Anyone feed chickens a simple mix of whole grains?

[Shiloh Acres]

I'm interested in following everyone's responses here.

There are some discussions on the links I *finally* got posted (LOL!) about the protein levels in some of the feeds (I wish the table at the back included the protein content of each feed) but also some good discussion of various types of forage, etc.

I was originally thinking that I could never grow enough grains for my chickens, since I'm thinking they eat a lot more corn that I can devote acreage to growing. But back then I didn't realize the wide variety of things they COULD eat. I'm much more interested in both buying things in bulk for feeds, and in growing feeds. I think it's going to be at least a several year learning curve (if I'm lucky!) but I'm thankful to have so much info available.

I'm really interested in those mangels, and amaranth! And still wondering if I can grow BOSS *and* keep the wild birds off it until it's ready. Jersusalem artichoke sounds very interesting too.

 

[lwheelr]

Keeping the wild birds off the BOSS is partly a matter of how much you grow. If you grow a LOT, then the loss is a lower percentage. If you only have a little, the birds can decimate it pretty fast.

That's at the top of our list of things to grow also. Haven't found a source for certified Non-GMO seed yet, but it is on my list.

 

[freemotion]

Here are a couple of places where I posted what I do:

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2444&p=2

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6941


I try to feed at least three different grains when I am not sprouting, but it seems I am always sprouting now and I can only seem to get oats and corn, so I sprout the oats. Barley is a great source of protein if slightly sprouted, just emerging. I got more eggs when I had access to barley. Now I feed as many meat scraps as I can in the winter, and they free-range all year so they get a lot of bugs. I freeze meat scraps all summer for the winter months.

 

[mandieg4]

What about wheat? Can I use wheat instead of barley? I have a neighbor that grows wheat as a rotational crop for cotton that has told me I can have as much as I want for free.

 

[freemotion]

Absolutely! I can't get wheat here for anything near a reasonable price.

 

[Denim Deb]

I just got Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, and there's a section in it devoted to formulating your own feed. Eventually, I'd like to get to a place where I can grow all my own feed for my chickens, goats, rabbits and horses. (Plus any other animals I might get like bacon-I mean pigs)

 

[Wannabefree]

I just got Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, and there's a section in it devoted to formulating your own feed. Eventually, I'd like to get to a place where I can grow all my own feed for my chickens, goats, rabbits and horses. (Plus any other animals I might get like bacon-I mean pigs)

I plan on getting some baon I mean pigs to fatten this Spring too

I can get wheat, but not barley. I plan on growing some wheat this year. The wheat straw will make good bedding too after I harvest the grain. I probably need to grow some alfalfa for the goats too.

I like this thread you all are giving me SO MANY ideas

 

[lwheelr]

I neglected to mention wheat.

We do feed our chickens and ducks a fair amount of wheat. It is really good for them - sprouted, wheatgrass, and grain.

In fact, cracked wheat is a really good base for chick feed also.

We ended up with some buckets of hard red wheat, and a bunch more hard white. As long as we have hard white, we won't mill and use hard red, so we've been feeding that to the chickens.

They do really well with rye too.

Eventually we'll be growing our own also.

There's actually a LOT of flexibility in what you can do, as long as you have some variety of greens, grains, and protein.

 

[booker81]

Our friend runs a flock of everything under the sun on his place - chickens, turkeys and ducks. The only "feeding" he does is scraps and whole corn.

Might not be the best thing, but they aren't dead, and they seem pretty content. Might not be the best laying things, or the meatiest, but they aren't sickly

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Goes back to the "how my grandma used to do it" way.

I always wondered that. Grandma and Great grandma kept chickens. In 3-sided open coops. Without expensive feed or anything else. Maybe some corn (I think) but mostly scraps.

'Course, scraps have changed, unless you have a big, varied garden and good soil. And chickens have probably changed too, thanks to breeding for production.

But I want some of THOSE chickens, and to produce THOSE scraps.

Things being what they are though, I'll be looking into sprouting grains, planting at least some for chickens, and buying feeds in lg quantities.