Trials

Naturally, theyd just eat them off the plants anyway.I know I will need to increase the protein, what is your suggestion for the easiest way to meet my chicks diet needs.Also, I planned on grinding down most of the ingredients, does it need to be in an almost powdered form? I bought the BOSS already but those seem like they might be hard to grind down.I would love to hear any input you may have.So, you can just crack the grains, including the BOSS.BOSS does contain a lot of oil though, so Id crack them as needed to prevent rancidity.Also, do provide chick grit for digestion, but do not give them oyster shells.Chicks do not need extra calcium.Can I use popping corn? Also, Im getting chicks in just a couple days and was reading through the comments.Can I use popping corn for them as well or just corn meal? Thank you so much.If you want something cheaper, but still high in protein, I recommend triticale.Ive been feeding that in lieu of kamut lately, and my chickens love it.Ill probably make the switch permanent because of the better price I get for it.Iam even finding it hard to get the kelp and yeast.Is it okay if i omit the kamut or maybe just add something a little more readily available, if you could give me a few ideas that would be great.Try split peas, field peas, or add an extra cup each of the lentils and sesame seeds.Im not familiar with portion sizes for alfalfa meal, but if you can find a bale of alfalfa from a feed store or ranch, you can leave that out for your chickens to peck at.Or, add a couple cups of alfalfa pellets to your feed during the times of year when greens are scarce.For the Nutri-Balancer you would need to ask the manufacturer for serving suggestions; I have never used it.Personally, Id only use human or animal-grade kelp.Try looking for kelp meal or kelp powder, if that helps.I dont know what amount causes toxicity, but Id refrain from using them as part of your feed.For chicks however, Id recommend corn meal as popcorn kernels may be too large for them.The real value to me is knowing exactly what goes into my feed.Even if you decide not to make your own, you can use this recipe as a base for choosing a good commercial feed as youll know what ingredients are included and why.Id add some kind of starter to get it going quicker.I just know the babies have different needs/concerns.Anything larger should be ground or fed in meal/powder form.Then add a few extra scoops of high-protein stuff like hemp meal, split peas, or amaranth seeds.I am wondering if there is something I could use instead of the kelp? My chickens have a fairly large area to free range but its covered with snow in the winter.I dont really know of a good substitute for all that kelp provides.Are you having trouble finding any form of kelp? I use the granules but it also comes as kelp powder, kelp meal, and seaweed.Or, you can look for dried seaweed in an Asian market.I put it in my food processer and ground it until it was pretty fine and then I sprinkle some on their food and mix it in.It is not too exspensive and seems to go along way.Just make sure your chickens have access to grit.I havent gotten them yet but doing all the prep right now.I was wondering a couple things.last? I am thinking about three chickens also.I am worried about food because I dont want to use conventional, but am afraid I wont be able to find all the ingredients.They do get to forage in the afternoons though, so Im not sure how much they eat from their feeder vs.You definitely dont have to worry about following my exact recipe, as many other seeds and grains will work just fine in place of something you cant find.And who knows, your chickens might not like a particular grain, so there will be a fair amount of trial and error as you create a recipe thats more suited to your flock.