How to make chicken feed at home

Covid-19 has hit most farmers with a huge blow due to the closing of open-air markets where they used to get animal feeds at reasonable prices. Some will be left with no choice but prepare their feeds on their own.

Most people don't know how great it is to make your chicken feed. It is cost-effective and gives you a chance to know what you are feeding your chickens.

Before you start making the feed, ensure your ingredients are rich in proteins and nutrients. Layers and broilers require a different amount of nutrient in their feeds.

Making layers feed

You must have the following ingredients: 45 kg of whole maize meal, 19 kg of soya, 13 kg of fish meal, 14 kg of maize bran and 5.9 kg of limestone powder.

This will make about 100 kg of chicken feed.

• Add the whole maize meal, soya, fish meal, maize bran, and limestone powder into a container.
• Mix the ingredients until they are thoroughly combined.
• Stir the feed with a shovel, spade or a stick until all the ingredients are evenly dispersed throughout the container.
• It should be stored properly to make sure the layers will be feed with all nutrients required to nourish their growth and productivity.
• After mixing, feed the chicken by either placing the food into a feeder or sprinkle it on the clean ground in front of them.
• Ensure the feeding area is evenly lit and spacious to avoid pecking.

Making broilers feed

You will require 110 kg of cracked corn, 68 kg of ground roasted soya beans, 11 kg of rolled oats, 11 kg of alfalfa meal, 11 kg of fish or bone meal, 4.5 kg of calcium powder and 6.8 kg of poultry Nutri-balancer.

This will make about 230 kg of chicken feed.

• Mix the cracked corn and ground roasted soybeans in a container.
• Stir the ingredients with a stick or shovel to ensure they have mixed thoroughly.
• Stir the rolled oats, alfalfa meal, and fish or bone meal into the mixture.
• Stir thoroughly to ensure the ingredients have been distributed evenly in the mixture.
• Add the aragonite and poultry Nutri-balancer to the container.
• Mix the ingredients thoroughly so that the powders are thoroughly distributed through the feed.

Feed the chickens by either placing the feed into a feeder or throwing it on the ground once per day. This feed can cause fatal heart attacks to cornish broilers if you overfeed them.

All the feeds should be stored in a cool, dry place for up to six months.

Garages or barns are ideal places to store chicken feed.

Check the feed for mice, bugs, and mould before you give it to the chickens.

Ensure the feed container has a lid to avoid feeding them with contaminated feeds.

In conclusion, chicken feeds require the following components; proteins, amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, and fibre.

On the other hand, commercial layers feeds will require an increase in calcium components while broilers feed require more protein.