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17/03/2014 16:57

What To Feed Chickens: Formulating Your Own Chicken Feed - Sustainab...

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http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/what-to-fe...

What To Feed Chickens: Formulating Your Own

Chicken Feed
Joan 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
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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).

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

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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

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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

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values of grains and protein supplements.

What To Feed Chickens

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

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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

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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.

17/03/2014 16:57

What To Feed Chickens: Formulating Your Own Chicken Feed - Sustainab...

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http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/what-to-fe...

[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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17/03/2014 16:57

What To Feed Chickens: Formulating Your Own Chicken Feed - Sustainab...

4 of 4

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

Dave_53
Created:
6/24/2009 11:06:17 PM

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/what-to-fe...

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 will
produce 7-12 eggs a week each.

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

i want you to send me every latest information chikens.

dominic_2
Created:
1/11/2008 8:45:10 AM

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