How to Gather Food for Chicken Grain

If you are eating eggs and meat from your own chickens, you are eating what they are eating. The only way to be sure of the content of their feed is making it yourself. Whole grains have more nutritional value than ground or mash grains in common chicken feed, according to a 2005 Livestock Research for Rural Development study. Chickens who ate whole-grain feed had heavier and thicker-shelled eggs, due to increased minerals and vitamins, especially calcium. Chickens also were less likely to have coccidiosis, an intestinal disease, when eating whole grain feeds. Homemade whole-grain and organic feed is more nutritious, creates less waste and is cheaper than buying premixed organic feed.

Things You'll Need

  • 5-gallon bucket
  • 2 parts organic whole corn
  • 3 parts organic soft white wheat
  • 3 parts organic hard red winter wheat
  • 1 part organic hulled barley
  • 1 part organic oat groats
  • 1 part organic sunflower seeds (in winter this is increased to 2 parts)
  • 1 part organic millet
  • 1 part organic kamut
  • 1 part organic amaranth seeds
  • 1 part organic split peas
  • 1 part organic lentils
  • 1 part organic quinoa
  • 1 part organic sesame seeds
  • 1/2 part organic flax seeds
  • Chicken feeder
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Instructions

    • 1

      Check the bulk bins at your local health food store, feed store or co-op. You want organic whole grains, if possible. You will have less waste using whole grains than with ground-up grains, which are so fine they don't get eaten.

    • 2

      Search online sources for bulk grains, such as Sun Organic Farm or Bulk Whole Foods. Find the best prices for all the ingredients you need for your homemade feed.

    • 3

      Purchase grains with other chicken farmers and owners to save more money by buying in bulk. Check which local and online stores have the best prices.

    • 4

      Mix together your organic grains in a 5-gallon bucket.

    • 5

      Pour the mixed feed into your chickens' feeder and place it in the usual feeding area in their coop. You may need to be patient for your chickens to eat it if they are used to different feed, because chickens tend to be picky. Chickens have flavor preferences and will not eat or will eat less of a given new food. After a few days, the chickens should take to their new feed.