lb milo
7 lb cracked corn
10 lb alfalfa
8 lb flax seed
5 lb rice
5 lb dried split peas
(And oyster shells separately)

This totals 100 lbs and basically costs $38 per 50 lb wich is the same cost of our organic feed. We just went to the store and bought a bunch of seeds and got home and tried to make it add up to the right protein. It's about 17% protein (we used the percentages on the bags to do the math). Thanks for any advice!

 

[tacothechicken]

I'll admit I use store bought feed for my chickens but this is almost identical to the mix I do for my pigeons and my chickens are Allllways trying to steal the pigeons food so I assume it must be good

 

[EggSighted4Life]

So I've posted in the past about finding a gluten free recipe and have decided to try making my own. Our chickens are laying but less than a year old. Here is the recipe, we have little idea what we are doing do please give advice.

20 lb sunflower
10 lb millet
15 lb safflower
10 lb oats
10 lb milo
7 lb cracked corn
10 lb alfalfa
8 lb flax seed
5 lb rice
5 lb dried split peas
(And oyster shells separately)

This totals 100 lbs and basically costs $38 per 50 lb wich is the same cost of our organic feed. We just went to the store and bought a bunch of seeds and got home and tried to make it add up to the right protein. It's about 17% protein (we used the percentages on the bags to do the math). Thanks for any advice!

You also need to know your fat and fiber content. But more importantly... you amino acids and vitamin/mineral content... Calories come from only 3 sources... carbs including fiber, fat, and protein. I believe fat should be 3-5% max.

Since chickens NEED some animal derived amino acids... (added into out vegetarian formulas) I would think your mix is missing something and too high in fat.

Also note that too much flax could make your eggs fishy or off is my understanding. Though I don't know what "too much" is.

Are you feeding the rice dry and uncooked? Are your birds free range, on what kind of pasture?

Couldn't you get gluten free feed by buying something made without wheat? Are your chickens gluten intolerant or someone on your family? Does it pass through the eggs?

Here to be helpful and to learn!

Good luck!

 

[FettuccineAlfredo]

You also need to know your fat and fiber content. But more importantly... you amino acids and vitamin/mineral content... Calories come from only 3 sources... carbs including fiber, fat, and protein. I believe fat should be 3-5% max.

Since chickens NEED some animal derived amino acids... (added into out vegetarian formulas) I would think your mix is missing something and too high in fat.

Also note that too much flax could make your eggs fishy or off is my understanding. Though I don't know what "too much" is.

Are you feeding the rice dry and uncooked? Are your birds free range, on what kind of pasture?

Couldn't you get gluten free feed by buying something made without wheat? Are your chickens gluten intolerant or someone on your family? Does it pass through the eggs?

Here to be helpful and to learn!

Good luck!

So we could add fish meal for amino acids. And the flax seed limit is 10% I think. It would be uncooked rice (although we could cook it). I wasnt really sure about rice but we bought some so figured we should use it. The chickens are free range in the backyard and we plan on planting sunflowers, pepper plants, beans, etc. Around the yard for them.

I agree on the fat content. I did the math for the fiber and fat and I think the sunflower and safflower seeds were what was making it so high. The problem is I don't know what else to use to increase the protein, mabye the fish meal will help. Or is Brewers Yeast high in protein?

Another thing is they get separate dried mealworms every morning.

As far as the gluten free things goes, every local store doesnt have wheat free food and online was expensive with shipping plus most websites we looked at required ordering in bulk.

It's a family member thats intolerate. We haven't found any clear responses on if gluten passes through to the egg. Some people swear it does, other not. Regarless, we figured we would try it.

Thanks for the response!

 

[rjohns39]

Here's what your analysis looks like without the safflower as I don't have the data on it.

Nutrient Name: Amount Units
Crude Protein 14.6% %
Crude Fat 12.2% %
Crude Fiber 13.1% %
Calcium 0.44% %
Phosphorus 0.39% %
Salt added 0.00% %
Sodium 0.03% % per KG
Energy 1,270 Kcal/LB 2794.8
Vitamin A 76 IU/LB 167.72
Vitamin D 0 IU/LB 0
Vitamin E 0 IU/LB 0
Choline 1548 IU/LB 3405.5
Biotin 5.7 MCG/LB 12.471
Manganese 55.2 ppm 121.44
Zinc 24.9 ppm 54.793
Copper 8.43 ppm 18.537
Selenium (added) 0.00 ppm 0.0104
Lysine 0.55% %
Methionine 0.24% %
Methionine/Cystine 0.42% %
Arginine 0.89% %

What I would suggest is to use Fertrell as your base (vitamin pack) and then leverage their nutritionists to help you formulate your feed. I also recommend them for fish and crab meal. If they can't get good and clean, they simply will not sell it. They've recently started an on-line store if there isn't a dealer near you. And no I don't work for them, I just like them a lot and I trust them.

 

[FettuccineAlfredo]

Here's what your analysis looks like without the safflower as I don't have the data on it.

Nutrient Name: Amount Units
Crude Protein 14.6% %
Crude Fat 12.2% %
Crude Fiber 13.1% %
Calcium 0.44% %
Phosphorus 0.39% %
Salt added 0.00% %
Sodium 0.03% % per KG
Energy 1,270 Kcal/LB 2794.8
Vitamin A 76 IU/LB 167.72
Vitamin D 0 IU/LB 0
Vitamin E 0 IU/LB 0
Choline 1548 IU/LB 3405.5
Biotin 5.7 MCG/LB 12.471
Manganese 55.2 ppm 121.44
Zinc 24.9 ppm 54.793
Copper 8.43 ppm 18.537
Selenium (added) 0.00 ppm 0.0104
Lysine 0.55% %
Methionine 0.24% %
Methionine/Cystine 0.42% %
Arginine 0.89% %

What I would suggest is to use Fertrell as your base (vitamin pack) and then leverage their nutritionists to help you formulate your feed. I also recommend them for fish and crab meal. If they can't get good and clean, they simply will not sell it. They've recently started an on-line store if there isn't a dealer near you. And no I don't work for them, I just like them a lot and I trust them.

Thank you for all the info I would have no clue how to figure that out. Is Fertell and brand of vitamins you can mix in food?

 

[rjohns39]

Flax Seed is limited to 8% of total volume. Flax Meal 12%.

 

[PirateGirl]

Below is a list of some ingredients that I have commonly seen in DIY chicken feed recipes that your recipe does not utilize. Perhaps something here would help round things out for you.

rye
lentils
kamut
amaranth
sesame
kelp granules

 

[rjohns39]

Fertrell Sells natural and organic products including fertilizers, soil amendments and animal nutrition products. They have nutritionists on staff that provide free support to their customers. Here's a link to their home page, you can also search for dealers near you. https://www.fertrell.com/ BTW, I used their calculator to come up with the analysis.

 

[FettuccineAlfredo]

Fertrell Sells natural and organic products including fertilizers, soil amendments and animal nutrition products. They have nutritionists on staff that provide free support to their customers. Here's a link to their home page, you can also search for dealers near you. https://www.fertrell.com/ BTW, I used their calculator to come up with the analysis.

Okay thanks!