Need substitute for kelp and oats

[MeadersSteaders]

I will be mixing my own feed for my flock this winter, along with our mealworms we are farming and miniature food plots. I live outside of Azure Standard area, so I can't get my ingredients from there. All other sources of non-gmo corn and oats are just not going to be affordable for us. I plan to grow my own black oil sunflowers for the seeds, and I can get the other grains just fine, but I don't know what I can substitute for the oats. Also, I am having an especially difficult time finding affordable kelp, but every mix recipe I found has it in it.

Two questions. 1. What can I sub for oats?

2. Is kelp really necessary? Or is there a sub? I don't know many chickens in the wild who will naturally eat seaweed, but I am no expert. Will natural sea salt work in small amounts for the sea minerals of kelp?

Help!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I buy Fertrell Redmond Mineral Conditioner. I pour some in their dust bath bowl and they can peck at it if they want. I used to buy kelp but it was so expensive.

http://www.fertrell.com/redmondconditioner.htm


I don't think there are GMO oats yet?? If you buy the whole or rolled oats from the feed store and they have the hulls, the hulls are kind of sharp and they can damage the crop of the birds I read, if fed in large quantities. But I have fed them in small quantities.

They can eat rolled barley in smallish quantities. It has its problems in large quantities. I feed it sometimes (I am currently out though).

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Nutrition-Barley.html

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Nutrition-Grains.html

Millet is LOVED by chickens, has 11% protein, and is very easy to grow. I have done it. The wild birds will swoop in and eat it though, so you may want to net it. You don't have to harvest it- just send the chickens in. It is birdseed (the little golden balls).

 

[MeadersSteaders]

Oh good! I thought oats were in that group, but you are right! All three mills around here told.me both their corn AND oats were GMO, too! The oats I can get are oat groats.

I will look into millet, too. Thank you!