The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Ben94 on April 04, 2017, 09:16:34 pm

Title: Mixing own feed
Post by: Ben94 on April 04, 2017, 09:16:34 pm

I can get a huge amount of whole barley for next to nothing. I know it should be rolled or broken. But what do people mix with it to create there own feed?

Title: Re: Mixing own feed
Post by: Eve on April 05, 2017, 08:59:30 am

It'd be useful to know how much barley for how many birds you're talking about to know if it's worth paying for the other ingredients separately, if your birds are free ranging or not (and how much protein you think they manage to find themselves) and whether they are for the table. Mine don't free range at all, for example (they're in huge runs) so making up the protein wouldn't be that easy.


Lucky you, btw, it's nice to get a heap of freebies  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Mixing own feed
Post by: chrismahon on April 05, 2017, 12:04:06 pm

According to several old poultry books I have, Barley should never be fed to chickens. OK for geese, but it is rather fattening.

Title: Re: Mixing own feed
Post by: farmers wife on April 05, 2017, 02:25:19 pm

http://articles.extension.org/pages/68431/feeding-barley-to-poultry (http://articles.extension.org/pages/68431/feeding-barley-to-poultry)


Poultry cannot digest barley's carbohydrates as easily as those of corn because of the amount of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) in barley. The carbohydrates of corn grain are typically 65% to 70% starch and 11% to 14% fiber. In contrast, barley grains typically contain 60% starch and 22% fiber. As early as 1928, reports described the poor performance of birds fed barley-based diets. The poor performance was originally believed to be because of barley's high fiber content, but hull-less barley cultivars show similar performance levels to that of the hulled cultivars. The [/size]antinutritional factor (http://articles.extension.org/pages/66921/antinutritional-factors-in-feed-ingredients)[/color][/size] identified in barley grain is [/color][/size]beta-glucans (http://articles.extension.org/pages/65436/beta-glucans)[/color][/size] (ß-glucan), which, because of its chemical structure, cannot be easily digested by poultry. The beta-glucans bind with water in the intestine, resulting in the formation of gels and increasing the viscosity of the intestinal contents. The increased intestinal viscosity reduces the availability of the nutrients in the diet. It can [/color][/size]also [/color][/size]cause sticky droppings, resulting in increased incidence of "pasty butt."[/color]

Title: Re: Mixing own feed
Post by: chrismahon on April 06, 2017, 10:15:31 am

Thanks for the info Farmers Wife.

Title: Re: Mixing own feed
Post by: F.CUTHBERT on April 08, 2017, 07:57:03 pm

Hi Ben, Sorry if i missed it but you don't say what you are feeding barley too. I feed whole barley to my ducks and geese. Given the choice they seem to prefer whole barley to rolled barley or whole wheat or there least fav rye
To increase egg production i some times buy some layers pellets and mix it with the barley but at the moment i have some 34% soya pellets which is added sparingly to the whole barley and they are laying well on it.