When can my chicks eat my home-made Chicken food? Please Reply!

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

I currently have 6 pullets that are about 2 weeks old (one is 3wks) and they are currently eating Cluck and Co. Organic Starter Crumbles. I make homemade food for my adult laying hens, and I'm wondering when my chicks can start eating that. Note that it does not have calcium in the food (I supply that separately to my layers), but it does have whole Black Oil Sunflower Seeds Whole oats, along with other, smaller seeds.

Food is 17.8% protein I think

The recipe is:

• 20 lbs Whole Oats
• 20 lbs Black Oil Sunflower Seeds
• 10 lbs Flax Seeds
• 10 lbs Split Peas
• 5 lbs Sesame Seeds

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Sure hope you'll consider not doing this. Been there, did my best research thinking my recipe would be far superior to commercial feed. It was not. Whole oats was a total loss, they picked around that and one of them looked at me and said I'm not a horse.... Their once beautiful red combs turned pale pink, laying decreased. Fast forward to now, quality commercial feed has the nutrition that they need (I use Kalmbach 20% all flock,) I have shaker cans of scratch with mostly your recipe + mealworms that I give as extra protein, scratch, treat. My flock is healthy and laying consistently. Check out what the experts have to though as I'm not a nutrition expert. @U_Stormcrow is someone you should read, incredibly knowledgeable about nutrition.

 

[nuthatched]

Do you add any fines at all?
That's too low for a starter, I wait until 15-20 weeks to switch them if you have to.
Where did you get this recipe? It's not great.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

Do you add any fines at all?
That's too low for a starter, I wait until 15-20 weeks to switch them if you have to.
Where did you get this recipe? It's not great.

I have been using this recipe for a while now and I forget where I originally got it. How would you suggest changing it? I'm open to ideas.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

Sure hope you'll consider not doing this. Been there, did my best research thinking my recipe would be far superior to commercial feed. It was not. Whole oats was a total loss, they picked around that and one of them looked at me and said I'm not a horse.... Their once beautiful red combs turned pale pink, laying decreased. Fast forward to now, quality commercial feed has the nutrition that they need (I use Kalmbach 20% all flock,) I have shaker cans of scratch with mostly your recipe + mealworms that I give as extra protein, scratch, treat. My flock is healthy and laying consistently. Check out what the experts have to though as I'm not a nutrition expert. @U_Stormcrow is someone you should read, incredibly knowledgeable about nutrition.

My hens have been on this food for about 2 years and have been doing very well (although they do pick out some of the oats), laying every day, and the girls look healthy. But I am eager to perfect it and I will look into how I can improve it.

 

[nuthatched]

I have been using this recipe for a while now and I forget where I originally got it. How would you suggest changing it? I'm open to ideas.

They definitely need a vitamin/mineral supplement, I'd wait for stormcrow to give mire educated advice than I can.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

They definitely need a vitamin/mineral supplement, I'd wait for stormcrow to give mire educated advice than I can.

Will do!