Living Your Values - What to Feed the Chickens

The more I educate myself on the issues of food production in our country and talk about the issues with friends, family & coworkers, the more I've realized two things:  the majority of people don't give any thought to where there food comes from, and the more I learn the more determined I am to make sure I know where my families food comes from and what's gone into our food.

When we decided to start raising chickens in our backyard, I started researching what I need to feed them.  Keeping in mind that we are what we eat, I want to make sure that my chickens are eating in a way that will make their eggs as healthy as they can be.  After all, in a way, we are what our chickens eat.

So I started doing research.  Let me just say that there are many, many different opinions about what you should feed your chickens.  Do you feed soy or not?  Flax seed or not?  Pellets or crumbles, or mixing your own food?  Sprouting grains or not?  Pasture raised or not?  Organic or not?

After reading so many sites that I lost count, I've realized that if you accept a few things that seem to be universally true across my research, much of it has to be decided by looking at the articles and the science and making decisions that seem best for you, your family, and your birds.  Most sites agree that you want chicks fed a diet that includes about 20% protein and that laying chickens need fed a diet that contains about 16% protein.

After my research, I quickly decided that I don't want to feed them soy.  Soy isn't a complete protein and has been linked to hormone issues - increasing estrogen and decreasing testosterone production.  Also, it's been found that chickens that eat soy produce eggs that have soy protein in the egg itself.  The soy that is most often grown in the United States is a GMO (genetically modified organism), and a large number of processed products that we consume already contain soy.  It's so hard to avoid consuming soy everywhere else that I decided that I wasn't going to feed it to my chickens - I want soy free eggs.

I also decided after much research that I am mixing my own organic, GMO free feed.  This learning adventure also allowed me to learn more about sprouting and the benefits of sprouting for my birds.  Once I decided to mix my own whole grains, seeds, legumes, etc. to feed the girls I had to figure out the right mix that would give them the well balanced diet that they need.  After much research of different ingredients and their cost, percent protein, and their overall health contributions to the feed - I developed a spreadsheet that would allow me to calculate which amounts of which ingredients would give me the most balanced diet for my chickens.

The organic grain I was able to find on amazon.com for a reasonable price - & free shipping!

Once I settled on a mix, I had to purchase ingredients.  It's not easy finding organic grains in Toledo, Ohio.  We have a small co-op in town that can get many of them for me but not all.  I ended up buying my organic corn, soft wheat, hard wheat, & kelp powder on amazon.com (with free shipping).  The other ingredients I'll be getting at the Phoenix Earth Food Co-op in town.  I decided to feed them a combination of sprouted and whole grains, along with greens and meat protein.  Here's the mix I'm starting with:

Sprouting:  2 parts hard red winter wheat, 2 parts soft spring wheat, 1 part oats, 1 part millet, & .5 parts mung bean

Non-sprouted:  2 parts corn, 2 parts lentils, 2 parts split peas, 1 part barley, 1 part sunflower seeds, .25 part flax seed,

Other items:  spinach, broccoli and other greens, hard boiled eggs (which Denise thinks is just wrong), kelp powder, plain Greek yogurt a few days a week & milk.

I really look forward to seeing how the girls like their food and I can't wait to pick them up next week.  I've got to get sprouting to make sure I'm ready for their arrival.  I'll keep you updated on how this food mix seems to be doing with the girls.

The more I educate myself on the issues of food production in our country and talk about the issues with friends, family & coworkers, the more I've realized two things:  the majority of people don't give any thought to where there food comes from, and the more I learn the more determined I am to make sure I know where my families food comes from and what's gone into our food.

When we decided to start raising chickens in our backyard, I started researching what I need to feed them.  Keeping in mind that we are what we eat, I want to make sure that my chickens are eating in a way that will make their eggs as healthy as they can be.  After all, in a way, we are what our chickens eat.

So I started doing research.  Let me just say that there are many, many different opinions about what you should feed your chickens.  Do you feed soy or not?  Flax seed or not?  Pellets or crumbles, or mixing your own food?  Sprouting grains or not?  Pasture raised or not?  Organic or not?

After reading so many sites that I lost count, I've realized that if you accept a few things that seem to be universally true across my research, much of it has to be decided by looking at the articles and the science and making decisions that seem best for you, your family, and your birds.  Most sites agree that you want chicks fed a diet that includes about 20% protein and that laying chickens need fed a diet that contains about 16% protein.

After my research, I quickly decided that I don't want to feed them soy.  Soy isn't a complete protein and has been linked to hormone issues - increasing estrogen and decreasing testosterone production.  Also, it's been found that chickens that eat soy produce eggs that have soy protein in the egg itself.  The soy that is most often grown in the United States is a GMO (genetically modified organism), and a large number of processed products that we consume already contain soy.  It's so hard to avoid consuming soy everywhere else that I decided that I wasn't going to feed it to my chickens - I want soy free eggs.

I also decided after much research that I am mixing my own organic, GMO free feed.  This learning adventure also allowed me to learn more about sprouting and the benefits of sprouting for my birds.  Once I decided to mix my own whole grains, seeds, legumes, etc. to feed the girls I had to figure out the right mix that would give them the well balanced diet that they need.  After much research of different ingredients and their cost, percent protein, and their overall health contributions to the feed - I developed a spreadsheet that would allow me to calculate which amounts of which ingredients would give me the most balanced diet for my chickens.

The organic grain I was able to find on amazon.com for a reasonable price - & free shipping!

Once I settled on a mix, I had to purchase ingredients.  It's not easy finding organic grains in Toledo, Ohio.  We have a small co-op in town that can get many of them for me but not all.  I ended up buying my organic corn, soft wheat, hard wheat, & kelp powder on amazon.com (with free shipping).  The other ingredients I'll be getting at the Phoenix Earth Food Co-op in town.  I decided to feed them a combination of sprouted and whole grains, along with greens and meat protein.  Here's the mix I'm starting with:

Sprouting:  2 parts hard red winter wheat, 2 parts soft spring wheat, 1 part oats, 1 part millet, & .5 parts mung bean

Non-sprouted:  2 parts corn, 2 parts lentils, 2 parts split peas, 1 part barley, 1 part sunflower seeds, .25 part flax seed,

Other items:  spinach, broccoli and other greens, hard boiled eggs (which Denise thinks is just wrong), kelp powder, plain Greek yogurt a few days a week & milk.

I really look forward to seeing how the girls like their food and I can't wait to pick them up next week.  I've got to get sprouting to make sure I'm ready for their arrival.  I'll keep you updated on how this food mix seems to be doing with the girls.

The more I educate myself on the issues of food production in our country and talk about the issues with friends, family & coworkers, the more I've realized two things:  the majority of people don't give any thought to where there food comes from, and the more I learn the more determined I am to make sure I know where my families food comes from and what's gone into our food.

When we decided to start raising chickens in our backyard, I started researching what I need to feed them.  Keeping in mind that we are what we eat, I want to make sure that my chickens are eating in a way that will make their eggs as healthy as they can be.  After all, in a way, we are what our chickens eat.

So I started doing research.  Let me just say that there are many, many different opinions about what you should feed your chickens.  Do you feed soy or not?  Flax seed or not?  Pellets or crumbles, or mixing your own food?  Sprouting grains or not?  Pasture raised or not?  Organic or not?

After reading so many sites that I lost count, I've realized that if you accept a few things that seem to be universally true across my research, much of it has to be decided by looking at the articles and the science and making decisions that seem best for you, your family, and your birds.  Most sites agree that you want chicks fed a diet that includes about 20% protein and that laying chickens need fed a diet that contains about 16% protein.

After my research, I quickly decided that I don't want to feed them soy.  Soy isn't a complete protein and has been linked to hormone issues - increasing estrogen and decreasing testosterone production.  Also, it's been found that chickens that eat soy produce eggs that have soy protein in the egg itself.  The soy that is most often grown in the United States is a GMO (genetically modified organism), and a large number of processed products that we consume already contain soy.  It's so hard to avoid consuming soy everywhere else that I decided that I wasn't going to feed it to my chickens - I want soy free eggs.

I also decided after much research that I am mixing my own organic, GMO free feed.  This learning adventure also allowed me to learn more about sprouting and the benefits of sprouting for my birds.  Once I decided to mix my own whole grains, seeds, legumes, etc. to feed the girls I had to figure out the right mix that would give them the well balanced diet that they need.  After much research of different ingredients and their cost, percent protein, and their overall health contributions to the feed - I developed a spreadsheet that would allow me to calculate which amounts of which ingredients would give me the most balanced diet for my chickens.

The organic grain I was able to find on amazon.com for a reasonable price - & free shipping!

Once I settled on a mix, I had to purchase ingredients.  It's not easy finding organic grains in Toledo, Ohio.  We have a small co-op in town that can get many of them for me but not all.  I ended up buying my organic corn, soft wheat, hard wheat, & kelp powder on amazon.com (with free shipping).  The other ingredients I'll be getting at the Phoenix Earth Food Co-op in town.  I decided to feed them a combination of sprouted and whole grains, along with greens and meat protein.  Here's the mix I'm starting with:

Sprouting:  2 parts hard red winter wheat, 2 parts soft spring wheat, 1 part oats, 1 part millet, & .5 parts mung bean

Non-sprouted:  2 parts corn, 2 parts lentils, 2 parts split peas, 1 part barley, 1 part sunflower seeds, .25 part flax seed,

Other items:  spinach, broccoli and other greens, hard boiled eggs (which Denise thinks is just wrong), kelp powder, plain Greek yogurt a few days a week & milk.

I really look forward to seeing how the girls like their food and I can't wait to pick them up next week.  I've got to get sprouting to make sure I'm ready for their arrival.  I'll keep you updated on how this food mix seems to be doing with the girls.