Whole Grain Chicken Feed Mix | How To Make Your Own

Learn how to make your own chicken feed with only 5 ingredients!!
We've had high success with this chicken feed mix. Its a whole grain, high protein option that is actually cheaper for us than store bought. Our chickens lay year round on this mix!
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Whole Oats: www.azurestand...
Flax Seed: www.azurestand...
Whole Corn: www.azurestand...
Black Oil Sunflower Seed: www.azurestand...
Here's what you need to make your own:
2 (40 lb) bags of black oil sunflower seeds
2 (40 lb) bags of whole corn
2 (40 lb) bags of whole oats
10 lbs whole flax seed
10 lbs white millet
Protein Analysis:
Black Oil Sunflower Seeds - 26% protein (40 lbs = 10.4% protein)
Whole Corn - 9% protein (40 lbs = 3.6% protein)
Whole Oats - 15% protein (40 lbs = 6% protein)
Flax Seed - 37% protein (5 lbs = 1.85% protein)
Millet - 9% protein (5 lbs = .45% protein)
=22.3% protein
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#HomemadeChickenFeed #MakeYourOwnChickenFeed #SawyerRidgeFarm #Chickens #LayingHens #Homesteading #Farming

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Hello everyone!! I am writing this as of Feb. 1st, 2023. There has been a lot more interest in this particular video because of the chicken feed shortage, or chicken feed discrepancies in general of this time. I’ve had TONS of emails and messages asking where people can find the ingredients in this video in bulk. I have updated the description and added a link to our Amazon store where you can find some of the ingredients under the “Chicken Supplies” tab. And I have also added a few links to Azure Standard, where they have a majority of these ingredients in bulk at some very reasonable prices! Thank you all for all your support! It really means a lot to us! God Bless, Alex

[@sweetsbysharonllc5128]

I am wondering what can be giving in the summer time in place of corn since corn helps them generate heat and I don’t want them to burn up this summer I’m a new chicken momma so I’m sorry if this is a dumb wuestion

[@budsrwiser448]

Would this mix benefit from fermentation as well? I am very curious as I just found this video and going to be doing some broilers. Do you think that this would work for broilers as well? Appreciate the video!

[@sweetsbysharonllc5128]

@@budsrwiser448 I ferment mine seems to be good the chickens love it I also put scrapes in (apples, cabbage, etc)

[@budsrwiser448]

@@sweetsbysharonllc5128 Thanks!

[@VeysPlace]

Are you still raising the quail? Do you grind this up for the quail as well??

[@bigruck6648]

May 1st, 2023. Been using your homemade feed concoction for 2 months. My 30 hens are laying the biggest healthy eggs. My girlies are healthy and robust.... THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

So glad to hear that!! 😊

[@i2dreamy]

how much money are you spending on this feed a month cause i have 30 hens also and what to make this

[@bigruck6648]

@i2dreamy $15 corn. 33 blackseed oil sunflower seeds. $23 oats.. $30 white millet.. flaxseed is $53 but like the white millet it last a long time because your only doing 5 pounds.

[@tricia9569]

I love your channel, you are just real, no fluff, no drama, no click bait just real.

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

patricia hartis thank you! We really appreciate that! 👍😊

[@mikeburke1993]

That natural water environment needs to be reproduced EVERYWHERE. Lovely.

[@haireyhomestead3820]

Great video - I too mix my own - I got a cement mixer from Harbor freight for under $50 and use that - I mix for chickens, peacocks, goats and emus, so different feed for different animals. But I also mix in certain vitamins & minerals. A little selenium, vitamin E, D B-complex Omega 3 and protein powder or catfish pellets (depending on each species and the grain/ingrediencies I use). They all have their own 55-gallon drum for each mix. I also change it up from time to time, depending on what is on sale. I have found cleaned oats for under $5 for a 40lbs bag - I bought a whole truck load - just finished out the last one recently. I remember mixing like you do, but I must say it is so much easier to throw grain into the cement-mixer by the scoop, mix and dump it. LOL

[@ardenpeters4386]

where do you buy suppliments,? what do you add for chickens?

[@ajalicea1091]

@@ardenpeters4386 I was about to ask the same question about the supplements

[@ardenpeters4386]

funny I want a cement mixer to mix my potting soil! but still in wheelbarrow for now!!

[@ardenpeters4386]

where do you get selenium etc???

[@haireyhomestead3820]

@@ardenpeters4386 I get the supplements (vitamins D, E, B-complex, selenium, phyllium husk, elderberry syrup, honey, rosehip oil, baking soda, mainly at a discount store including protein shakes powder, I grind any pills and only add these once in a while - usually during the winter, when there are no bugs. I change their grain, depending on the seasons (for all animals) - and what's on sale from a mix of: Layer mash (it's like fine powder, so I always add water/ACV to the final mix to make it like crumble) Cracked corn - more in the winter months. Sunflower seeds, Oats, dried cat/dog food, floating catfish pellets (high in protein fortified with vitamin E, D and B) they also get the leftover, bottom of the barrel from the goat and emu food barrel which contains alfalfa, sweet feed and shredded beets. I just ad more corn in the winter to keep their calories up.

[@pinemeadowshobbyfarmafruga8319]

Thank you so much. We too have been having snow off and on here on our homestead in the Cascade Mountains of Southwestern Oregon. New subscriber. Nice to meet you all.

[@TallCFarms]

I like your recipe. When I started fermented feeds back in 2012, I couldn't find white millet or flax seed or even field peas anywhere near me, so this is what I ended up with: BOSS, Rolled Oats, Barley, Scratch Grains and Catfish pellets (high protein & vitamins). I had 20-25 hens back then and now have near 100 and they've done very well on this mixture.

[@alabamabushwacker7602]

What are the percentages/amounts you use with these ingredients?

[@TallCFarms]

@@alabamabushwacker7602 1 50lb bag of each, except the catfish pellets - just use half the bag.

[@debrahenderson798]

You can ferment this?

[@organixgirl]

So you just mix those together,? I don't think I've seen catfish pellets befote

[@TallCFarms]

@@organixgirl It's a fish food floater pellet - for pond fish. It's high in protien, which helps the mix, since the corn is so low.

[@Booneboarder]

You can save allot of time and work by using a mixer. You can find an old one or buy one from Harbor Freight. That's what I do. I bought a mixer from harbor freight and just add my stuff as I go. Let it run the whole time mixing and no need to mix by hand and it's in one container. Once I'm done mixing. I just store it in plastic 55 gallon drums. So, much easier using a 3-1/2 Cubic Ft. Cement Mixer from Harbor Freight. Love the channel and thanks for sharing.

[@chelseeparsons6836]

I feed almost every one of these ingredients already to my chickens as a treat at night before bed.. thanks for sharing now I know I can just feed them the seeds. Feels more natural that way. Just have to find some flax and Miller now to add.

[@therealzooch]

Just had 9 pure bred Italian Maremma puppies born in So. WI . Ready in 6-8 weeks. 5 males, 4 females. Excellent Livestock Guardians.

[@anijohnson8082]

You're sucha blessing. Just bought a lil farm and will have my first chickens. Thank you so much and be so blessed sister!

[@johnbyais1162]

I have to say you seem like a very sweet person,you work hard,you don't mind getting your hands dirty,your husband is very lucky and blessed to have someone like you.

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

John Byais thank you so much! 👍😀

[@audreyabdo7719]

Sawyer Ridge Farm , I can tell you come from an excellent background so good to care for your animals and give them good things. God bless you.

[@randychappelle15]

Great video! I've been looking for different recipes for different animal feeds, and chickens is oen of them. I fee; fortunate to have people to put out videos of how they do things. Thank You.

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

randy chappelle you’re quite welcome! Hope it works out for you like it does us! 👍😀

[@supersavingswithjennifer2036]

Anyone else want to just stick their hand in that mix? We are getting chickens next month this video is super helpful

[@KWCoaching7408]

Love this and love the simplicity of it! Using whole grains instead of pelleted feed should stay fresh a lot longer, too, and maintain its nutritional value for longer. This is something I just recently learned, and I’m looking to switch. Thank you so much for this recipe, and cost/nutritional breakdown! ❤

[@Memorylanehatchery4202]

AGREED!!!

[@chuckhughes8725]

This is valuable information in today’s world. We miss y’all. 🦅🌎⚓️

[@yvonnebrasgalla4385]

I l pi ve you guys! So young and full of heart for the true farming this country needs! God bless you! Would love to meet at a meet and greet! Be strong and forage ahead to the new Mellina! Love and hugs! Be strong!

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

yvonne brasgalla thank you so much! 😊 We will be at the meet and greet in March! 👍😀

[@melinda5777]

Yall just popped up on my page again! Yall have been true-life on my mind! 🙏 Would love to see yall again! Your Navy/Alabama friend. 🙏🙏❤❤🇺🇸🇺🇸👣👣😊😊👍

[@RoseLawrence765]

Wow your spring in the woods is awesome, it sounds so beautiful and relaxing💕🎈

[@carlschmiedeke151]

Your hair looks super healthy, I'd love to see what it looks like not in braids or in a pony tail, just loose, but definitely going to try your concoction

[@cypressblue8877]

Soothing sound of water flowing, plus big snow flakes two of my favourite things to start your video. Lol she is like whattttttttttt is going on. That is gr8t to do that for better food for you. The bloopers are so good, had me chuckling. Take care of you both. Thanks for sharing eh :))

[@virginiacurrey2019]

I like your place. Always honoring the best of mature. A quiet snowfall, the sound of a small waterfall. So good to see the Sawyers again.

[@michellewillis6063]

Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!! We are new Chicken parents and wanted to get the best possible feed to keep them healthy!! Although we only have 14 chickens, we will be sharing with our daughter who has a lot more (which is how we got ours, lol!!)

[@JR-xw5dk]

You are right, you need to know what you are feeding your animals. My dad bought feed from a major feed company and he was cut short on the protein so the milk production fell off and had lower butter fat. He tested each cow's milk each month for weight milt and butterfat. It took him a few months to figure out what was going on which cost him thousands of dollars. This was in the 1970's. He had the feed tested to know what it was which took time. We started mixing our own which cost a lot to set up, but was worth it. A truck load of corn, and a half a truck load of soybean meal costs a lot. Plus the grain bins and feed meal. Then also the minerals and vitamins. He also bought limestone by the truck load as it was a lot lower cost. But it took a few years to use it all. Thanks for sharing.

[@ripleymike]

Thanks so much for this video & recipe. With the cost of our non GMO chicken feed getting so high (now up to $0.45 per lb) we thought we may try making our own. Unfortunately with the prices I have to pay here in WV now for the ingredients I find this recipe is going to cost almost $0.73 per lb vs the regular feed at $0.45 per lb. I will continue to look for cheaper ingredients but that's where things stand now.. We enjoy all your videos and are thinking about getting into rabbits.

[@stevesilver7437]

Prices have almost doubled since the video was made! :(

[@SillyW]

Yea, I am not sure where she gets her supplies, but in the last 5 years the items listed to be mixed in have not added up to less then 0.50$ per pound in my area. Maybe they are buying a truck load of each type at a time. That would be only way I could see the discount. I go to a grain mill to get my feed as close as direct to source as I can, and still couldn't mix these feeds for that cheap, even when this video was made.

[@spidermonkey3333]

Granny always said, a penny saved is a penny earned. Keep'em coming!

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Spider Monkey that’s right! Thank you! 👍😀

[@AuntieAnn]

Wow that's a great idea, especially if you have a lot of chickens 👍 And it's always a good thing to know what's in your feed 👏👏👏👏👏 I loved the water falls at the beginning 😍

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Auntie Ann thank you! We got a TON of rain a couple days ago when I shot those little clips. And that’s nothing like what they were when it was full on raining. 😳 And you’re right, it’s always good to know exactly what you’re feeding your animals! 😊

[@kevindavidson3376]

Watching and listening to the water at the beginning of the video was very relaxing. Regardless of how much or how little you save, it does start to add up over a period of time. As the old saying goes...."A penny saved, is a penny earned". Good info on your video!!!

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Kevin Davidson thank you! It is very relaxing to just go out and listen to the water running off the hillside. And you’re exactly right, a penny saved is a penny earned. It all adds up for sure! 👍😊

[@kristalmonteith9699]

You must have read my mind!! I was just thinking I need to find out about making my own chicken feed and you popped up!! Thank you :) Subscribed and can't wait to learn more!

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Kristal Monteith haha! Good timing then! 😄 Thanks so much for subscribing to our channel! 👍😊

[@CrazyMoney653]

You are awesome I'm telling you that I can pass this video to somebody else that has a farm and that way they could save a lot of money not run out of feed or anything like that so you did an awesome service to People like Us who want to literally buy eggs straight From the Farmer thank you very much

[@chriswoggerman2849]

love what the two of you have been doing,you have been a great help. Keep up the good work,and i look forward to your next video

[@ljmike5519]

Saw this and I was so excited thinking that you were back. Blessings.

[@WayneWatson1]

Dang youtube. No notification. Loved the intro. Love the sound of running water. Anyway, cool video. Very good information. 👍 God bless you both

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Wayne Watson haha! Sometimes YT is a turd about that. 😜 And thank you for watching! 👍😊

[@SquigglersWigglers]

So happy to see this after waiting so long to see you guys

[@vanlifenomadfirekeeper]

A portable cement mixer i what i once used, and also used it to mix potting soil. Saved me a lot of time. Just a idea. (-:

[@RRaucina]

Only worth the effort if you put some bricks or heavy stones in the mixer to get some crush on the grains.

[@luckylunaloops]

I love it. Lower cost. No mystery ingredients.

[@survivalismandpreparedness7061]

I have two chickens in my backyard. Was looking for ideas on how to make chicken feed from random food stuff we have laying around. Awesome, we have flax as well. Thanks for the video! I'll be making my own video on how to make improvised explosive, I mean improvised chicken feed with random household food stuffs.

[@Growmap]

If you ferment or sprout your feed it multiplies it and increases digestibility. Common feeds you can sprout for poultry include lentils, field peas including black-eyed peas, green peas, sunflower seeds, buckwheat, barley, wheat berries, alfalfa and millet. You can also add flax and soaked rice to the mix. I've never had those sprout. Grains like wheat berries and barley can also be grown into fodder. My horses love it, but the ducks were "meh" on it. So I grow wheat fodder for horses and any that doesn't sprout I typically add to the duck feed as the horses tend to waste some of it dropping it on the ground. Some of these you can get at a feed store or buy from a local grower. Others are easier to buy online from places like True Leaf Garden. I only feed non-gmo organic. I hope people realize that most corn and soy is GMO. And even crops that aren't GMO like oats can be sprayed with Glyphosate just before harvest to hasten drying. Also, the difference between "deer" corn and "feed" corn is that deer corn can be even higher in aflatoxin. Too much can kill, but hopefully they stay under that amount even for deer.

[@jamesandrews1130]

loved the out takes. You give me faith in the future.

[@missyellis2573]

First time to watch Love your chicken feed recipe. I have 10 layer hens. I get 7 or 8 eggs a day. Thank you for the video.

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Missy Ellis you’re welcome! Thank you for watching! 👍😊

[@samiamdj8603]

I've got my Azure Standard order in and will be picking it up next month. So hard to find many grains in bulk and their prices are great. Yeah I could buy cheaper food but my girls love me and they're the best.

[@HansenNeverDoneFarms]

Thank you for this.. While we have purchased our egg layer feed from Stillwater Milling Co we are looking for a more sustainable and cost effective mix. This hit it for us!

[@judyjackson7833]

I sure do miss you I look for you all the time I hope you're okay God bless you

[@GypsyBrokenwings]

Thanks! Hey, I bet if you got one of those attachments for mixing c-ment in buckets you could get the feed mixed a little easier.

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Gypsy B I definitely need to invest in one of those. I get my workout in mixing all that feed with a shovel! 😅

[@gatorweis2196]

That's a brilliant idea!

[@federicomachon8841]

Must of this will depend on where you live. Greetings from Peten Guatemala Great video

[@Elizabeth_Rojas]

Love it great job,you crack me,up rooster problems lol It's ok if he crow's it's a farm after all. Very informative video thanks.🐓🐔🐣

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Elizabeth Rojas Lol. Thanks so much! We have two roos that like to play dueling crows. 😂

[@cindysmith7304]

Ahhh, I miss you guys 🥰

[@Metrzan]

You may want to recheck your protein percentages...BOSS is only about 16.5% not 26. There are a couple other numbers wrong but by what you used the protein content of the feed is only around 14.5% as you have it mixed.

[@Metrzan]

@Rowdy BOSS = 16% Protein (30.8% of the mix) Millet = 11% (3.8% of the mix) Flax = 18% (3.8% of the mix) Corn = 11% (30.8% of the mix) Oats = 13% (30.8% of the mix) So (16×30.8%)+(11×3.8%)+(18×3.8%)+(11×30.8%)+(13×30.8%)= 4.298+0.41+0.648+3.388+4.004= 12.748% So it is actually lower than I originally stated and WAY lower than her amount. Add in some split peas, soy bean meal or fish meal and you will definitely boost the protein.

[@elhombredeoro955]

Your DIY chicken grain mix is probably the second best mix out there and the best mix on the internet. My mix better because I use hard red spring wheat instead of corn and Brewer's Yeast. So my feed contains more protein. I go for higher protein because I keep guinea fowl and turkeys and Brewer's Yeast to keep away angel's wing from waterfowls.

[@misssmassacre]

Hey, what is your recipe exactly? I like the idea of not having to use corn.

[@jeannem.4439]

.

[@rdnkrfnk]

When we had a lot of chickens we always bought feed up in Dennison Texas and mixed our own if you run onto a used cement mixer it’ll mix it quicker and more thoroughly

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

rdnkrfnk yes, I definitely need to invest in one of those! Thanks so much for watching! 👍😀

[@rdnkrfnk]

Sawyer Ridge Farm I enjoy your videos and there’s a lot y’all do that I’ve done before so I share a few tips I once had over 100 roosters in my yard

[@josephinegallegos6035]

Great idea. Thanks

[@AlleyCat-1]

FINALLY. I might get some use out of ours, before the wasps take over or we actually use it to mix concrete in lol

[@colleengarren1462]

Thank you for making this video! I only have 4 chickens but the feed I've been buying is up to almost $1/lb. It's time for a change. I'm going to try your method.

[@bastiaanborman8549]

If you have 2 do this more oftent u can use a concrete mixer 😉👌

[@heatherstorm5450]

Thank you! This video is super helpful. I saw your Stillwater Mill bag, how cool! I haven't seen those in a long time. I grew up in Stillwater, OK but am living in Michigan now.

[@ajb.822]

Hey, on the mixing of it, I would probably do the following, maybe mostly just because this is how I was taught to mix our calf-feed as a kid, and it worked really well. Instead of doing scoop by scoop - too tedious for my impatient self, if doing a biggish batch anyways - I would pour in from the pails, either an 1/8, quarter or half a pail at a time, depending on how much of that ingredient goes into the whole. So, still layering those amounts of the ingredients into a wheelbarrow, I'd just be avoiding using the scoop for at least most ingredients at this point. I'd use an old-style, one wheel, wheelbarrow too, for ease of reaching into every part of it & emptying at end. So, I'd mix once when wheelbarrow is almost half-full, and again when fuller ( I wouldn't go too close to rim, or will spill tons when mixing. How we mixed was by using our arms. Just put hands in at edges, and scoop towards each other at the bottom, and back up. If using a metal wheelbarrow with chipping paint, wear gloves !!! Also be sure all bolt heads are flush as possible and watch out for hitting them w fingernails as well. Move around where you plunge hands in, to get a thorough mix. Can be fun ( m/l) for kids to do this ! When mixed well, scoop out into your final storage container using scoops directly, or into pails to carry over to it, and using the pail itself as a big scoop as levels allow. Near end, one person holds wheelbarrow up while other funnels remaining grain right into a pail - much harder to do w a 2 wheeled barrow, but possible. Also possible to do alone, when one gets very used to handling wheelbarrows, but still risky of spilled feed. Do in clean area where u can sweep up and still use spilled feed ;), or outside on grass. As needed, when making lots ahead at once, repeat process to fill your bulk, mixed feed containers.

[@eliasfarmer1219]

If you have one handy you could do the pouring over a tarp or drop cloth that way you can pick it up and dump anything that spilled back in

[@virginiacurrey2019]

I don’t have chickens, but do that at times for feeding song birds,of course using different grains. Thanks Alex.

[@TheWoodHaven]

That's a great video. I love these instructional videos. This is the kind of info folks are looking for on KZbin.

[@alicemorton4469]

Alex I miss you two. God bless.

[@MelissaBeesHomestead]

Thank you! I love this video so much. We feed a higher percentage since we have two muscovies in with our chickens :)

[@JohnLennonReturns]

Gan you do a video on making a DIY 'duck' feed for muscovys? Thanks in advance.

[@rachelh9228]

Love the intro!💖 I am impressed with the feed mix, I'll have to give it a try when I get chickens. Thanks for sharing!

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Rachel H thank you! It has worked really well for us, hopefully it will for you if you do give it a try. 👍😀

[@wilb6657]

This video is more important now, than ever before!

[@heatherfulcher1794]

Thank you for the video, you did an amazing job of explaining everything. I will definitely be giving this a try!

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Heather Fulcher Awesome! Thank you! I hope this feed mix works as well for you as it does for us! 😊

[@dianawilliams-coe7747]

Great video, I just brought 2 bags of Chick feed from Azure once that is gone, I will be making this. Thanks for the list.

[@virginiareid5336]

Whenever you can save, it always helps. You made 260 pounds of feed. I was wondering how many times a year you make this amount of feed.

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Virginia Reid you’re right! We like to save money whenever and wherever we can. I probably make this amount every 4ish months or so. We have about 18 or so hens we’re feeding.

[@virginiareid5336]

Sawyer Ridge Farm, that would calculate to around $23.00 savings for a mix that is a minimum of 3% more protein per year. Do you also feed oyster shells to your layers?

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Virginia Reid yes they have access to free choice oyster shell 24/7.

[@jcdesignsandboat-works8290]

Awesome! Sourcing the flax and millet today! Thank you!🙏

[@juliannahaase8428]

How much feed do you feed each chicken? Do they get access to feed 24/7?

[@Lori-mm6fg]

Thank you for that mixture I liked your vid, You are a very smart powerhouse. I wish I could speed up my housework in realtime like that, boy would I get a lot done.. I love your God bless at the end, both of you seem laid back and very nice. Your brother on the other vid with the goats did a real nice job, I didn't feel like I was on a roller coaster. Biggest Blessings over your homestead, Thank you for posting

[@markkristynichols845]

I think I need to try this! Love this--Thanks Alex!! -Kristy in the Ozarks of Missouri:)

[@jx3s300]

When i mix my deer mineral and feed I use a concrete mixer. Works great!

[@RedRubyFarm]

I love this recipe & am definitely going to try it , I am probably going to go get the stuff in town today! You definitely have me as a subscriber!

[@deboraharnold8615]

Great job on the vid. I really like that you go through the comments and answer people's questions.

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Deborah Arnold thank you! 😊 I really try to be as personable as possible in the comments. I know that it means a lot to those commenting, and it means a lot to us that you’d take time out of your day to comment! 😊

[@ms.royahrens8777]

Thank you so much for this tutorial-May I ask where you get the barrel liner? Can’t wait to mix this up for my hens!

[@catw5294]

Wow 22% - I was looking for a recipe with higher protein. Thx sooo much for sharing your knowledge.

[@jjones8191]

I tried this and my hens stopped laying. I looked at your math and I found some errors. You add up all the percentages, but don't divide them by the 130# of feed you have. The percentage of protein should be more like 17%. Then, the numbers you used for the percent of protein in the BOSS and flaxseed were way high. BOSS should be about 16% and flaxseed should be about 30%. When added up, and then divided correctly, you'll find this mix has only 13.8% protein. Unless your birds free-range, this isn't enough. I've supplemented it by mixing in 30% protein crumbles and my hens are laying again.

[@Bruh-_-345]

They should still lay either way

[@-living4jesus4ever-]

It’d be really interesting to have the author of this movie Respond to this comment. Thank you for sharing.

[@jenthrasher5056]

So nice to see ya Alex. Haven't seen any videos in along time.

[@RestorationAcresTN]

This is from 3 years ago 😂

[@GinaKayLandis]

Just checked through your list of videos - wondering if there is any age limitation on feeding the mixture to chicks/chickens? I love the idea of mixing your own feed!!

[@samdogie4076]

Beautiful scenery

[@led4131]

Do you ration your chicken feed? We started making our own but I noticed our chickens love this stuff so much that they gorge themselves on it and we actually went through our barrels faster than expected. We have 40 chickens, so I just want to make sure we’re not under feeding them with this stuff since they clear out the feeders by evening

[@NelehLove9313]

I'd say just feeding them once a day should be enough. I have 7 chickens and I feed them all 1 large dog food bowl each day. That's usually enough. But I also do not feed them this food, not yet at least. I'd assume when I start I'll probably do the same amount if not maybe even less considering it's higher in proteins then the bags I usually do and wouldn't want them to stress with the change in their proteins diet.

[@johnreazin1074]

My chickens were essentially starving after using this mix. They will not eat black sunflower seeds. They only produced half the amount off eggs. I mixed a bag of pellet food with this mix to compensate. Now I ferment the food and they love it.

[@kidlist]

I love the ingredients you use- great mixture! I found everything at Tractor Supply except the flax seed, which I found at Jewel Osco, and started feeing my chickens with it last week. :) However, I wanted to let you know that your protein calculation is incorrect. Multiplying a percentage by pounds yields pounds, so for example, black sunflower seeds at 26% protein, 40 lbs = 10.4 lbs. Then you add all the lbs of protein and divide by the total number of lbs of the feed. So overall, your recipe is 17.15% protein.

[@morehn]

She shows she's using 80 lbs, not 40 lbs. Two bags of 40. 80, 80, 80, 10, 10.

[@kidlist]

Her protein analysis is with a half batch in the video description. If you double it for the full recipe, the protein percentage will be the same- 17.15%.

[@morehn]

@@kidlist true. I hadn't run the calculations but you're right. Is this feed ideal for laying hens?

[@maknbakn13]

What was the protein for your sunflower seed?

[@TomBTerrific]

I believe her calculations are correct. The protein content of any given product it fixed. Therefore you only need to calculate what percentage of the final mix that item makes up. For the 3 largest contents each are about 30%. The last two items are 5% each. Multiple those percentages into each products protein content and that what % the contribute to the final batch.😊

[@celesteinman56]

Thank you for your tips. Never thought of flax seed

[@mackenziejohnson3277]

I’m going to try this! We switched from organic feed to coop feed due to cost... but this seems like it would be healthier and not as many fillers. Would love to see if you do this with other animals as well, especially goats!

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

MacKenzie Johnson awesome! We hope it works as well for you as it does for us! Our chickens seem to love it! I hope to eventually try to mix our own goat feed!

[@gatorweis2196]

@@SawyerRidgeFarm I'm wondering about mixing bunny feed! I used to raise rabbits. My cousin has a rabbit rescue and if there's a good mix recipe I'd happily share it with her. I know it's got to be expensive to buy prepare in Ca!

[@ajalicea1091]

If you want next best thing to organic try a Mennonite or Amish Feed Mill. The two that are the closest to me do not put additives and they use GMO free grain. They say the reason they don't listed as organic is due to the fact the state and federal regulations cost so much for them to have to pass that on to the consumer. Sometimes they aren't even able to have organic feeds for themselves due to the fact there's so few places that do it. Even among the Amish.

[@bridiecormican9352]

Great presentation a natural in front of camera. Love Alex and Jacob.A great couple and a great example to other young marrieds.

[@Cityhomesteaders727]

This is great! Going to try this. Do you mix your own rabbit feed? I’d love to see a video on it if so. Thanks

[@NelehLove9313]

Oooo same here. I breed and slaughter my own rabbits and what I feed them matters. So I'd love to know this as well

[@joeysvlogwithapurpose6544]

Thank you for showing the real dyi feed im starting a farm and buying all the feeds is not going to work for me through out farming. I will need something like this to incorporate into my animal feeds. Commercial feeds Im just not sure if I can trust it all not saying but I think it’s nice to know the basics. Thank You

[@rammface]

Awesome video. The only thing I would correct is your protein percent. If your protein percentages are correct your mix is actually 17.15% protein which is amazing. 80lbs x 26p=2080 80lbs x 9p= 720 80lbs x 15p=1200 10lbs x 37p =370 10 lbs x 9p=90 2080+720+1200+370+90 = 4460 4460/260lbs = 17.15384615384615% protein. Very awesome job indeed!

[@JohnDoe-jq5wy]

Have you considered running the mix through a steel bur mill to break/flatten the oats, corn and other large seeds so the chicken's can digest easier....

[@ghmichel72]

This looks like a great feed mix ✊🏾 I’m looking to raise a few layer & meat chickens this year. I have a few questions: 1. Do you grind the mix before feeding? 2. Do you soak your feed? 3. Would you use this as starter feed? (I know it would have to be grinder into a mash for 🐥) 4. If I wanted to increase the protein percentage to be used as turkey feed, what portion would you increase? BTW great work with the video, it was very informational. It just happen to pop up in my feed, definitely taking a look at the rest of your videos.

[@sharoncourt75]

I am sorry no 1 answer, i can only answer 1, i use to do pellets only and corn treat, now I fermented: wild rice, split peas, crack corn and bird seed mix, I feed them this at noon in the morning they have pellets from automatic feeder, I started doing this cause my baby rooster keep geting impacted crop, i notice since i ferment, i have to be carefull feeding other things that will ferment too, like grapes or alot of statchy leftovers, I feed in moderation or 1 them wiñl have sour crop, hope it helps.

[@tracylawrence5258]

@@sharoncourt75 what is a sour crop?

[@sharoncourt75]

@@tracylawrence5258 is like a yeast infection but inside the chickens estomach or crop,if no treated it can kill them

[@janebrommet7942]

Tkx for the description...i will certainly try. Have a little flock of hens..... Grtz from holland

[@ritalyons8749]

Love the intro and the diy feed! Thank you for sharing. I've been wanting to do this for our chickens and since this was easy to follow now I can get started. Can't thank you guys enough. Blessings

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Awesome! Thank you! Hope it works as well for you as it does for us! 😊

[@stinkeye460]

I mix using a heavy duty 1/2'' drill with a long spiral paint stirring bit.

[@whatifeverythingwasfree7788]

Hello. Thanks for the video! very informative. I have a question. With this feed, do you happen to run into any health issues for your chickens? Also, Which one is your source of Calcium? Also, is it not difficult for the hens to eat large feeds like that? I am used to seeing smaller pellets and size feeds. I would imagine for easier for the digestive process in the gizzard, and maybe to store more in the craw? Thanks again!

[@kathymcleod1460]

Feed free choice oyster shells for the calcium.

[@matthewbattie1022]

Good Video. I agree with everything but the corn. My uncle was a chicken farmer, and I have spoken with many chicken farmers who all say that corn is as bad for chickens as it is for humans. Small farms and backyard farmers used to throw out a little corn from time to time as a treat but now it's in almost all the foods sold unless you buy organic. The other thing you can do to increase nutrition while keeping costs down is soaking your food. It only takes 5 minutes a day and 4 buckets. Studies show a huge increase in available nutrient content.

[@ayazalavi]

Do oyu know any replacement for corn?

[@RaisedRegenerative]

This is awesome, great video!.. I’ll definitely be coming back to this when we get chickens

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Moore Family Farm thank you! 😊

[@joynjrny]

Holy Cow! $0.23 2 yrs ago??!! Now today, it’s $1.70# for the mix and layer feed is $2.20# Thank you for the recipe.

[@benniemathews9624]

Even the rooster was harping about it! LOL!

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Bennie Mathews haha! 😂😄 yeah, he was pretty happy about it!

[@sl1020]

Think we will try this recipe with our girls. Thanks

[@RichardGilbert2727]

I really like this feed. Your ingredients seem well thought out. I use different protein values-there are a lot floating around out there. 9% protein for corn would be very unusual, a special strain. Feed corn has been bred for yield and the most common average protein now used seems to be 7.5%. On the other hand, you seem too conservative on millet, which I typically see listed at 11-12%. My translation of your mix with one part @ 10 lbs to get the same proportions and determine protein: 4 parts BOS, 17% x 4 = 68 4 parts corn, 7.5% x 4 = 30 4 parts oats, 11% x 4 + 44 1 part flax seed, 34% x 1 = 34 1 part white millet, 12% x 1 = 12 = 188 /14 = 13.4% For a free range flock that gets some animal protein from range that's great. It's a good maintenance mix too for roosters and hens that are not laying. For confined layers, I'd add 1 part high protein pellet and/or some small kibble dog food.

[@christinemccoy4471]

Richard A corn grower down the street has over 100 year old heirloom corn for grinding into cornmeal. I get buckets of whole corn. 15% protein was the analysis

[@RichardGilbert2727]

@@christinemccoy4471 OMG! Amazing! That's fully twice the value of industrial corn.

[@sheebareneefoofoo2620]

I got whole grains n fermented it . Goes further and better for them

[@Patrick-ml1eq]

I think that's looks like solid food, thanks for the ideas. I get 17.15% if your protein content is right. I think you'd need to up the flax seed content to get 20+.

[@moh5463]

I second that. It is 17.17%

[@mikeouimet567]

Yes, I just did the math too. You start out correctly but don't divide by the right number. Out of all the feed, there are 22.3 lbs (Not percent) of protein. Those 22.3 lbs are found in 130 lbs of feed. 22.3÷ 113 is 17%.

[@williamjaeger5940]

Great video! My girls don't care for pellet! I'm going to mix grains!

[@CarmenHalloween]

Definitely have to try this for my chickens! Question: do you add ever any oyster shell/grit? And I've seen other people add in diatomaceous earth food grade to their feed too, do you ever mix any in? Thanks!

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

They have access to oyster shell in their coop 24/7

[@eagle3351]

I was checking in to doing a seed mixture. I'm concerned about the difference in her protein level and the levels that y'all are coming up with because that's quite a drop. I'm using a high protein layer pellet with chickens that we got as chicks last year and we're getting between 9 to 13 eggs a day for 15 chickens. I do put grit down I put light powdered lime down anytime anything starts smelling because I'm raising a few rabbits as well and raised cages. I'll have to check further into the protein with all the seeds and see where it goes from there. I enjoyed the video. They all help one way or another.

[@ajalicea1091]

DO NOT wet the Diatomaceous Earth. I sprinkle mine in a pan of dry feed every time that I give to my chickens the Diatomaceous Earth.

[@jenniferguenthner6334]

@@ajalicea1091 you have them eat the DE?

[@shannonhanes5769]

I love the waterfall.

[@shannonhanes5769]

We bought 4 layers this past summer. And the people we bought them from had all their beaks trimmed. I have found they can't eat corn with their shorten beaks. Could they still eat this?

[@SawyerRidgeFarm]

Shannon Hanes thank you. And they might could eat this if you used cracked corn instead. The Black Oil Sunflower seeds might also be too big, I’m not exactly sure... 😬