Homemade feed: what portion of each ingredient

[lisahamm1967]

Ok, so I have found soooo many recipes online for home made chicken feed. I have quite a few ingredients but not all ingredients of each recipe I find. If there is anyone out there that can help me with how much of each of the following ingredients that would be awesome! Thanks in advance if any one can help me. Also, let me know if there is something I should most definitely add. I will be providing oyster shell free feed at all times. Also, they free range all day. So they eat what I provide them off and on throughout the day but are mostly out wandering and eating on a 1/2 acre scrathing and pecking at whatever they find as well as going through my compost pile that I am throw food scraps on. I have 25 chickens.

Barley, Hulled (Azure Standard)
Chia seeds (Costco)
Corn; whole, dried (TSC)
Food grade DE (TSC)
Kelp granules (Azure Standard)
Lentils; whole (Winco)
Millet; hulled (Winco)
Nutribalance (Azure Standard)
Oats; unhulled (Azure Standard)
Peas; whole, dried (Azure Standard)
Quinoa; red (Azure Standard)
Soy meal (local grain mill)
Sunflower Seeds; black oil, whole (TSC)
Wheat; hard, red (Azure Standard)
Wheat; soft, white (Azure Standard)

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You'll also need to add either some animal protein or some synthetic amino acids.
Chickens aren't seed eaters, they are omnivores.
Is there a reason you are choosing the more expensive route of making your own feed rather than buying a complete feed off the shelf that already contains all the nutrients chickens need in the correct ratios?
Even combining grains and legumes won't give you an appropriately complete amino acid profile.
I see your mix has Fertrell Nutri Balancer but that only has Methionine and possibly not enough. Whatever you include will likely still be short of Lysine, Cystine and maybe even Methionine and Tryptophan.
Each run of a feed is assayed to insure all the nutrients chickens are known to need are in every morsel.

With your list and a few other things, it is definitely doable but without the ability to assay the ingredients and the finished product, you don't know if they are getting the right nutrients in the correct ratios.

If you really want to go through all that work and expense for a likely inferior product, here is a chart that tells you the nutrients they need at specific ages.
It really isn't about the ingredients, it is about the nutrients.
https://extension2.missouri.edu/g8352

 

[CatWhisperer]

There is no reason to feed your chickens DE. I agree with ChickenCanoe. You should do more research before you think about trying this.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wouldn't do it either but some manufacturers do add DE as a drying agent.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I also agree with ChickenCanoe.

One thing I will add is that nutrients begin to degrade quickly. Getting all the things together, mixed properly, then trying to ensure it is eaten before spoilage is a daunting task.

With it being a seed mix the birds are extremely likely to pick out what they like anyway thereby not getting the benefit of all that work to balance it.

 

[Shadrach]

This isn't meant to be rude but if you are on a forum asking about what ingredients you should use in a home made feed, you don't know enough about the subject to be thinking about it.
I'm sorry if this offends you.

 

[BDutch]

Chickens are omnivores, just like humans. We (humans) can grow, live and be healthy without eating animals or animal products. Vegans only need a reasonably balanced diet for their proteins with one vitamin supplement for a good health.

I bet this is true for chickens as well.

In the Netherlands most complete feed for chickens contain no ingredients from animal sources. So is the biological feed I give my chickens.

Nevertheless I give my chickens a few mealworms as a treat and a supplement in winter. In summer they have enough opportunity to search for insects and worms on their own (free ranging).

For healthy chickens I choose feed without GMO corn and soy. Because this contains more poison then allowed for human consumption. (and because I don’t like what the GMO farming is doing /causing in Brazil ). And if possible they free range a few hours a day. When free ranging they also eat fresh grasses and herbs.

If you mix you're own feed you could follow the ingredients list of a good complete feed. Minor changes will do no harm. But be careful if this is the only feed the chickens can get. Free ranging chickens find what they need if it is not properly balanced.

 

[BDutch]

There is no reason to feed your chickens DE. I agree with ChickenCanoe. You should do more research before you think about trying this.

DE in feed can help (see claims from my seller Bio-ron.com ) It also can help against internal parasites if given for a week with an interval of 3 weeks (Becky homesteader). I give a ‘prevention cure’ each summer and haven't had worm problems until now (5 1/2 years).

Also gave DE at one time to a sick chicken with dirty poop round her vent. She cured without medicine. Not much as a experience but I believe it can help.

claims from bio-ron in food for animals:

• In addition to supplying the silicon element, it acts as an anti-caking agent, which means that the food particles remain separate from each other.
• This allows an optimal microbial / enzymatic dietary intake.

• Prevents eating or licking sand.
• It can bind toxic substances that can thus leave the body similar to clay but much less violent in terms of its effect, so that it can be given for a long time without restriction

• Has a stomach strengthening effect and protects the stomach / intestinal wall.
• Prevents fly larvae from hatching.

 

[lisahamm1967]

This isn't meant to be rude but if you are on a forum asking about what ingredients you should use in a home made feed, you don't know enough about the subject to be thinking about it.
I'm sorry if this offends you.

I wasn't asking what ingredients to use I was asking HOW MUCH OF EACH INGREDIENT. Also if I should include anything else in addition to what I already have listed. And besides: If I knew enough about the subject I wouldn't be asking. Did you even READ what I was asking?

 

[Rooapalooza]

My question is, is there anyone on here who has used homemade chicken feed regularly/exclusively on their own flock? If so, for how long and do your chickens have any health issues?

Personally, I like scratch grains because I can clearly see what's in them, and the non-gmo/locally produced ones are still affordable. They are just a supplement though.
The feeds' ingredient lists are confusing, and I've heard weird unhealthy things are sometimes added. I can't afford the organic feeds (they are almost double the price of conventional!) So it is frustrating for sure! On this note, do people have brands of commercial they specifically avoid (for health or ethical reasons)?