There’s an old adage that goes, “Anything will work for chicken feed.” While specially-formulated pellets should still remain as the primary source of protein for your flock, homegrown greens and sprouted seeds are excellent supplements that may add additional sources of nutrition for them.
Comfrey, which may seem like an invasive weed at first glance, provides an abundance of protein, B12 and A vitamins, potassium calcium sulfur and iron. Pumpkin and winter squash provide some sweetness while increasing xanthophyll content for that vibrant orange hue of eggs.
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Corn
Corn, commonly referred to as maize, is one of the primary foods fed to chickens and provides both color and protein that hens require for egg production. When making your own feed for your flock, consider including legumes like peas, broad beans, French or runner beans and amaranth sunflowers and orach as source of essential nutrition – or grow some specifically tailored for that purpose!
Sorghum resembles corn and can be grown across multiple regions, often used to produce gluten-free flour used in baking. Your hens should find it easy to digest this grain which offers good amounts of essential vitamins and nutrients; although not an exact replacement for poultry mixes specifically designed to meet their dietary needs.
Soybean
Soybeans (Glycine max) are an important food and feed crop. Their seeds are used in making various products such as soymilk, tofu and soy sauce; additionally it makes an excellent vegetable that may be eaten raw, steamed, cooked or roasted.
Young soybean roots often form nodules within one week after emerging that contain nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria, providing essential nitrogen to their plants without needing synthetic fertilizers.
Soybeans’ high protein content makes them an excellent meat alternative in many vegetarian and vegan cuisines, while their oil is used for cooking and manufacturing products such as margarine, shortening, linoleum backing adhesives, fire extinguisher fluids and fire extinguisher fluids. Soy protein extracted from beans also finds use as baby formula ingredients, dairy substitutes and even meat-like products such as vegetarian cheeses.
Feed Mixture
By producing your own feed mixture, you can save money while providing your flock with all of the essential nutrients they require.
Chickens rely on carbohydrates as energy sources, while fats and proteins help build muscles. Minerals and vitamins are also necessary for good health in chicken flocks. Commercial poultry rations offer all these elements but may be expensive.
Make homemade chicken feed using basic grains such as wheat, barley and corn; supplementing this with food such as peas, beans, oats and millet; including brewer’s yeast for protein and B Vitamin boosts as well as sunflower seeds, worm castings or grit.
Feed Storage
An area fenced off within your garden, vegetable patch or back yard can make for the ideal chicken pasture. Here, the soil is covered with various forms of organic material like hay, wood chips or spent crops as mulch layers; this prevents the ground from drying out in direct sunlight while also serving as an effective base for recycling manure.
Containers like trash cans, buckets and jars provide an easy way to store homemade feed. There are even stackable feed storage solutions specifically made for tight spaces – be sure to choose ones resistant to rodents – galvanized metal can be eaten away by rats easily while plastic should generally provide sufficient security against them.
Growing vegetables for chickens is both fun and cost-efficient! Pumpkins and winter squash are popular foods among their flock, while sunflower seeds will fuel them through winter. Legumes such as peas, beans and fava beans add protein-rich diets.
