Whole grains you grind yourself provide the best value for chicken layer feeds.
The two main reasons chicken owners decide to mix their own feeds are cost and value. Although reputable chicken feeds are available for both layers and chickens being raised for meat, making your own provides added value. You know what is going into the chickens that are producing your food when you make your own feeds. It can also save you money, and in today's economy that's not "chicken feed" anymore.
Grinding
The first thing you will need to make any type of chicken feed is a high-quality grinder. Chickens do not have teeth. Like all birds, food is processed and "ground" in the inner pouch at the base of their neck called the crop. The crop holds small rocks picked up from the ground called "grit" in it to help mash the foods the birds eat, but the feed must already be small enough to start. Grind all of the seed used to create your mix into a coarse powder so that your chickens can digest it easily and make the best use of it.
Protein
One of the most essential ingredients in a good layer mash is the appropriate level of protein. Chickens need enough protein to produce an egg every day. Layer mash needs to have a 15.5 percent protein content to give your chickens enough energy to do their job. Soybeans, alfalfa and fish meal provide generous portions of protein per pound used and are vital ingredients in layer feeds.
Premix and Whole Grains
Some of the ingredients for your chicken feed can be purchased already ground, such as the fish meal. These also include probiotics, crab meal, kelp, salt, cultured yeast and flax seed. Whole grains can also be purchased pre-ground, but it will end up being much more expensive and less cost effective. If you are not concerned with the cost and your reason for making your own feed is to know what is being fed your chickens from scratch, pre-ground grain can make life easier for you. Otherwise, to save the most money, grind grains of the following varieties: wheat, oats, corn, barley, peas and alfalfa pellets.
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