The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[curious chickee]

You've answered your own question. Next issue is to figure out why they aren't using the nest. My bet is that the older hens are intimidating them from roosting. Also, look at your roosts. some coops have skinny little sticks for roosts which are hard on a hen's feet, and allow their toes to get pecked by hens that are below them.

I think mostly its a Brahma thing my D'Anvers and Moderns roost. I have tried many different roosts with them. 2 x 4 boards (vertical and horizontal), 3" closet rods, their favorite place is on top of the nesting boxes in one big dog pile, this is with all my Brahma girls and boys. The next thing I am going to try is a roost 12" wide (just smaller than the size of their body) in a ladder style of varying heights to see if they like that, but I haven't had the time yet.

 

[shortgrass]

I use soy free feed, so I guess there is probably Alfalfa in it?

Most Feeds actually use animal by-product over alfalfa or soy, except vegan blends. I have, however, noticed that there are quite a few brands changing their formulas to soy instead. I mix my own feed, so I'm not really sure which brands have what, but likely that your organic or especially non GMO is going to use clover or alfalfa instead, at a major price increase. That's why most Feeds use byproducts; they're cheap.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: DO NOT FEED SOY THAT HASN'T BEEN COOKED (ROASTED). IT IS TOXIC EVEN IF SPROUTED.


I'm with @lazy gardener .... add animal protein. It is much better for them and something they'd eat naturally if given the opportunity. If given a choice of feedstuffs to choose from, they will NOT eat soy even if it is roasted and will not eat - or avoid - other legume seeds as well.

Some good quality, raw ground meat is a great addition to the diet if you can afford it.

 

[curious chickee]

Thanks everyone

 

[CuzChickens]

Most Feeds actually use animal by-product over alfalfa or soy, except vegan blends. I have, however, noticed that there are quite a few brands changing their formulas to soy instead. I mix my own feed, so I'm not really sure which brands have what, but likely that your organic or especially non GMO is going to use clover or alfalfa instead, at a major price increase. That's why most Feeds use byproducts; they're cheap.

I buy non GMO, soy free feed and it is $19.48 a bag. Does that sound expensive to you?

 

[shortgrass]

I buy non GMO, soy free feed and it is $19.48 a bag. Does that sound expensive to you?

Yep. I assume that's a 40# bag, so that makes it almost $.50/ lb.

I mix my own, so its way cheaper. I can get the grains at market price that way, and no animal byproducts. At an average of $7/bu for most of the ingredients, I can make a 500# drum of feed for about $75. That's about $.15/lb.

Only problem is I have to go to a couple different granaries to get everything I need organic. Odd thing is, the organic millet I buy at one granary is cheaper than conventional millet at the other granary lol; they keep me on my toes

But for bagged feed, especially organic non GMO, its a fair price. I've seen way worse lol

 

[lazy gardener]

Yep. I assume that's a 40# bag, so that makes it almost $.50/ lb.

I mix my own, so its way cheaper. I can get the grains at market price that way, and no animal byproducts. At an average of $7/bu for most of the ingredients, I can make a 500# drum of feed for about $75. That's about $.15/lb.

Only problem is I have to go to a couple different granaries to get everything I need organic. Odd thing is, the organic millet I buy at one granary is cheaper than conventional millet at the other granary lol; they keep me on my toes

But for bagged feed, especially organic non GMO, its a fair price. I've seen way worse lol

What do you add for protein/mineral/vitamin supplement

 

[JulesChicks]

What do you add for protein/mineral/vitamin supplement

Ditto that. I would love to know your recipe and if you have a breakdown of what protein they are getting, minerals and vitamins that would be awesome. I pay a small fortune for organic feed. I mix a whole grain formula (Scratch and Peck, soy and corn free) with an organic crumble and then ferment it overnight (using the backslop method). This has worked the best for me and stretches the feed somewhat. However, the S&P is $28/bag and the other is $25/bag. I am using starter for both since I had various ages and provide oyster shell on the side for the layers. When I fermented the S & P layer it smelled awful due to the oyster shell I think. It still has fish meal in it but if I do a new batch, reserving the bottom of the bucket of the day before to make the new every night, it doesn't bother me and has the texture sort of like sourdough that I can scoop out easily to feed.
We are in the middle of chaos due to a remodel, but eventually I will look into making my own to cut costs while still providing quality feed.
Thanks!

 

[shortgrass]

What do you add for protein/mineral/vitamin supplement

No supplements, unless you count the lactobacillus I use to kick start ferment every once in a while. I used to mix in oyster shell, but they kept picking it out and I was actually having problems with shells that were too hard and had calcium deposits on them, so I nixed the oyster shell.

Oh, molasses. I use molasses; is that considered a supplement? See, I guess the things I use as "supplement", are just that; supplementary Feeds. Like pumpkins in winter, beet tops in spring, beet pulp in fall, garlic in summer. And BOSS during molt. I switch it up depending on what they look like or if they have lost a supply in their food chain, kinda like adding more alfalfa during winter when there's no bugs. I wing it on the goodies All the nutrients they need are in the grains and legumes in the mix.

Ditto that. I would love to know your recipe and if you have a breakdown of what protein they are getting, minerals and vitamins that would be awesome.  I pay a small fortune for organic feed.  I mix a whole grain formula (Scratch and Peck, soy and corn free) with an organic crumble  and then ferment it overnight (using the backslop method). This has worked the best for me and stretches the feed somewhat.  However, the S&P is $28/bag and the other is $25/bag.  I am using starter for both since I had various ages and provide oyster shell on the side for the layers.  When I fermented the S & P layer it smelled awful due to the oyster shell I think.  It still has fish meal in it but if I do a new batch, reserving the bottom of the bucket of the day before to make the new every night, it doesn't bother me and has the texture sort of like sourdough that I can scoop out easily to feed.  
We are in the middle of chaos due to a remodel, but eventually I will look into making my own to cut costs while still providing quality feed.  
Thanks!

Sure thing, although I might have to come back and edit my post to add the nutrient ratios; I can't remember it all off hand and my time is in spurts(I have a newborn to feed constantly lol) so I will come back with the numbers.

But for now the recipe is:

50# corn
100# millet
100# oats or barley, depending on price, or I use both sometimes...
100# alfalfa pellets
50# BOSS or beet pulp, also, depending on time if year, I'll use both. Usually during molt.
5# molasses
2# DE (bug deterrent. Not worms, bugs, like weevils and borers)

Oh, I guess DE could be considered a supplement, as it contains a huge supply of minerals.

Biggest protein is the alfalfa, at about 40%
Wheat and Millet, about the same protein, at 11-13%
Corn, 7% protein
I'd have to look up the beet pulp, I can't remember the protein on that...
BOSS I think is around 10%...

Barley and oats are around 10% as well.

Barley and Millet are nyvfar the best grains for poultry, but wheat seems to be a favorite. I don't use rye because we have a copper excess in our soil andcrye picks it up and can cause overdose here, and that requires a magnesium supplement, so no rye.

No soy, its too pricey here, as well as sorghum, although I'd love to try sorghum.


Ok, I'll go find my charts with the nutrients and be back

 

[JulesChicks]

Thanks @shortgrass No need to rush on my account - I remember all to well the constant needs of a newborn - my youngest is six and she nursed until 2.