How To Make Homemade Organic Chicken Feed

Knowing how to make homemade organic chicken feed is a great addition to any chicken farmer’s collection of simple homemade chicken feed recipes.

Part of maintaining a healthy, happy flock is selecting high-quality chicken feed. Unfortunately, most chicken feed is packed full of additives and harmful ingredients that do no good for your home flock.

Instead of feeding synthetic ingredients, chemicals, or poison to your flock, you can make your own homemade organic chicken feed. Organic chicken feed adds a lot of flexibility and increased nutrition for your flock, and it isn’t difficult to make either. Using a base of whole grains, you can make homemade chicken feed easily.

To learn exactly how to make homemade organic chicken feed, keep reading. This article answers some key questions about homemade organic chicken feed and provides a quick recipe you can follow.

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What Is Homemade Organic Chicken Feed?

Homemade organic chicken feed is chicken feed you make yourself. The ingredients used in the chicken feed are made from certified organic ingredients. Organic ingredients are free from any additives, including pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and other substances.

Do your flock a favor and start making homemade organic chicken. Although it may seem a bit time-consuming and expensive, the effort is certainly worth it. Not only is homemade chicken feed healthier, but you can monitor what your chickens are eating and adjust the recipe as needed.

If you don’t know where to start, we recommend using the homemade organic chicken feed recipe above. It is fast, simple, and easy.

If you’re having trouble finding certain ingredients, that’s OK too. There are tons of alternatives you can select while still creating a super healthy organic chicken feed. Don’t be afraid to adjust the recipe based on your flock’s needs or even the local season and weather!

Why Should I Make My Own Homemade Organic Chicken Feed?

There are quite a few reasons why making homemade organic chicken feed is the way to go. Most obviously, you have complete control over the chicken feed, its ingredients, and its proportions. This allows the chicken feed to be as healthy as possible for your flock.

The fact that your homemade chicken feed is organic further makes the feed healthier. Many additives are harmful to chickens and have lasting results on your flock and any potential consumers of the chicken or the eggs. By selecting organic ingredients, you know that their chicken feed is healthy and nutritious.

You also can monitor your chickens and make any adjustments to the chicken feed as needed. For example, you might need to adjust the recipe based on the season, ingredients available to you, and flock health. Regardless of the reason why you need to change the recipe, making homemade chicken feed makes this easy.

What Else Should My Chickens Eat?

Even if you make incredibly healthy chicken feed for your flock, your chickens still need access to other food sources. Chickens are foragers, which means they will continue to eat bugs, seeds, weeds, and other things on the ground. Encourage this foraging for a nutritious and comprehensive diet.

Of course, your chickens will need water too. Provide your flock with constant access to water so they do not get dehydrated.

Best Ingredients To Include In Your Homemade Organic Chicken Feed

When making your homemade organic chicken feed, you want to include ingredients that are organic, rich in protein, and provide a good source of energy, all while offering a nutritional balance for your flock.

 

It’s always best to start your homemade organic chicken feed with protein-rich oats. Incorporate other whole grains into the mix. You can also add different seeds and grit for additional nutrition.

How To Make Homemade Organic Chicken Feed

There are tons of ways that you can make homemade organic chicken feed. If you don’t know where to start, we recommend this recipe that uses whole grains as the base and incorporates other seeds and ingredients for a balanced meal.

Ingredients

Makes 8.5 pounds, fills a 10-pound feeder

• 4 C oat groats
• 4 C hard red wheat berries
• 4 C black oil sunflower seeds
• 2 C soft white wheat berries
• 2 C millet
• 2 C kamut (optional)
• 2 C whole corn (or cracked corn)
• 1 C lentils
• 1 C flax seeds
• 1 C sesame seeds
• 1/2 C brewer’s yeast
• 1/4 C kelp granules
• Grit
• Oyster shells (or crushed egg shells)

Directions

The instructions for making this homemade organic chicken feed are super easy. Just mix it up in a large container. You will want to store the chicken feed in an airtight bin to prevent insects and pests from getting inside. A large, steel bucket that comes with a top or lid will be perfect. Add a scoop to the top for easy access.

 

As the needs of your flock change, don’t be afraid to mix up the recipe a little bit. For example, you might find that your flock needs more oyster shells or seeds. Just adjust the recipe gradually so that the chickens don’t get a major shock.