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I use flax seed, fish meal for the calcium, I have found an all natural layer protein from my local coop that is GF-no wheat/rye/barley, crushed corn and table scraps-veggies and fruit. The ratios are not specific. I mean when I mix it I use a 50lb bag of the layer crumbles with 50lbs of crushed corn and about 5 lbs of fish meal, 10 lbs of flax seed, and roughly 25lbs at least of alfalfa which is GF. We add apple cider vinegar to their water too. So far so good! Myself and 2 of our 3 daughters are pretty sensitive to gluten and so far we haven't had any issues. When we were buying them from the store we starting getting sick regardless of the brand. That's when we read that gluten can be transferred to the eggs. So we got chickens and so far we have felt great! What do you think?
Pigeon Guy is good with formulating and protein levels, etc. He may have something to say!
I have my feed formulated at a local feed mill. I wasn't thinking about gluten, but I guess it IS gluten free! My main concern was NO SOY and not GMO. Since I had to get a minimum of 300 lbs, I wanted it to be a middle-of-the road formula that had low enough calcium that I could feed it to the chicks and high enough protein for the layers. That way I could feed it to everyone and just add protein for the babies and free-choice calcium for the layers. (I don't keep the whole 300 lbs...I found someone to share w/me)
Here is the formula he's currently using and the lbs to make 300 lbs. You could divide to make a smaller amount. This is about 16% protein:
122 lbs organic corn
135 lbs organic peas
15 lb Fertrell poultry nutri-balancer (organic)
10.8 lb. Organic Alfalfa Pellets
10.2 lb Fish Meal
6.6 lb. Calcium Carbonate
I would like to drop the peas if possible, and add more protein from meat sources. He is currently working on ideas but he told me that he can't up the fish meal too much or the eggs will begin to take on a fishy smell and taste.
Falzone this is only ruff I don't have all details to be any closer but about 15 to 16 %.
Leahs Mom add some meat meal to up you protein it is about 57% and has lots of vitamins I would use close to equal amounts of fish and meat meal. You still IMO need something to replace the peas. I don't like just all corn. But I don't like peas or soy beans either.
Here are some run downs that come to about 16% protein
120# corn
70# oats
25# wheat
25# barley
11# alfalfa pellets
14# fish meal
14# meat meal
15# fertrell poultry nutri-balancer
7# calcium carbonate
I'm not going to go into how I know what I'm about to say I just do. Those who want to believe it do and those who don't don't. Oats cracked are GOOD, GOOD, GOOD Barley is good wheat is OK. Oats if they are not cracked there is a lot of unusable stuff in them cracked though become usable (ground even more usable but to powdery for fermenting found out the hard way) Barley and wheat the same. Never been told that about barley and wheat but since I was told about oats I put all grain shaped that way in the same category. (don't care if it's right just my way of thinking) Wheat I remember something about not making it more than 10% of any feed but it contains stuff that is necessary and is definitely needed. Barley I don't know any more about than since I started reading BYC and the links on it posted by others. The old boys around here didn't use it except in pasture that I know of. So it must have been a cow thing cause I don't remember giving it to the chickens. Everything I have read on it says it is almost as good as oats.
Now Leahs you can mix the grains any way you wish and it is still about 16%. I would keep the wheat at or below 10%. Other than that IMO again switch the oats and barley to whatever you want. remember though if you add 10 pounds to the barley take 10 pounds off the oats or the other way around. Or just use one or the other. If I was going to do that I would go with the oats cracked. OH and just so you know not every oat will crack in the cracking process some will be left whole that is OK.
Now you know what my recipe dream is if you take out the fertrell , alfalfa and calcium. and add 15# kelp and up the fish and meat meal to 20# each. I add alfalfa pellets at home I have it for the rabbits anyway and in warmer months during free range I don't give it they can get they're own greens. The kelp is not for greens but instead vitamins. I think it replaces that fertrell your putting in.
Can't wait till my co-op all comes together and I can make it all happen. Like I said I have to buy everything in bulk to make a ton and the kelp, fish meal and meat meal I hope to get 100 pound bags to make it cheaper. Of those three items that is a years supply though. I want enough people in the co-op to use a ton every 2 months so it does not loose any of its values.
Hope this info helps some out there. Not saying this is the only way of thinking just mine.
I don't know if this would work for you since your winters are SO much colder up there. I have been trying to find a way to keep my waterers (buckets) thawed overnight. I decided I would try something. I had an extra 5 gallon bucket and put it upside down over the water bucket. Its gotten to the low teens and still the bucket under the 5 gal is not frozen in the morning. It may work on sunny days where at least the ground is able to get some warmth. For me, this is an easy solution. Easier than lugging water from the house since the hose is frozen.
Like this and it gave me an idea. Build a wooden structure around the 5 gallon cup water bucket. leave the top removable or hinged. Even go as far as insulating 3 sides and the top and bottom. Then on the uninsulated side cut holes in where the cup is located and large enough for a chicken to stick it's head in and get to the cups. Put your bird bath heater in the bucket and add an LED light so they can see the cups. Maybe some clear plastic maybe Plexiglas over the holes to help retain the heat. Don't make it any bigger than necessary the less room to heat the more efficient it will be. Also put the thermocube on the outside of it.
OK that was just thinking out loud thanks jdywntr.
