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please note that all photos on this website are unaltered in any way!
Colors, conformation, etc are exactly as depicted.
Greener Pastures Farm
Mixing Your Own Organic Chicken Feed Recipe
"I want to mix my own feed, but I'm having a hard time finding consistent information from books and other sources."
It's going to be rather unlikely to find consistent information anywhere, as everyone has a different opinion on what is the "right" feed. The best you can do is take information from as many sources as you wish, sift it and then decide from there. For instance, I came up with my own recipe for the mix for our adult hens by reading recipes from several books and articles, gathering information from like-minded individuals, and even happened upon information from a carton of certified organic eggs which handily listed all the ingredients their hens had been fed. With this information I gradually built up my own recipe into something I feel comfortable with. We all do that with our own diets, more or less; we humans don't eat an exact, scientifically proportioned diet.
Many recipes include soy products and fish or bone meal products. I have purposefully left those out of my flock's diet. You can look up the disadvantages of each on a number of sources on the web.
If you decide to change your flock from ground feed to any whole grain feed, expect a temporary drop in egg
production. Once the hens' digestive systems adjust to a natural feed (who grinds up grains for them in the wild?) then they will begin producing again. Be sure to include plenty of grit, which is even more necessary with a whole grain diet. We have heard of a few people having difficulty switching their hens to a whole grain diet, but most people don't have a problem. Patience on the part of the owner is crucial, as well as knowing that if the chicken is hungry enough, she will eat something new or unusual. Even so, you may find it easier to start with chicks and feed them a whole grain diet from the beginning.
Organic seeds and grains can be purchased in bulk from co-ops and food buying clubs, as well as other sources. Ask your local health food store where they buy their organic grains; you can buy direct and save! Join Organic Chickens at yahoogroups.com to learn more about keeping chickens organically, and for information on sources of kelp and organic grains and feeds.
Cost comparison: I recently had an "opportunity" to learn first hand about formulated chicken feeds during recovery from a shoulder injury; my family had to feed our livestock for me, and along the way hubby found an organic chicken feed at the local feed store. It seemed less expensive, and was easy to feed (no mixing of grains on his part), and since I wasn't in much of a position to complain, I said he could go ahead and try it. Our flock had several months on this feed, and we learned that while it appeared to cost less up front, the actual fact was that most of it was wasted due to spillage and/or getting wet, and therefore cost more in the long run. I am now mixing my own whole grain feed again, and there is (again) no wastage!
Ronda's Whole Grain Chicken Feed Recipe
That said, here is the recipe that I devised in '99 and have been improving with additions, but using the ingredients in more or less the same ratio since 1999. Note that all items are whole grains, and certified organic. If you are looking for the cheapest feed, this isn't it. If you are looking for a healthy, natural feed for your flock, this is one way to go!
*** It's not necessary to follow this recipe exactly... just make sure your birds are getting enough protein, which is predominant in the hard red wheat and the legumes. Free-range birds usually find plenty of protein from bugs, etc.
2 parts whole corn (in winter this is increased to 3 or 4 parts)
3 parts soft white wheat
3 parts hard red winter wheat
1 part hulled barley
1 part oat groats
1 part sunflower seeds (in winter this is increased to 2 parts)
1 part millet
1 part kamut
1 part amaranth seeds
1 part split peas
1 part lentils
1 part quinoa
1 part sesame seeds
1/2 part flax seeds
1/2 part kelp granules
free choice of granite grit
free choice of oyster shell
I store the above items in 6 bins; the corn in one, both types of wheat are mixed in the 2nd bin, barley in the 3rd, oat groats in the 4th, sunflower seeds in the 5th, and the remaining seeds and grains are mixed into the 6th bin. I leave the granite and oyster shell in the bags they come in. I then scoop out what I need into a 5 gallon bucket, and pour back and forth from one bucket to another until mixed well.
Links to other recipes online:
Recipes in books:
Backyard Poultry Naturally, by Alanna Moore ISBN 0-9585590-1-5
Chickens In Your Backyard, by Rick & Gail Luttmann ISBN-87857-125-6
Free-range Poultry, by Katie Thear ISBN 0-85236-368-0
If, after all this, you are not convinced that whole grain feeds are for you, here are some sources for organic pre-mixed feeds (not whole grain): Sources for organic pre-mixed feeds
DID YOU FIND THIS INFORMATION USEFUL?
We have provided this information from our own research and efforts for years, and as of Dec 2008 we will continue to do so for as long as we are able. But in these difficult economic times, a donation to help us continue our efforts would be greatly appreciated. If you cannot, WE UNDERSTAND!
