Make Your Chickens Healthier & Happier with This Feed Recipe (Stop Making These Common Mistakes!)

[@tcotroneo]

I do something similar. I get my feed from a Yemenite Amish farmer in PA. He doesn’t use tech, but I’ve shown him a video of yours. I get his soy free organic layer mix which has the Fertrell minerals as well. I soak the feed in water as well to prevent any waste. I feed layer mash in the morning and then soaked seeds in the late afternoon. I’m fortunate to have access to other seeds like spelt, barley, flax, black sunflower, and oats. I like your idea of the additional minerals and supplements. I’m thinking of adding additional ingredients like dehydrated garlic, cayenne pepper, and other medicinal plants, especially during season change.. I find these times to be the most stressful on chickens and they need the extra immunity. I also supplement black soldier fly larvae at lunch, but you could easily add to a chicken feed recipe. Once again the black soldier fly larvae is an excellent supplement during the winter. Thank you for the detailed recipe.

[@carolynmoody9460]

Thank you guy's for sharing your wisdom an knowledge ❤❤🕊️

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

You're welcome! May God bless you!

[@ladylocust1118]

Looking forward to seeing the chicken coop too 😀

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

Coming soon! Probably later today! 😊

[@richardoder3459]

I feed store bought feed with added protein and minerals. I live in a farming community but everyone uses the seed seed treated for the weed killer so I don’t source anything from them. The feed store luckily sells non GMO grains plus I grow oats that the chickens roam through eating bugs, fresh grass and seeds plus they get black oil sunflower seeds. DE is a must for all animals and the coop to control flies and parasites. We control the amount of light as the days get shorter so they get the 14 hours needed for egg production so our production doesn’t really fall off. We keep 30 layers and hatch and rotate them to the freezer every 18 months so we never have chickens in molt. We average 25 eggs a day from the 30 layers.

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

There's no need for extra light ,if your feed is adequate for high production they will lay basically 100% right through the coldest winter. There should never be a reduction in eggs because of the winter cold. Sounds like your doing a great job of feeding your birds but I'd recommend you turn off the lights.

[@richardoder3459]

@@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork Lighting plays a crucial role in egg production in chickens. The amount and quality of light that chickens are exposed to can directly impact their reproductive system. Chickens require a certain amount of light to stimulate their pituitary gland, which in turn triggers the release of hormones necessary for egg production. Without adequate lighting, hens may experience a decrease in egg production or even stop laying eggs altogether.

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

Yes that's the textbook info but in practice I've proven it different, I've raised chickens for 50 yrs and they will only lay in a accordance to the nutrients that are in the feed,with my feed I don't experience any decrease in production in the winter with no extra lighting and no heat whatsoever even when it gets down to minus 10⁰ F.

[@valeriemacrae8441]

Thank you so much for this recipe

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

You're welcome!

[@pearlysunithasamuel2739]

Thank you. God bless

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

You're welcome! God bless you as well!

[@jakehvazdamusic]

You guys rock!

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

Glad you liked! God bless!

[@AllanaRiesenberger]

Do you still put the oyster shells in for meat birds? Do you have a recipe for Turkey grower feed?

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

You can, but we don't always do it. We don't have a turkey feed recipe per se. It's been a few years since we raised a flock.

[@johann6644]

This is great. I’m going to try this for my chickens. What I noticed was that the powder supplements didn’t seem well distributed, most fell through to the bottom. Probably not an issue since you’ll probably use the bag over the course of a week or two and the birds will get all the nutrition at some point. I may mix the powder supplements separately and add them to the daily soaked grain mixture so there is a more even distribution. Might not be necessary but it’ll satisfy my OCD! 😅

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

Yes, the supplements will settle to the bottom and that's why we mix smaller batches. You could keep your supplements in a separate mix and add them to the soaked grain - that way every feeding has its proper minerals. God bless!

[@barbaravanerp4598]

These are very similar additions to my garden. I guess the chicken poop,would be amazing for the garden

[@rosebrown5256]

Hello,my order arrived today. Thank you for the quick delivery. I want you to also know that the Vam was not sealed properly so when I opened the box black dust was everywhere. I suggest you wrap it up in saran warp. I lost a lot. Thankfully I don't use much of it.

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

I'm sorry your order had issues! How can we make you happy?

[@rosebrown5256]

@@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork I'm satisfied. I just wanted you to know so it doesn't happen to the next person. Thank you

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback Rose! Your feedback is very helpful! Thank you! Happy gardening!

[@AlanaL3]

Do you keep corn in the mix for the summer?

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

Yes

[@user-Katie-Diane]

Thank you for the recipe. I ordered part of the ingredients from your online store and everything arrived great, thank you! I have a question regarding adding water to the mix to reduce waste. How far in advance do you prepare the mix, night before? Or longer to ferment? Details on your daily preparation method is appreciated, thank you!

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

24 hr soak then feed to chickens and then start the next days feed soak right after you dump the container to the chickens, so just use a non tippable pan,we use a big stainless steel dog dish that can't tip over ,and then refill your bucket and start another days feed soaking.

[@user-Katie-Diane]

Thank you, I’m excited to start them on this feed!

[@DogsDirtandDandelions]

How much are feeding per bird? 1/2 cup per bird per day?

[@glamrhinestones9283]

Where can I purchase the corn and peas?

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

How much are you looking to buy? In bulk 1000lbs+ or 50 lb. bags or even smaller quantities?

[@rhondaperry7935]

Thank you for sharing this good information! Can you tell me how much to calculate per laying hen per day for soaking prep?

[@glamrhinestones9283]

@@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork smaller quantities such as 50-100 pounds

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

Can you source it from a local farmer (preferred) or feed store? I could probably ship you some, but I'm not sure what it would cost. I can get some prices for you if you're interested. Shipping is kind of expensive.

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

Not off the top of my head, but you shouldn't need as much grain as you would feeding dry feed.

[@Grow-all-year]

How did u come up with this recipe? What about is your cost per pound?

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

We've developed this recipe over many years of mixing our own chicken feed for layers and broilers(meat birds.) In the video, dad says how much it costs per pound..... approximately 20¢/lb.

[@Grow-all-year]

@@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork that's amazing that's about $10 for a 50 lb bag. Cheaper than Tractor Supply feed and less than half the organic I can get at my local co-op

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

We want to do this they layers isn't that good

[@vb4567]

You can purchase a hoe with the holes in it like yours - they are used for concrete mixing.

[@GardeningHomesteadingWoodwork]

Great tip!