[Castle Farm]

A grain diet will work fine as long as the birds get free range to get what they need in 'extra' protien.

This idea of a bird needing 15% protien has been bandied about for years, ever since the feed companies started producing pellets and scared people into thinking chickens would not lay/die without crude protien of 15%-17%.

Now they have found that this measure of 'crude protien' was very crude and out of date and are trying to re-evaluate it.
Feed corn, healthy for your birds. Healthy eggs for you and your children.

[princesspiggy]

mine wer on ground barley (not whole as apparently the husks are a bit spikey for poultry) for a while when we had it for the pigs. i found they didnt do quite aswell on it and the egg shells were a bit thinner. i also found (for the pigs awell, ) i fed more of it as i was feeling a bit guilty as it wasnt a balance diet so it wasnt much cheaper to feed went back to layers pellets.
if u get it alot cheaper, im sure it wont hurt, especially if u fed it 50/50 with layers.
i do supplement with a tonic in their water too when i think they need it.
 

[omnipeasant]

I am loving this topic. Here is my angle on this. Firstly most smallholders are keeping chickens so that they know what goes into their mouths and consequently that the eggs that come out of the other end are free from chemicals etc. So I am surpised that a lot of people who have replied are using pellets of some kind. I am not saying there is anything wrong with pellets but they are mass produced to suit large poultry enterprises who cannot rely on chickens supplementing their diet with worms and beetles. As smallholders we are better able to offer a more natural life for chickens so if free range is possible surely the chooks will natural choose the best diet.

[deepinthewoods]

i agree, well said.

[goosepimple]

Yup, ditch the pellets, too many problems, make it wholesome and natural, what could be wrong with that - the old maxims 'less is more' and 'keep it simple' 

[princesspiggy]

if think ditching pellets would require more than replacing them solely with barley.

[Oneeyedhen]

I think if hens were stuggling with just grain or not enough protien for any reason, it would soon show in a drop in egg laying and condition. If they are happy,
 healthy and laying, whatever they are eating is suiting them well.

[Fowlman]

if think ditching pellets would require more than replacing them solely with barley.

Barley on its own isn't much good, its wheat they need mainly.

[Castle Farm]

Taking them off pellets will mean they have a slight drop in egg numbers untill the birds get a balanced diet from foraging.

The birds need enough protein to either produce feather or lay eggs, besides everyday energy and bodily needs.
I feed mine 3 wheat 1 cut maize 1 rolled barley, cod liver oil in winter when the light levels are low and cider vinegar, plus greens in the breeding pens for birds not able to get out on forage.

Lawn clippings are fine. I grow lots of spinach and anything in the way of weeds gets given to the birds.

I free range my growers as soon as possible, as it stops feather pecking and bordom. It gets the youngsters running about after live feed in the way of insects.

Bagged feed as far as I'm concerned contains nothing I'd want to eat myself and when you eat the eggs from birds fed on pellets your eating whatever the mills have put in it.

I run about 360 birds in 12 different breeds as near a natural life as possible, including hatching under broodies and they lay and breed perfectly well on a grain diet, as poultry does all over the world without pellets.

[princesspiggy]

I feed mine 3 wheat 1 cut maize 1 rolled barley, cod liver oil in winter when the light levels are low and cider vinegar, plus greens in the breeding pens for birds not able to get out on forage.

thats sounds like a recipe for success. how economical is that compared to layers pellets?

[Mel]

I first started using layers mash to find chemicals in there so I only mix mine myself now, 20kg kibbled maize,60kg wheat,10kg sunflower,a large tub of mealworms and some oyster grit.Plus they get cabbages and the like even though they are free ranging.

[Brijjy]

I only feed my chooks mixed corn or wheat. They will not eat layers pellets at all. They would rather leave them and go foraging instead. At this time of year they even leave alot of the corn too. They all free range over an acre and are obviously getting loads of greenery and bugs etc. My dad gets hold of wheat for me as he runs his own shooting syndicate. 

[clydesdaleclopper]

If you feel you need to increase their protein levels when feeding straights then you can just breed your own meal worms or compost worms.


Anyone with a polytunnel can do a great job of vermicomposting by excavating some pits where the paths are. Line the sides with blocks and put some weldmesh on the bottom. Fill up with manure and chuck in some worms - it needs to be manure worms not earth worms. Then put some ply down to walk on as your path. Top up the manure regularly and add food scraps from your kitchen if you want. The worms will multiply rapidly and can be fed to your hens and you will be left with lots of lovely compost to grow your veggies.


Also someone mentioned sprouting grain - this will also increase the protein content.

[katog]

Do you think it's ok for 6 week olds not to get growers pellets then?
They've been given chick crumbs up to now although they prefer mum's wheat. Also I let them all out for 4-5 hours a day so have been getting lots of bugs and greens.
Trying to decide whether to buy a bag of growers pellets - still got lots of chick crumbs - anyone in West Scotland want it?

[Oneeyedhen]

My chicks are almost 6 weeks old now and I've just run out of crumb so they're quiet happily on pellets. I have noticed that they love wheat. I put some in their run just to vary their diet and give them something to sratch about for. I havent ventured them out side yet, not sure if or when I should . I give them greens too but it does seem to me that hens love wheat!!