Chicken Feed...Anyone Make Their Own?

[chickens4me]

Just wondering if anyone makes their own chicken feed from available grains etc., or what you supplement commercial feed with?

Having a problem with young hens stopped laying.

[NeverSure]

Google:

Layer feed mash.

Layers need a high protein diet which shouldn't be fed to other chickens.

[Wavefloater]

I hear that a lot of upcountry English teachers make it.

(Sorry - I couldn't resist, but you had to know this terrible attempt at humour would come with this topic.)

Definition of CHICKEN FEED (from Merriam-Webster)

slang

: a paltry sum (as in profits or wages)

[chickens4me]

Ok, well I guess no one is making their own chicken feed?

I have tried layers feed, and also tried starter feed with supplements......still my hens are not laying. I had heard that perhaps commercial feed available in Thailand may not provide all that is necessary and/or best for laying chickens (farang chickens), so had been hoping that if others were doing something different, that they would be kind enough to share their recipes.

[ozzydom]

Ok, well I guess no one is making their own chicken feed?

I have tried layers feed, and also tried starter feed with supplements......still my hens are not laying. I had heard that perhaps commercial feed available in Thailand may not provide all that is necessary and/or best for laying chickens (farang chickens), so had been hoping that if others were doing something different, that they would be kind enough to share their recipes.

There are a multitude of reasons why chooks go off the lay ,including weather,vermin,animal fright, water depravation etc.

if you think it is feed related you could try raising the protein level by pro rata addition of soy bean meal (40-45 %) protein.

how long did they lay before ceasing?

[chickens4me]

Two chickens laid for about a year, the third started laying at 6 months old and then stopped after only one month and has not laid again. They appear to be healthy. I have tried worming them in case this was the problem. The photo below is of the oldest hen, just turned 2 years old in January.

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[ozzydom]

The chooks pictured are Light Sussex and are not the greatest layers ,they tend to go broody after laying a clutch of eggs.

[chickens4me]

They are similar to Light Sussex, but are in fact Light Brahma with feathered feet (not seen in photo)

The one in the photo has never gone broody, 3 others have and I've hatched 5 chicks in my incubator recently. I've got both Lights and Buff.

Not sure if my feed is the problem regarding the lack of laying.......I recently 'adopted' a thai native chicken with her day old chicks. Previously lived in a local slum and diet consisted of uncooked rice and whatever she could scratch up. Six weeks later on the feed I give my chickens, she is laying superbly! So far an egg a day for the last 8 days running!! This leaves me questioning whether my food is indeed good enough for all the chickens and there is some other issue going on, or that the feed is good enough for Thai native chickens but perhaps just doesn't have enough 'oomph' for the farang chickens?

All advice greatly appreciated.

[IsaanAussie]

I had about 30 RIRs for a few years and they laid well. I used Betagro 924 layer pellets. But I did look into blending their feed. The materials were here but there was little to be gained costwise and the bulk materials purchased had to be stored. Not worth it at the time for so few chickens.

There are some good recipes on the net though.

[Jotham79]

I used to make my own feed for chickens, ducks and quail (mainly quail). I used mash they sell for baby pigs that has a high content of fish meal and 45% protien. I mixed it with Lam On, ground corn, calcium and a a mineral and vitamin pack. I saved a considerable amount of money on quail feed, Next time I will probably use Soy bean meal.

Having said all that, if you didn't change feed (assuming you are using a store bought layer mash) then the feed wasn't the problem.

[IsaanAussie]

I used to make my own feed for chickens, ducks and quail (mainly quail). I used mash they sell for baby pigs that has a high content of fish meal and 45% protien. I mixed it with Lam On, ground corn, calcium and a a mineral and vitamin pack. I saved a considerable amount of money on quail feed, Next time I will probably use Soy bean meal.

Having said all that, if you didn't change feed (assuming you are using a store bought layer mash) then the feed wasn't the problem.

I never thought of that, piglet mash, that's a perfect base. Love to get the details.

[chickens4me]

Thanks for the replies. I've not heard of Lam On....what is it please?

And the calcium...can you just buy that from poultry feed suppliers?

[Jotham79]

Lam On is the finest rice polishings and has a good fat content, but doesn't store well. I had it tested and got 15% protien. I can't remember the ratios, but ended up with about 21% protien for the quail. I was lucky and got a 20KG bag of powdered calcuim, doubt I could get it now. The corn hlped keep the yolks a nice color.

[loong]

Lam On is the finest rice polishings and has a good fat content, but doesn't store well. I had it tested and got 15% protien. I can't remember the ratios, but ended up with about 21% protien for the quail. I was lucky and got a 20KG bag of powdered calcuim, doubt I could get it now. The corn hlped keep the yolks a nice color.

I'm guessing that you are writing as you hear with the L replacing the R.

Ram is rice bran

Ram On is soft rice bran?

Is it sieved so as to separate the finest?

[IsaanAussie]

Ram On is the second stage or last stage of polishing turning brown rice into white rice. The outside bran is removed and includes some husk earlier.

[kickstart]

Thanks for the replies. I've not heard of Lam On....what is it please?

And the calcium...can you just buy that from poultry feed suppliers?

For calcium you could use bone meal, กระดูกป่น, gradok pon, in Thai ,a small feed mill near here has used it ,have not seen it for some time,now use's another sauce of calcium, ask your feed supplier.

[Jotham79]

I would love to find an alternative to calcium bought at a feed store. Would poon kao work? I'm considering getting clam and snail shells and making my own additive. I can get the other ingredients. Instead of the pig feed, I will probably use soy bean meal. I can't remember the name of the pig feed I used, I just remember that the protien content was around 45% and there was a 3 digit number on the front of the bag.

[RedBullHorn]

During my time rearing RIR...Calcium comes in the form of powdered oyster shells (more like super fine grain oyster shells), and still it is now. Just check with feed stockist... upon request. They'll source it for you within a week. (In Chiang Rai)

I used it to strengthen soft egg shells.

Edited August 24, 2013 by RedBullHorn

[soalbundy]

In my village they roam all over the place with their chicks, the roosters taking charge of them, they even hunt mice. They always return to their yards, sleep under tractors or in trees, the owners never know how many they have because they are good little breeders. Very little feeding is done apart from rice left overs, they find their own food.