Does anybody mix their own grains for their chooks?

Alison · **Posted:** Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:58 am

And would they like to share their recipe? :-D

I've done a bit of a search, and found lots of good information about what the hens and roosters need in terms of protein, etc. I've been feeding the chooks/turkeys/ducks/guinea fowl and geese about half/half breeder pellets and pre-mixed grains. I've stuck with the breeder pellets because they don't have any restricted animal materials (and one of my bucks shares an area where the non chook feathered folk live).

The chooks are free-range on the farm from sunlight 'til bed time; the other poultry are free range 24/7 in a fox proof enclosure.

They all get a bit of bread (not much, more as a treat if it is left over), and kitchen scraps and greens. This is in addition to what the chooks pinch from the vegie garden when they think i'm not looking. [smilie=18_13_1.gif]

I usually have a patch of lettuces growing for the non-chooks, and they seem to get to them before the goat!

I just suspect that much of the pre-mix grain is a bit unnecessary for my mob: I can't see why they need lucerne chaff, or shell grit (there are tubs of grit placed around the farm for them which get plenty of attention), or marble chips (??!!!). I'd like to have a go at mixing my own, but thought I'd ask before buying up big on sacks of grain!

Oh, youngsters get age-relevant crumble or pellets. This is just for the adult birds. Thanks!

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Fri Jul 29, 2011 1:47 pm

We feed our trio a blend of free range mixture and layer pellets.
One of them has been sick so a handful of chick grower added. We have also tried fish based cat food, suet and boiled calves liver to build her up.
Warm mash on cold winter mornings or occasional leftover porridge.
Fruit, veggies, red meat, yoghurt, cheese, garlic, apple cider vinegar and grit.
Mashed hardboiled egg topped cracked corn, sunflower, wheat and grit.
They free range all afternoon and are currently very ambitious and busy scratching a tunnel into next door neighbour’s very inviting veggie patch.
A handful of cracked corn, sunflower and wheat before they go home to roost.

andre · **Joined:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:21 pm **Posts:** 612

I mix my own, I try for a protein content of about 18%. I make it from about 75% corn and 25% cooked whole soybean then run it through a grain cracker. Mine are free range too, so I figure they pick up additional nutrients from green grass, bugs and whatever (quite a range of weird things under the heading 'whatever'!).

I too have shell grit freely available & if they chose too they could pick at the lucerne in the shed, but they don't.

If you can't get whole soybean you could substitute meat meal, then the mix would be more like 90% corn and 10% meat meal. But I think the meat meal taints the eggs.

Alison · **Posted:** Sat Jul 30, 2011 11:05 am

Thanks for sharing your feeding regimes. Got some ideas here to ponder and add to the mix :-)

I should say that when we're milking they all get left over goats milk on some pollard or soybean meal (or whatever is around!!!) but that's not all year 'round.

What are people's ideas on cracked lupins? Do the feathered friends like them?

andre · **Joined:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:21 pm **Posts:** 612

I suspect that you may need to cook lupins for chickens to denature the trypsin inhibitor?

Alison · **Posted:** Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:41 am

I wonder if soaking would be sufficient? I will look into it more... I soak them for the goats, so it would be easy to put some more in!

Thanks again for the reponses...

andre · **Joined:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:21 pm **Posts:** 612

Nope soaking does not work!

Goats and all other larger animals, especially ruminants, can cope with the trypsin inhibitor as they are able to produce more trypsin in response. [Trypsin is the enzyme that helps digest protein]. Thus it is ok to feed uncooked legumes to larger animals. Chickens and poultry generally are not able to compensate enough for the trypsin inhibitor and their diets tend to require higher protein, so its a double whammy!

Alison · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:57 am

ok... thanks so much Andrewschooks! This is terrific information... so, the feathered folk won't be sharing the lupins! Well, other than those that have already been "processed" by the goats. The chooks love this time of the year when they get to clean out (!?) the goat pens in the morning... I guess that comes under the "other stuff" they find free ranging :shock:

andre · **Joined:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:21 pm **Posts:** 612

Five mins on a hot BBQ (180oC) is enough to cook soybean so I imagine would be the same for Lupin.

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