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Hey all
Last fall I changed the way I buy chicken feed. Locally the pellets for layers busted over $16 a bag and I decided to try mixing my own rations.
So I set up my Country Living Grain Mill in the garage (set it for very coarse grind) and hooked it up to a small motor I salvaged off a old drill press.
Next I went out and purchases 5 galvanized garbage cans and 200 pounds of red wheat, corn, oats, soy, and alfalfa. I lined the cans with heavy garbage bags and filled them with the 5 grains.
Every third day I spend about 20 minutes grinding a fresh ration for the cluckers, 2 parts corn, soy and wheat to 1 part the rest. Since grain loses its nutritional value once it is cracked and as it ages, it makes sense to do my own for max nutritional value.
Each 50lb bag of grain cost me $12 so I'm saving about $4 for every 50 lbs of feed and it is better for them.
I always have clam shells in a different feeder for the calcium. Also I only feed in the winter time as there isn't much good forage here when the snow flies and the coyotes, foxes and occasional wolf come down in the winter and eat all my tasty hens, so I leave them cooped up or else they disappear.
They free range in the summer, saves a lot on feed.
The other upside to this system is i have an additional 1000 lbs of food stored on site in an emergency.
If anyone does the same and has suggestions on the ration, I'd love it.
Last fall I changed the way I buy chicken feed. Locally the pellets for layers busted over $16 a bag and I decided to try mixing my own rations.
So I set up my Country Living Grain Mill in the garage (set it for very coarse grind) and hooked it up to a small motor I salvaged off a old drill press.
Next I went out and purchases 5 galvanized garbage cans and 200 pounds of red wheat, corn, oats, soy, and alfalfa. I lined the cans with heavy garbage bags and filled them with the 5 grains.
Every third day I spend about 20 minutes grinding a fresh ration for the cluckers, 2 parts corn, soy and wheat to 1 part the rest. Since grain loses its nutritional value once it is cracked and as it ages, it makes sense to do my own for max nutritional value.
Each 50lb bag of grain cost me $12 so I'm saving about $4 for every 50 lbs of feed and it is better for them.
I always have clam shells in a different feeder for the calcium. Also I only feed in the winter time as there isn't much good forage here when the snow flies and the coyotes, foxes and occasional wolf come down in the winter and eat all my tasty hens, so I leave them cooped up or else they disappear.
They free range in the summer, saves a lot on feed.
The other upside to this system is i have an additional 1000 lbs of food stored on site in an emergency.
If anyone does the same and has suggestions on the ration, I'd love it.