What can I feed wheat to?

[bheila]

So my husband just got a great job working with grains. He brought me 300lbs of wheat home yesterday for free. So I am wondering what can I feed it to. I'm just so used to going to the feed store and telling them what I need. I don't even look at the bag to see what is in their feed. I have chickens and ducks. Will they eat it? I usually just feed layer pellets, whole corn and some scratch. Also, what about soybeans? I will be getting this stuff for free and I don't want it to go to waste. If I don't take it they just throw it out for the Seagulls and Pigeons.

 

[d.k]

* From what I've read, "too much" wheat balks/slows digestion in chickens, which may lead to GI problems-- But, haven't yet found out what ratio constitutes "too much". . . . 1O%, 2O%??? The other potential prob is rancidity of oils in wheat after a time.

 

[hooligan]

You might contact Cuda on this, as he has a feed calculator and might know a bit more on the portions you could give.

 

[chikndave]

You can find the feed calculator on our site at The Cajun Yankee Poultry Connection

Bheila,
If I were you I would take full advantage of this opportunity!
Wow what a deal!
All of your fowl will eat the wheat. I would recommend soaking some in a mixture of ACV and water with a dry, water soluble vitamin supplement such as Durvet. You can mix this together with the soybeans and other grains as well as with your laying pellets. This will make a very fine wet mash that can be made into little balls and frozen for later use, or fed straight away! The ACV should help break down the grains so that they are more readily processed and digested by your feathered wonders.

If this is unappealing to you for one reason or another you could certainly mix the grains into your layer ration. It would extend the ration and make the economics of raising chickens more bearable. That is, it would certainly offset some of the cost.

You will want to be sure that these grains have not been treated with harmful chemicals. You will also want to be very thorough in checking for molds and bugs. Bugs can be harmful to your chickens believe it or not, and mold can certainly be toxic resulting in a wide range of ailments, from lethargy to death.

A Few Grains To Stay Away From:

Rye seed can cause many troubles for your flock.

Gossypol can be found in cottonseed meal and can cause bluish combs and wattles and a drop in egg production and quality as well as a loss of general vigor.

Common Vetch Peas can be found almost everywhere and can cause symptoms such as convulsions.

Coffee Weed can be found along with soybeans and corn and causes slowed egg production, paralysis, and even death.

Sorghum Seed can cause a generally depressed growth and some leg deformities

Castor Beans can cause progressive paralysis, diarrhea, and eventual death.

Stay away from all uncooked parts of a potato plant! The entire plant is toxic to chickens unless thoroughly cooked.
Hope some of this helps.
Dave