What Supplemental Grains Should I Feed My Pastured Chickens?

[TheWreyck]

I keep hearing about chicken owners, especially farmers who sell eggs bragging that their fully pastured chickens don't eat commercial feed but rather a specific blend of grains, sort of like custom scratch grains. The problem is that every time I try to find books about how to formulate chicken feed for my pastured flock, everyone always says it's impossible and to just buy commercial feed.

I'm trying to avoid soy as well as non-GMO corn in my chickens' feed, and their are a few other ingredients in commercial that I do not care for but are not deal breakers. But it's expensive to get feed that fits my requirements IF I can even find it. Summer is coming, and my chickens have GREAT forage available. Their are cows and horses near by that do get some grains, and our chickens do pick through their excrement. Their is a balance of hay fields and cornfields thay they forage through, and LOTS of bugs and small animals available.

What I'm wondering is what pther people feed for grain to their pastured chickens besides commercial feed. I feed them complete feed in the winter but am hoping to simplify their feed for the summer. I've heard of rye and oats in addition to corn. Also I already give them sunflower seeds and flax occasionally. I just am wondering what I can feed them to make sure they are HEALTHY grains and balanced, not soy and things like that.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The problem with things like corn, oats, and other similar grains is they are lower in protein. As long as your birds are finding themselves lots of protein rich foods grains can be okay, but don't expect great production out of birds on pasture without access to a good formulated ration that's 16-20% protein.

My birds range all day here in warmer weather. Their feed consumption will drop by half generally. They still need that balanced ration to fall back on. Hopefully someone can give you some ideas.

 

[centrarchid]

What I like to do some times is put a series of options out for the chickens to consume. The options can include a very high protein feed or a low protein / high energy (carbohydrate) grain like shell corn. If the forage is low on energy, then the prefer the grain. If the forage is low on protein, then they go after the feed. If the area foraged is large with quality insect forages with tender greens off legumes, then the birds seldom have interest in the feed. This time of year through roughly July the birds may have little interest in either option. Starting in fall they can have serious interest in the corn.

In actual practice I use a blend like scratch grains made from cracked corn, millet and oats to ensure they get variety. It is my opinion that shell corn is better than cracked.

 

[TheWreyck]

What I like to do some times is put a series of options out for the chickens to consume. The options can include a very high protein feed or a low protein / high energy (carbohydrate) grain like shell corn. If the forage is low on energy, then the prefer the grain. If the forage is low on protein, then they go after the feed. If the area foraged is large with quality insect forages with tender greens off legumes, then the birds seldom have interest in the feed. This time of year through roughly July the birds may have little interest in either option. Starting in fall they can have serious interest in the corn.

In actual practice I use a blend like scratch grains made from cracked corn, millet and oats to ensure they get variety. It is my opinion that shell corn is better than cracked.

I'm wondering if a blend of seeds like sunflowers and other seeds popular in town are good for a protein source, or if you think that I would have to get something like brewer's castings? I know that was the recommended protein source if you're avoiding soy for feeding milking cows from our local feed mill, and it is in my current soy free layer ration. However, I'd rather not use that ingredient if I don't have to.

I'm also wondering why you think shell corn is better than cracked corn? My chickens don't seem to like eating shell corn and avoid it unless NOTHING else is available.

 

[Folly's place]

Cattle are herbivores, and chickens are omnivores, the simplest basic way to think of them. The needs of milk cows are also very specific, but not the same as your chickens. If you have low egg producing birds like most game type breeds, especially the smaller ones, they can do better on a diet that wouldn't do for high producing hens, or larger hens.
Grains are not high enough is the specific amino acids, among other nutrients, that chickens need.
In summer we also have a good mix of pasture, woods, and other places for our flock to find good stuff to eat, and they do eat less of their Flock Raiser. They still eat their oyster shell, and some of their base diet, and I can't ever think that adding grains instead of that Flock Raiser would be enough!
Mary

 

[Mossy Dell]

Most pastured layer folks who do it at modest to large scale and use whole grains offer fish meal too. Here is a typical one:

Justin Rhodes Chicken Layer Grain-Based Recipe

3 parts Corn, 22.5
3 parts Wheat, 40.5
2 parts Peas, 47.8 [at 23.9% ea est]
1 part Oats, 11
1 part Fish meal – 60% protein
181.8 /10 = 18%
+Free choice kelp; calcium carbonite = argonite or oyster shell; and Nutribalancer.

Joel Salatin has his own recipe, for mash, or it was. If you have a few hens, however, you might just mix a booster pellet, at least 18%, with grains.