Anyone have any homemade chicken feed recipes?

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

Hello all, I have 11 hens (6 are pullets) and I want to make them a home-made feed but I want to be sure that it is balanced. All of my hens are used for eggs, not meat, and I want a feed that does not include calcium in the recipe because I want to be able to feed it to my pullets when they reach 8 wks of age, and to the older hens who aren't laying anymore. I will provide calcium sources in another feeder for all my layers. Does anyone have any recipes that have worked for their flock? I give them black soldier fly larvae as a treat a couple times a week and they have a large run with a compost they can eat bugs from.

Just comment if you need any other info about my flock

 

[Penpal]

I have fed 1 part hulled barley when i can find it, 2 parts whole oats, 2 parts whole wheat, 4 parts whole corn. This I soak for 3 days. In the winter I add sunflower seeds, 1/2 part but soaked for 12 hours.

I also feed them ground raw meat if they aren't getting bugs or worms. Just a little. The grains I get from local elevators. They also eat plants, flowers and leaves, which I feel is very good for them.

I'm sure others will have different recipes.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

As a general rule, for my US-based fellow BYCers "make at home" recipes are more expensive, less certain, and nutritionally inferior to a good, off the shelf, fresh commercial option. You can't mix together small bags at retail mark up and expect to compete with mills buying wholesaale by the trainload (or at least, multiple train car loads)

Im not shilling for any particular commercial Mfg - there are plenty of expensive, sub par commercial offerings - but the "make at home" recipes are consistently less certain, often nutritionally inferior, and almost always more expensive.

I recommend you find the most consistently Fresh feed providing a nutritiotional assay you find acceptable, at a price you are wiling to pay - and stick with it.

 

[Dokdream]

As a general rule, for my US-based fellow BYCers "make at home" recipes are more expensive, less certain, and nutritionally inferior to a good, off the shelf, fresh commercial option. You can't mix together small bags at retail mark up and expect to compete with mills buying wholesaale by the trainload (or at least, multiple train car loads)

Im not shilling for any particular commercial Mfg - there are plenty of expensive, sub par commercial offerings - but the "make at home" recipes are consistently less certain, often nutritionally inferior, and almost always more expensive.

I recommend you find the most consistently Fresh feed providing a nutritiotional assay you find acceptable, at a price you are wiling to pay - and stick with it.

I agree with you. I buy grains and things from Azure Standard. It comes to a local delivery point and I go after it. Even in bulk, it is more expensive than what I get at either "Big Al's" pet supply, or Tractor Supply and, like you pointed out, it is not as nutritionally balanced as commercial foods. Remember the adage, "You get out what you put in." We get fabulous eggs. I wouldn't dream of going cheap on my "workers."