So who feeds whole grains as opposed to processed feed?

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Hi all you whole grain folks. An update on my "experimental" whole grain flock.............I had an EE pullet lay her first egg the other day at 21 weeks. The other 11 should be laying any day know. Yep these birds are fed whole grains. Very healthy looking birds, out free ranging daily on the frozen ground. (At least the snow is gone.)

(I sprout my Red wheat, BOSS, Oats) Also get Alfalfa meal, and a little fish meal, apple, and pumpkin. Free choice oyster shell. Free choice of the same grains not sprouted.

I am redoing my mix and getting 10 to 20 percent of flax and field peas into their diet. Also looking for alternatives to the fish meal. The hen that laid the first egg, just happened to be the one that "helped" me clean out the worm bin.. Next day she laid an egg!
Oh yes they get lots of organic soil year round to eat the roots from spent lettuce plants. So I am not worried about probiotics or minerals.

Here is my opinion.
If there is a will there is a way. Not all of us NEED processed food to raise healthy chickens! If you put the time and energy into the research on nutrition and amino acids. One can do it the old fashioned way.

After all.. It was not until after WWII that we came up with all this processed food any way. This may not be the way to go if you are a factory farm and want to squeeze every ounce of production form your birds during their short life before you compost them........

Anyway, I get tired of everyone saying no it can not be done.

Once I get my new mix figured out I will post details on cost and basic details. (Looks like under $20 per 50lbs using organic grains. Would be about 25% cheaper with non organic grains.)

ON
 
Spirulina and Bee pollen, in the mix I provide, is very minimal. the bulk of the powdered mix is kelp and fish meal, garlic and brewers yeast


Here is some Spirulina powder- http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/catalog/7085.html

I t has been so long that I have had to buy any bee pollen to be honest, i forgot where I got it from. I only add maybe 1- 2 tbs of each (bee pollen and spirulina) to a gallon jug of the rest of the mix. Once all mixed, I add two large serving spoons a day to each feed batch I use.

I used to get fish and kelp meal from Foy's I thought but do not see it now.

Mostly everything can be purchased through pigeon or dog supply places or Ebay. I have bought stuff through Ebay before.
 
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well, the powdered mix I got the recipe from a long time Dutch Bantam breeder in Florida. He gave me the recipe which I have printed out somewhere what the ratios are of each. The seed mix, another friend of mine feeds and her birds are always good weight, while mine were always on the thin side. The seeds have a great deal of fat and protein, so they have wintered far better than any other year, no thin birds, unless you count the broodies who do not want to get off the nests! Everyone tweeks their formulas to suit them and what they can get available in their area. I do not mind paying extra for good quality products when the turn outs are to the birds advantage. Better condition for the birds, and healthier offspring was my goal and I just was not getting that with just plain old commercial feed. Since I started adding the seed mix and all, they eat every bite, I was afraid they would pick out just the seeds, but they do not. i can tell when my husband feeds them when I am super busy at work working late hours as he just feeds the commercial feed and almost immediately, they stop eating as well and their egg production plummets dramatically.
 
Smokey,
I would be interested in hearing more about your mix's! Also what do you estimate your cost at per 50lbs?

Oh I forgot I feed a small amount of kelp too.. (under 5% for sure)

Katy,
Many of the links in this thread. (Lions grip, greener pastures, manitoba ag plus many many others.) I have been using the human nutrition calculators people on BYC have recommended. I is a challenge to find data on many grains. I look at all the nutrition data for each grain, and try and make a balance proper for chickens.
ON
 
You all have inspired me to start looking into feeding whole grains. I believe very strongly in minimizing processed foods for my family, although I must admit to being a closet Oreo cookie eater, because I feel it not only effects health but also the behavior of children. I don't see why a "complete" whole grain feed for my chickens would not have a similar effect. I currently buy an organic layer mash and chick starter but I'm not happy with the consistency and there is a tremendous amount of waste but I continue to do it because of the quality of ingredients that go into the feed. I can't imagine creating my own whole grain feed would be anymore expensive. Keep posting everyone!!
 
I use fresh ground whole grain. It's cheaper than the feed store feeds. & my chicks never get pasty butt any more. I had some one stop to buy birds last week end,& they couldn't get over how nice my birds were. He said there wasn't a feather out of place on my birds & wondered how I did it. I swear it's the fresh ground feed.(I can see the difference since I switched feeds 6 months ago) Chances are theres a grain mill near you.
 
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Good point. There is no natural selenium in the ground here in NY. There for there's non in the grain I feed. Every area is different. I do on a rare occasion make them a vitamin mash with selenium & Vita E. They cant absorb the E with out the selenium.
 

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