Update : Download theGarden Betty Chicken Feed Calculatorto easy manage cost , depend protein subject matter , and invent your provender on the fly ball !
I get a slew of emails about one of my most democratic Charles William Post , Garden Betty ’s Homemade Whole Grain Chicken Feed .
Since I started feed my chickens a whole caryopsis dieting in December 2011 ( when our first contemporaries of hens were still pullets ) , they ’ve been as happy and healthy as ever , and our most rich layers give us 6 to 7 eggs per hebdomad with no anomalies like carapace - less eggs .
My homemade chicken feed has now been fertilize to three generations of hen , all with amazing outcome . Theirfeathers are soft and lustrous , their wing stiff and quick , their combs and wattles meaty and well - work .
They are also the most dynamic , lovesome , and sociable chickens , and they get along bounding through the yard as presently as they see us approaching with their food for thought . ( We usuallyferment their chicken feed . ) I love their little personalities !
I ’ve made small changes to my DIY chicken provender here and there , depending on what ingredients were in stock at my co - op . I still verify by a whole cereal diet ( considering how well-to-do and approachable it is in my surface area ) , and it seems like many of you are look to go this itinerary as well .
In this post , I ’m share how I updated my homemade chicken provender recipe with a version I ’ve been successfully using for the last several years .
Why a corn-free chicken feed may be a better feed for your flock
One of the most uncouth questions I always get is : How do you make your chicken feed recipe corn - free ?
volaille - keepers want a corn - free feed for any number of reasons , the independent one being that Indian corn has petty nutritional economic value compared to many other grain and seeds .
force field corn ( the type of corn whisky grown as farm animal feed and process into thing like high fructose corn syrup ) is also one of the most genetically modified crop in the world .
GMOs were n’t a concern for me as I used human - grade organic maize in my original formula , but I end up making a corn - spare chicken provender because my original flock check wipe out corn whiskey , as well as lentils and kamut . ( What can I say ? They ’re finical little ma’am . )
Eliminating corn from the recipe was n’t a big deal , but I did necessitate to ascertain a protein - rich replacement for the lentils and kamut .
Here ’s what I ’ve been using …
revealing : If you give away from my article or make a leverage through one of my link , I may receive commission on some of the products I recommend .
High-protein ingredients for homemade corn-free chicken feed
Triticale , a loanblend of pale yellow and rye , contains 17 percent protein and is an excellent source of energy . It used to be carry by my delivery conscientious objector - op , Azure Standard(where I buy most of my other bulk cereal ) , but has been hard to find in recent month .
I now sourceorganic triticalefrom an Oregon supplier , but you’re able to also findconventionally grown triticalefrom a Florida farm that specializes in pasture source . Rolled triticale(which can be used interchangeably with triticale berries ) is also offered on Amazon occasionally .
My other new element , rye , bear 13 percent protein and something in it piddle my chicken go crazy ! They bolt the grains out of my handwriting like it ’s confect .
Rye is fairly inexpensive and easy to find , though theUniversity of Kentucky College of Agriculturesuggests feed rye only to put down biddy at peak egg production . ( you may substitute many other grains for it in the meantime . )
I also increased my sesame seed serve to 2 cups , and kept the rest of the recipe the same .
For many crybaby - keepers , the easy and cheapest origin of ( non - soy ) protein is carve up peas and field of view peas , which I would wholeheartedly use if my chickens in reality ate legume . ( They ’re 50/50 on them , so I usually modify their feed every few months to keep things interesting . )
If your local supplier does n’t convey soft ashen wheat Charles Edward Berry , you could simply habituate 6 cup of the more common severe red wheat berry Charles Edward Berry rather .
My updated maize - free chicken feed recipe is still within the 17 percent protein range for layers and still cost the same to feed in them .
If you ’re have difficultness find any of the ingredients below , keep in mind that flock of other metric grain , seeds , and legume can be substituted and this recipe is not intend to be a rigid dieting for your fold .
You should still be hold your girls a variety of goodly treats , such as refreshful greens , dry mealworm , ordried disgraceful soldier fly larvae , and spring is the pure time to countenance them loose in your garden to help turn overmulchand soil .
Nutritional supplements for DIY corn-free chicken feed
For added vitamins and minerals , I expend brewer ’s yeast and kelp granules . Both can be found at well - stocked pet stores and provender memory , health food places , or even on-line .
animate being - grade supplements are more cost - effective than human - grade , so I urge going that route if it ’s available . You donotneed to spend a lot of money to make quality feed !
If you ’re not able to source these nutritionary supplements for your homemade poultry provender , you could order Fertrell Poultry Nutri - Balancer fromAzure Standard , Amazon , or your local provender computer storage , or ask if they carry any other vitamin / mineral premix . ( Just follow the directions on the bundle for proper serving sizes . )
It also might be a near musical theme to find other chicken - keeper to go in on an decree with you , as a 10 - pound bag of Nutri - Balancer would last forever unless you have averylarge fold .
The fille still get grit and oyster shells in freestanding containers to peck as they please … but these days , I ’ve also been lave and crush up their eggshells to use in place of the oyster shells when I ca n’t make it to our local provender depot .
With six hens now , there are plenty of eggshells to go around ! ( We evencrush up eggshells to put in our tomato planting holes . )
Happy formulating !
Homemade Soy-Free Corn-Free Chicken Feed With Whole Grains
Makes 8 1/2 pounds ( fill up 10 - pound feeder )
Ingredients
4 cup oat groats4 cupful fateful crude helianthus seeds4 cups hard flushed wheat berries2 cups soft white wheat berries2 cups triticale berries2 cups rye berries2 cups millet2 cupful sesame seeds1 cup flax seeds1/2 cup brewer ’s yeast1/4 cup kelp granulesFree - choice huitre shells ( or vanquish eggshells)Free - choice sand
Instructions
merge all of the ingredients , except the huitre shells and grit , in a small bucket . Pour the admixture into a feeder .
Put the oyster shells and grit in separate containers and offer up them free - choice to your poulet to eat as they wish .
Homemade Corn-Free Soy-Free Chicken Feed With Whole Grains
Garden Betty ’s homemade whole grain chicken feed just get under one’s skin better . This young recipe is maize - liberal ( as well as soy - devoid ) and makes the perfect provender for your favorite layer .
Did you make this recipe?
This post update from an clause that originally appeared on April 15 , 2013 .
