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Growing your own chicken feed

Rachel Elijah

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posted 2 years ago

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Hi, everyone, I want to know if anyone has decided to GROW their own feed for their birds. I am considering it, but want to know what works too be able to completely replace their feed.

Kaarina Kreus

pollinator

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Location: Finland, Scandinavia

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posted 2 years ago

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As far as I understand "chicken feed" is not a plant species 😄
Chicken are omnivores. Throw them grain, weeds, worms, fish. They'll eat everything.
If you have enough land to consider growing their feed, what about just letting them roam and seeing that they get their sand and calcium?

Whathever you are, be a good one.
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Ted Abbey

Posts: 487

posted 2 years ago

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Rachel Elijah wrote:Hi, everyone, I want to know if anyone has decided to GROW their own feed for their birds. I am considering it, but want to know what works too be able to completely replace their feed.

I haven’t been able to completely replace their feed, but the chicken tractor in my front yard has resulted in leftover grains and seeds sprouting. Now, some of what I would feed them comes up on its own in ground that they tilled and fertilized..

Sid Deshotel

Posts: 48

Location: deep south zone 9

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posted 2 years ago

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I'm making the commitment to grow duckweed in kiddie pools the coming summer. I've been doing it in a cut down IBC but it doesn't give enough surface area to get a really good harvest from. The key to getting the chickens to eat it willingly is to dry it and mix it in with whatever kitchen scraps that I can come up with. A quick search on google will tell you how much protein it can have based on how it's grown. I've used rabbit and chicken poo mixed into the water that it's grown in. It really does multiply very fast if given enough nutrients.
When you talk about growing chicken feed, I think that you need to think of more than just one crop as well.
Black soldier flies are really easy to get going here, I'm in the deep south and there's always plenty of road kill to be had. And duckweed will keep going pretty much year-round.
Another crop is worms. If you happen to have a couple of rabbits that are in wire hutches then the droppings will end up on the ground and the worms won't be far behind. After moistening the area I put a couple of old boards directly on the surface of the droppings and earth. In a week pick up the boards and it's an instant buffet for the chickens. I've also got hold of an old steel bathtub from a friend who was remodeling a mobile home. It's lightweight and sturdy. It will go into service this coming spring as a worm bin. This should give me another 'steady' good source of food for the girls.
Just like permaculture isn't about just one thing, neither can your source of food for your flock, if you want to provide for yourself and your hens.

itsmesrd

See Hes

pollinator

Posts: 539

Location: Ban Mak Ya Thailand Zone 11-12

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posted 2 years ago

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Hi Rachel,

generally everything is possible but even here in Thailand the poorest people have to invest in feed using the overproduction in eggs and birds as cash for feed.

Sure you could grow the following:

Corn on the cob
Pumpkins
Sunflowers
Some greens they like - lets list here only Pinto peanuts or Moringa
Converting bio waste into black soldier flies
or growing meal worms or maggots
farming fish can be done too, harvest them, cook them and than dry them
farming crickets is also an option

I guess that makes your day and doesn't leave much time for other tasks anymore.

The reason even farmers with many acres for free range their chickens are buying supplemental feed because its just more convenient and less time consuming...

If you can make a rotational pasture system and prepare it proper with all vegetarian needs you sure can save about 30% feed costs, bugs are also on a pasture only as much available as landing or crawling on it hence you wont come around to buy additional proteins..

In modern times the only right way forward is to come back to nature.

Rachel Elijah

Posts: 62

posted 2 years ago

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Good answers, everyone. All to consider. I wanted to mention my own situation that I DO have some acreage, and was looking for ideas on what to grow. I have tried to free range me chickens before, and 1: they stopped laying 2: the predators got to them. I do have electric fencing that I kept them in, and no bugs can't in there. So, when I turned that up, they would come out, but not stick around to lay eggs, and then get killed by something. So, I can't just let them roam for food. And many people can't, that's why I wanted ideas. Anyone know what protein ratios are needed?
I did try to mix wheat berries and oats to feed them (I even fermented the mixes) and it wasn't enough to get them laying. I fed them amazing food scraps and still nothing. I do not have the time to do worm farms, although I attempted it in the past. When I went in and bought regular feed again, their production went back up, so I know it's directly tied to the food.

Ted Abbey

Posts: 487

posted 2 years ago

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Rachel Elijah wrote:Good answers, everyone. All to consider. I wanted to mention my own situation that I DO have some acreage, and was looking for ideas on what to grow. I have tried to free range me chickens before, and 1: they stopped laying 2: the predators got to them. I do have electric fencing that I kept them in, and no bugs can't in there. So, when I turned that up, they would come out, but not stick around to lay eggs, and then get killed by something. So, I can't just let them roam for food. And many people can't, that's why I wanted ideas. Anyone know what protein ratios are needed?
I did try to mix wheat berries and oats to feed them (I even fermented the mixes) and it wasn't enough to get them laying. I fed them amazing food scraps and still nothing. I do not have the time to do worm farms, although I attempted it in the past. When I went in and bought regular feed again, their production went back up, so I know it's directly tied to the food.

Something to consider.. I have a few friends in our nearby town who love my farm fresh eggs. They are more than happy to donate 5 dollars for each dozen eggs that I give them. This helps to offset the cost of store bought feed. If the store bought feed promotes laying in your lady birds, maybe consider doing the same in your area?

Rachel Elijah

Posts: 62

posted 2 years ago

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Ted Abbey wrote:

Rachel Elijah wrote:Good answers, everyone. All to consider. I wanted to mention my own situation that I DO have some acreage, and was looking for ideas on what to grow. I have tried to free range me chickens before, and 1: they stopped laying 2: the predators got to them. I do have electric fencing that I kept them in, and no bugs can't in there. So, when I turned that up, they would come out, but not stick around to lay eggs, and then get killed by something. So, I can't just let them roam for food. And many people can't, that's why I wanted ideas. Anyone know what protein ratios are needed?
I did try to mix wheat berries and oats to feed them (I even fermented the mixes) and it wasn't enough to get them laying. I fed them amazing food scraps and still nothing. I do not have the time to do worm farms, although I attempted it in the past. When I went in and bought regular feed again, their production went back up, so I know it's directly tied to the food.

Something to consider.. I have a few friends in our nearby town who love my farm fresh eggs. They are more than happy to donate 5 dollars for each dozen eggs that I give them. This helps to offset the cost of store bought feed. If the store bought feed promotes laying in your lady birds, maybe consider doing the same in your area?

Yes, we have sold some of our eggs to my husband's CO workers in the past, but at your rate we are entering winter season, and I'd just as well swallow my cost and freeze them or water glass them. But it is something to consider. I just thought it would be something to try since I have the property and I can grow winter feed since it's still somewhat warm where I'm at.

Benedict Bosco

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Location: Upper Midwest - 4b

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Rachel Elijah wrote:Anyone know what protein ratios are needed?

Check the nutrient analysis on a bag of chicken feed. Layer feed is typically around 17% protein, 3% fat, as well as calcium (for laying hens; if you have roosters this needs to be given separately as a free-choice supplement) and other vitamins and minerals. Garden Betty has a nice spreadsheet that has the protein and fat content of various grains, letting you calculate a custom mix.

I tried feeding whole gains and I don't think it worked very well, their crops were full of it even after many days off, so I don't think they were breaking it down. Some grinding or fermenting is really in order.

Modern production breeds need commercial/concentrated feeds to survive and thrive. There are some heritage breeds (e.g. Icelandics) that can still survive mostly on forage, but their size and egg production pales in comparison with modern birds.

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." ~ Tolkien

Phil Stevens

master pollinator

Posts: 2009

Location: Ashhurst New Zealand (Cfb - oceanic temperate)

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posted 2 years ago

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Sid's comment about duckweed resonated with me, as I've started growing azolla (water fern) in a few of the swale miniponds. It's prolific, fixes its own nitrogen and thanks to this quality it has a higher protein content which makes it a superfood for poultry and livestock. I scoop out a bucket full every day this time of year when the spring growth flush is on and the chickens hoover it up in minutes.

I used to let our chooks roam across about an acre, but they reduced the area closest to their coop to a barren wasteland and farther afield really altered the species mix of the pasture...very little clover, plantain, lotus and other broadleaf "weeds" that I want to see. So last autumn I fenced in a run and now they get an afternoon out in the paddock about once or twice a month. The rest of the time I carry loads of greenery to them and the formerly henpecked pasture has really recovered, much to the approval of some fat sheep and alpaca.

See Hes

pollinator

Posts: 539

Location: Ban Mak Ya Thailand Zone 11-12

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Yes, we have sold some of our eggs to my husband's CO workers in the past, but at your rate we are entering winter season, and I'd just as well swallow my cost and freeze them or water glass them. But it is something to consider. I just thought it would be something to try since I have the property and I can grow winter feed since it's still somewhat warm where I'm at.

I didn't know where you are living but Moringa and Pinto peanut is in areas with a winter off the list.

Therefore Lemna Minor (Duckweed we use also for Tilapias) in summer does well
Definitely a bit of corn should be added to every feeding.

But it could be also that even the best feed will not help when the chicks decide to take a winter break.
You could "cheat" them with artificial light as chickens need at least 12-14 hrs daylight to get them into egg laying mood.
Also for the cold phase they burn more calories to stay warm, my grandma used boiled potato slob.
Maybe you grow some microgreens in a place in the house/cellar as they do not need light, just put a tray every other day in the coop.

After 2 years some breeds are spent hence they also might be too old and its time to turn them into chicken soup?

OK lets talk about Planting:
Corn
Sunflowers
Kale (Chicken love Kale and it has a lot of benefits, beside it wont get damaged in freezing temperatures)
the usual stuff like Barley Rye and Co...

Free from mother nature you not need to plant yourself:
Wild grown Mountain Ash (or Rowanberries? = German: Vogelbeere) we dried the ripe berries on sticks by Kilos.
Just harvest them and hook the whole fruit bunch on a strong branch with side arms or just hang them over a line as on my sketch below and dry them in a place with good ventilation and in dry autumn days in the sunshine so they don't get moldy.

Untitled.png

download.jpg

In modern times the only right way forward is to come back to nature.

craig howard

pollinator

Posts: 432

Location: zone 5-5

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posted 2 years ago

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Also consider getting scraps from places like restaurants, nursing homes or old produce from stores to add as free feed.

Sid Deshotel

Posts: 48

Location: deep south zone 9

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Above all don't become discouraged or should I say overwhelmed. Do a lot of little things. See Hes has a point in that you can become bogged down in providing for your flock. A little at a time the turtle wins the race.
when I was a kid we didn't buy in supplemental feed. If for no other reason because we couldn't afford it. We still had eggs and chicken to eat when we wanted it. Our flock was definitely free range not even having a hen house to sleep in. Seems kind of funny now but they roosted in the 'chicken tree' in the back yard.
This past summer I took to carrying a 5 gallon bucket with a lid in the bed of the truck and picked up road kill for the soldier flies. Free food for the girls with just a small amount of work on my part. Sure it stinks occasionally but that's why the lid. I'll dump this into another bucket hanging about 5 feet off the ground that has a few 1/2 inch holes in its side in the middle of the chicken yard and that's the end of that chore. The larva find the holes and fall to the ground, the hen pick them up as they want. Once a week I was skimming duckweed out of the totes and drying it on a piece of sheet metal in the sun. Stir that into kitchen scraps and more food for the girls.
Once a month I'll spread a layer of wood chip or some leaves that I've collected in the chicken house. The girls love it. They can turn a 6 inch thick layer of chips and leaves into mulch in just a couple of weeks. By the end of the month I'll get a large wheelbarrow of compost and the girls have fed themselves along the way. I don't even count this part as having to provide for the chickens, as much as they are providing for my garden.
That brings up another source of feed. Garden waste or over flow. I know that I may be the only one who occasionally lets some produce go to far, or I'll plant way to much of a thing, and the neighbors will only take so many eggplants or what ever before it becomes a problem, if you don't have chickens or a good compost pile on hand. A little at a time the turtle wins the race.

itsmesrd

Chicken Man

Posts: 1

posted 1 year ago

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10177474/

I hope this helps. It seems that using soldier Flys larva can work and have good egg laying performance. But you have to know how much to feed cause if not it can effect the laying performance.

Mike Jov

Posts: 4

posted 1 year ago

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Rachel Elijah wrote:Hi, everyone, I want to know if anyone has decided to GROW their own feed for their birds. I am considering it, but want to know what works too be able to completely replace their feed.

My ladies get grass clippings, veggie scraps, sunflower seeds, tons of bugs from the garden (mobile coup), some of the limited grain I grow like wheat and oats, clover, blackberries, currents.... To make a long story short all organic, very little commercial feed.

Awayerer Kyle

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posted 1 year ago

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Growing your own chicken feed sounds like a fantastic idea! It's wonderful to hear how you're incorporating organic options like grass clippings, veggie scraps, and homegrown grains into their diet.

Awayerer Kyle

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posted 1 year ago

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Awayerer Kyle wrote:Growing your own chicken feed sounds like a fantastic idea! It's wonderful to hear how you're incorporating organic options like grass clippings, veggie scraps, and homegrown grains into their diet.

If you're looking for more ideas on what you can grow to supplement their feed, you might find this article helpful https://expertchicken.com/unraveling-the-diet-of-chickens-can-they-eat-grapes-tomatoes-and-bananas ? It's all about keeping things fresh and nutritious for our feathered friends!

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