Topic of the Week - "Off-grid" Feeding - Homemade feeds, etc.

[PirateGirl]

Also thank you to those of you that have provided links to articles and names of books! Now my reading list is growing.

Also does anyone grow crops (small scale garden, not acres of field) specifically to feed their chickens?

 

[1cock2hens]

I have considered coldframes so I could grow all kinds of small things for year round consumption. just havent got to it yet

 

[rjohns39]

I make our own feed. It's very simple and I make it in big batches so I'd only have to mix every couple of months. What I was mixing before was:

30% Corn
30% Wheat
20% Peas
10% Oats
10% Fish Meal
2% Poultry Nutri–Balancer
Kelp provided free choice

They did great on that. I also fermented it so they ate way less. They also got our daily kitchen and garden scraps and I'd sometimes sprout barley fodder for them.

Now I a trying to streamline as I mix the goats feed too. I also don't want to do much corn. So now I do:

Barley
Oats
Alfalfa
Beet Pulp
BOSS

I'll ferment that for the chickens as well as all the kitchen and garden scraps and occasional fodder. I was raising mealworms too as well. I do add nutri-balancer to their ferment and I still give kelp.

My goats, turkeys, chickens, peafowl, and rabbits all get this feed. Each animal (poultry, caprine, etc) get their own minerals suited to them. Goats get hay and alfalfa hay as well as the rabbits.

I tend to prefer things that aren't so convenient anyway. If SHTF, I don't want to be stuck relying on something I can't get. But that is just me. Plus I know everything that they are eating (aside form their free range stuff, but that's still natural and what they were meant to eat) and I know what we are eating. We have a garden as well and buy bulk grains to mill and turn into flour and such. I think I was born in the worng century LOL.

here's what your nutritional analysis looks like. Doesn't include the nutribalancer as folks were able to steal there recipe if it did.
Nutrient Name: Amount Units
Crude Protein 17.1% %
Crude Fat 4.1% %
Crude Fiber 4.3% %
Calcium 0.40% %
Phosphorus 0.58% %
Salt added 0.10% %
Sodium 0.06% % per KG
Energy 1,376 Kcal/LB 3027.2
Vitamin A 225 IU/LB 495
Vitamin D 0 IU/LB 0
Vitamin E 0 IU/LB 0
Choline 1602 IU/LB 3524.5
Biotin 59.8 MCG/LB 131.6
Manganese 76.9 ppm 169.2
Zinc 31.3 ppm 68.86
Copper 11.91 ppm 26.198
Selenium (added) 0.00 ppm 0
Lysine 0.95% %
Methionine 0.36% %
Methionine/Cystine 0.45% %
Arginine 0.85% %

 

[lazy gardener]

My flock's usual ration is 16% Layer or 18% multi-flock breeder. It is fermented if I'm not dealing with single digit and below temperatures.

Deep litter helps stretch the feed budget, as well as seasonal free range, garden produce, winter pumpkins and squash, sprouts, and occasional "time to clean the fridge" offerings.

My summer time feed conversion rate is .18#/bird/day.

Nearest feed store is 20 miles away, so it's my goal to NEVER run out of feed, while at the same time seeing to it that I don't have any bag of feed that is older than 6 weeks post mill date.

If I do run out of feed, I would buy a day by giving them a combination of grain, BOSS, and a few hand fulls of kitty kibble or dog kibble.

 

[GGRinger]

i mix my own feed as well. I buy whole grains, non GMO from the feed store in 50# bags that store perfectly in 20gal steel garbage cans. It has cost me approx $60.00/yr for the grains I mix up batches as needed, each bach lasts about 10 days. The grains I use are 6 parts wheat, 3 parts oats, 2 parts sunflower seeds and 2 parts millet. I NEVER feed my chickens #2 field corn, it has NO nutritional value. I do, occasionally, treat them to an ear of sweet corn, and they love it, but it is only an occasional treat, like candy. I also add 1/2 part flax seed for omega 3s and 1/2 part split peas and/or field peas for added protien. I mix in some dried sage and thyme with the grains for their anti bacterial/viral/fungal properties and their resperatory health support and drizzle a spoonful of molasses into their daily ration for extra vitamins and minerals. I supplement with meal worms, crickets, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as scraps from the kitchen. I somethimes cook up some fish for them and I grow greens in the garden for them. I let them free range when I can watch, but after losing one hen to a coyote, I dont let them out of their pen unless I can watch them. I also add ACV, garlic, basil and oregeno to their water. I keep a compost pile in their pen so they have plenty of fun digging through that and I get excellent compost for my garden. They also have a sand pile to dust bath in and like to hang out under to coop when it's very hot, or raining. Right now I only have 2 hens and 1 rooster, SLWs They are beautiful, strong, healthy and no issues with parasites or runny poo, We're hoping to increase our flock this spring by having baby chicks, if not I'll be in search of a few SLW pullets.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have considered coldframes so I could grow all kinds of small things for year round consumption. just havent got to it yet

A double layered cold frames can add 3 growing zones to your current climate. In my zone 4, a double layered cold frame would provide a micro-climate = to zone 7. So, it adds WEEKS to both ends of the growing season. A very effective cold frame can be made with 5 or more bales of hay, a couple of 2 x 4's for support of glass which covers the top and plastic to cover the south face. Instant cold frame! The hay bales can then be recycled as mulch.

 

[centrarchid]

In a short-term pinch I will use a mixture of shelled-corn, oats, BOSS and millet as a maintenance diet, especially during the harshest part of winter when now growth, no egg production, and no molting. They are already eating more than typical so easily meeting their protein / exogenously essential amino acid requirements.

It is no longer done, but if in a pinch I would give them bone meal and fish carcasses to up protein levels. My grandparents and before used to use a lot of animal and fish offal to up protein.

 

[1cock2hens]

A double layered cold frames can add 3 growing zones to your current climate. In my zone 4, a double layered cold frame would provide a micro-climate = to zone 7. So, it adds WEEKS to both ends of the growing season. A very effective cold frame can be made with 5 or more bales of hay, a couple of 2 x 4's for support of glass which covers the top and plastic to cover the south face. Instant cold frame! The hay bales can then be recycled as mulch.

I am in 6b/7a, in theory I would be able to possibly grow greens year round.

I have been reading about acorns being used to supplement feed. of course you cant just throw to them, you have to prepare them. per ounce they have 1.7gs of protein, they have fats, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, vitamin b etc..

 

[centrarchid]

I am in 6b/7a, in theory I would be able to possibly grow greens year round.

I have been reading about acorns being used to supplement feed. of course you cant just throw to them, you have to prepare them. per ounce they have 1.7gs of protein, they have fats, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, vitamin b etc..

My birds will consume them well when foraging but abundance varies greatly even before squirrels, jays and turkeys get their share. The chickens can choke down some sizable items but I am not sure they are able to discern which acorns are worth eating.

 

[1cock2hens]

My birds will consume them well when foraging but abundance varies greatly even before squirrels, jays and turkeys get their share. The chickens can choke down some sizable items but I am not sure they are able to discern which acorns are worth eating.

I started reading about acorn being used because i remember my great grandmother saying they would make a rough acorn flour by smashing acorns, removing shells, putting in a cloths sack and then putting in in the creek and letting clean water run through it for a day or two till it runs clear when you ring it out, that get the tannins out. some oaks have much more tannin and arent great for eating