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Most grain elevators and other feeddealers will mix and grind a ration to

whatever formula you specify . . . and willeither sell you the makings or process

ingredients you furnish (for example, grainyou've grown yourself or purchased from a

farmer).

PHOTO: FOTOLIA/KNEIANE

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What To Feed Chickens: Formulating Your Own

Chicken FeedJoan Salmonowicz tells readers what to feed chickens, how to mix your own chicken feed, including buying mixed

ration feed in bulk, feed ratios, and common supplements.

By Joan Salmonowicz

September/October 1975

As fall descends upon us here in the North — bringing with it frosty nights and then snowy days —

most of the green that covers the earth turns to brown. Now we must begin to give our animals a

little extra help if they're to make it through the long, dead winter.

Chickens, for example, can get by quite nicely during the summer on the bugs and green matter

they find by themselves (plus a little grain as a scratch feed). In cold weather, though, the hens can

no longer choose from the gourmet spread of nature's table . . . and must rely

on us, their keepers, for the protein and other nutrients they need to remain

healthy, happy, and productive.

Accordingly, fall is the time to lay in a supply of high-protein feed with a

proper balance of vitamins and minerals. Good-quality commercial poultry

rations do fill the bill, but are expensive and almost always adulterated with

antibiotics, hormones, and who knows what. A lower-cost, chemical-free

alternative is a custom feed mixture . . . which you can formulate quite easily,

given a little knowledge of your chickens' nutritional needs and the food

values of grains and protein supplements.

What To Feed Chickens

One encouragement to such a project is the following fact: Most grain

elevators and other feed dealers will mix and grind a ration to whatever

formula you specify . . . and will either sell you the makings or process

ingredients you furnish (for example, grain you've grown yourself or

purchased from a farmer).

If your local feed supplier doesn't offer a grinding and mixing service, you can

buy what you need, take the ingredients home, and measure and combine

them. This method has just one drawback: Part of the ration will consist of

finely powdered protein supplements, which tend to separate from coarser particles (such as kernels of grain) and lie

uneaten at the bottom of the feeder. It's therefore preferable to grind all mixed feed for chickens of any age . . . and this

step is a must if the birds are very young. Perhaps a friendly neighbor who owns a hammermill will process the mix for

you. Otherwise, small amounts of chick feed can be prepared in a blender or hand grain mill.

Now for some nutritional background. An average hen of a heavy breed requires about seven pounds of feed to produce a

dozen eggs, and 15% of her diet should consist of protein. This need can be met in either of two ways:

[1] You can have a 15% ration made up, and keep a supply before your flock at all times.

Poultry Feed& Nutrtitionwww.thepoultrysite.

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[2] You can serve half the feed in the form of whole grains, in which case the other half of the chickens' nourishment

must consist of a 20% mix to compensate for the lower protein content of the straight cereals.

The second feeding system is more economical because you need have only half the grain ground. It's also a little more

laborious, though, since the correct amount of cereals — about 1/4 pound per bird — must be calculated and served out

daily. Sorry, but you can't let the hens eat free choice if you use this method. They prefer whole grains over ground feed .

. . and, if permitted, will gobble up bushels of tasty kernels and ignore the protein supplement which they need for good

health.

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What To Feed Chickens: Formulating Your Own Chicken Feed - Sustainab... http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/what-to-fe...

3 of 4 17/03/2014 16:57

hannah neudorf

Created:11/13/2012 11:12:20 PM

A hen does not require 7 pounds of feed to produce a dozen eggs as

stated in this arcticle. My hens eat 2 pounds of feed a week and willproduce 7-12 eggs a week each.

Dave_53

Created:6/24/2009 11:06:17 PM

Will someone at Mother puh-lease check the html for this article? Thewhole thing shows up as one big link.

dominic_2

Created:1/11/2008 8:45:10 AM

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