The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Homemade Chicken Feed Recipe

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homemade chicken feed recipe

Let’s say you’re a first-time chicken owner, and you’re ready to tackle this backyard chicken gig.

You can’t resist the temptation at the feed store, so you find yourself driving home with a box of chirping, fuzzy yellow chicks in your lap. At $3-$4 per chick, that’s a small price to pay for beautiful, home-raised hens that will give you your own eggs for free, right?

Wrong.

Here’s the problem… There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and no such thing as a free egg.

As many of you already know, those fluffy yellow chicks (aka the gateway drug to homesteading…) are actually one of the cheaper aspects of keeping chickens. Once you succumb to the magnetic draw of feed-store chicks, expect to keep opening your wallet for:

  • A chicken coop/run
  • Feed (if you want organic or non-GMO feed, expect to pay the big bucks)
  • Waterers/feeders
  • Shavings/bedding
  • Heat lamps (if you use them)
  • Electricity for the coop
  • And any other random chicken accessories that might strike your fancy.

Of all the items on the above list, the one we chicken-addicts talk about the most is the feed. Why? Because buying good chicken feed at the store is so expensive it’s almost physically painful.

For example, this organic, non-GMO brand on Amazon is $38 for just 25 lbs. (affiliate link)

Ouch.

homemade chicken feed recipe

So, homemade chicken feed has to be cheaper, right?

Eh, maybe. But don’t count on it.

In fact, more often than not, by the time you hunt down all the (semi-strange) ingredients you need to build a good homemade feed, it’ll actually cost you more… And if you want to keep your flock healthy and producing well, you must make sure you are feeding them with the proper balance of protein, energy and nutrients. Unfortunately, you can’t just toss them some corn and call it good…

I’ve been ordering a custom-mixed feed from the local feed mill for 2 years now. (It’s the whole grain, non-GMO recipe you’ll find in Natural Homestead: 40 Recipes for Critters & Crops, in case you’re wondering)

Unfortunately, it’s not super easy to put together, and I could only find ONE mill in my area who would even attempt to help me with it.

So, when I saw that my favorite permaculture chicken guy, Justin Rhodes, had a favorite non-fussy homemade chicken feed formula he uses and loves, I was all over it.

I asked him if I could share it with you today, and he said YES. (Thanks Justin!)

(By the way—his YouTube channel is my #1 fav—you gotta check it out!)

A Few Important Notes:

  • As stated above, this is Justin’s recipe. I personally use a custom-mix that my local feed mill helps me to put together. The recipe for that mix is in my Natural Homestead book. However, it is a more complicated formula (with more difficult ingredients), so I wanted to share Justin’s simpler option.
  • You do not have to grind the grains– just feed them whole.
  • There are no lentils in the recipe. The photos in the post (with lentils in them) were shot a while ago, and thought they’d be a good fit for this post. This particular recipe does not contain lentils.
  • Since I have my feed mill custom-mix me a different recipe, I do not have price breakdowns for this particular recipe.

Natural Homestead feed

Simple Chicken Feed Recipe Formula

(This post contains affiliate links)

Mix together and feed as you would any other chicken feed. Since you are using whole grains, it should not loose it nutritive content as quickly as more processed feeds.

About the Ingredients:

Homemade Chicken Feed Notes:

  • I like how flexible this formula is– you can make a small amount or a large amount.
  • No doubt, I will get some emails over this post. There are websites/books/etc that turn feeding chickens into rocket sicence, and admittedly, you DO need to be careful in how you are balancing rations. However, I always go back to the fact that great-Grandma was keeping her flock productive long before there were shiny bags of “Chicken Chow” at the feed store, so I hesitate to overcomplicate the matter. Plus, when someone with WAY more chicken experience like Justin has consistent success with a recipe like this, I trust that.
  • Over the years, I have received emails from people in an absolute panic over what to feed their chickens. GMO/non-GMO, organic/non-organic, homemade/purchased—there is, indeed, a lot of options out there. But here’s the deal—we can’t control every aspect of our lives. Even if you (or your chickens) are eating the most perfect diet in existence, you/they will still likely be exposed to toxins in the air, soil, water, etc. This is just a side-effect of living on an imperfect planet.  Therefore, my conclusion is I will do the best I can, and even if I can’t source the perfect ingredient, I will be at peace knowing I did the best I could and they are still eating 100% better than industrially-farmed chickens. Seriously guys—please don’t lose sleep over chicken feed.

how to cut your chicken feed bill

Cut Your Chicken Feed Costs Even More!

Not only did my friend Justin generously allow me to publish his feed recipe, but he’s teaching a special LIVE webinar this Sunday, (June 26th, 2016 at 3pm EST) and sharing 20 of his best stunts for reducing chicken-feed costs! Like I mentioned before, I always appreciate Justin’s information– it’s meaty, specific, and actionable. Without fail, he always shares tips I would have never thought of on my own!

Sunday’s webinar will cover:

  • Four obvious (but overlooked) ways to reduce your need for chicken feed.
  • Disgusting, but extremely resourceful, ways to turn dead animals into protein packed feed.
  • Discover free foods right in front of your face (that most people call problems).
  • Quick and easy adjustments to the grains you’re already feeding for 15% savings in 24 hours.

Save your spot in the Creative Chicken Feeds Webinar HERE– it’s free!

(There will be a recording sent out to everyone who registers, in case you can’t attend live)

Other Homestead Chicken Posts You’ll Like:

homemade chicken feed recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hi Jill! Absolutely love your blog! I have gleaned so much information and inspiration from you.
    I also live in Wyoming, north of you, around Torrington. I was wondering where you sourced your legumes, also the Nutri-Balancer?

    Reply

  2. I to am from wyoming. I love your blog. It gives hopefully homesteaders like myself hope that it is possible with the crazy wind..sudden weather changes.. poor soil! :). I would also love info on where you get your chicken feed! Thanks for blogging!

    Reply

    • Hello fellow Wyoming-ite! So glad you’ve been enjoying the blog. I get my other chicken feed recipe custom-mixed at the Z&W Feed Mill in Torrington, WY.

      Reply

          • I called them yesterday and they don’t have any kind of peas. Is there a substitute you use?

          • I personally use a custom-mix that the mill helps me to put together. The recipe for that mix is in my Natural Homestead book. However, it is a more complicated formula (with more difficult ingredients), so I wanted to share Justin’s simpler option here. In the past, however, I’ve gotten peas from azure standard.com

          • Can they have field peas?? I have read that they shouldn’t….but I remember reading somewhere that either my goats or chickens could because I purchased them:{ I also purchased barley?!?!?! and I am making sure that they don’t have to be sprouted? So much great info filling my head haha..and very new to animals. Trying to get a healthy mix and then I forget who said what for which animal:}

      • If I wanted to purchase this in Torrington, what would I ask for? I was mixing my own but it’s so messy. I bought a mix in Fort Collins but it’s layermash and I’d like whole grain.
        Thanks,
        Renee Brooks
        Cheyenne, Wyoming
        ( we met this summer at the meet up)

        Reply

  5. I love this! My grandpa raised ducks and chickens for years and years without any commercially made prepackage stuff. 🙂 Would this work for ducks or do they need different food ingredients? I am new to raising ducks and would love to feed them something that is good for them! Thank you so much 🙂

    Reply

  6. We LOVE Justin’s daily vlog! Watching their sweet family working together motivates us
    To get out and do the same! Great post today – Tool box #76 is tops!

    Reply

  7. I am having a hard time sourcing the fish meal. Any tips on where to find this? I live in California so I don’t think it should be this hard but I’ve actually been looking for a couple weeks already as we watch Justin’s vlog so I already had the recipe, but have had no luck finding it. I can get nutri balancer from azure standard (for a pretty penny…$97!!!) but can’t find the fish meal anywhere. I don’t feel like this can be skipped as its a vital protein source.

    Reply

    • I’m in northern Canada where everything is hard to source so much buying online. I get fish meal (and kelp meal) from Amazon – free shipping. 🙂

      Reply

    • This is part of the reason DIY chicken feed can be so complicated, unfortunately. I get fish meal through my local feed mill (I actually use a more complicated recipe that they custom-mix for me. Justin was just kind enough to let me include his formula here for folks who don’t want to make my more complicated version).

      Reply

  8. baby chick starter and grower for broilers!! good basic recipes ??? I have ground grains before, for chick starter, balancing act gets very interesting, any suggestions???

    Reply

    • Unfortunately for starter/grower, I always just use commercial feed. Anytime I’ve looked into it, it’s gotten too complicated trying to balance out the required ingredients.

      Reply

      • Thank you Jill for this post. I have been following you and Justun Rhodes for a bit now. I got my first pullets a few weeks ago. They are about 5-6 weeks old now. I have been feeding the commercial starter/grower crumble and they are doing great. I what age would it be best to switch them over to the feed recommended by you and Justin? Do they need to be transitioned to the change in feed or can they go from the starter to home made feed without issue? Thank you. I look forward to your reply.

        Reply

  9. Hi Jill!
    You now I am a lover of all your stuff…blog, facebook, I get excited about e-mail….I have a question..you mention the feed is $38 for 25 pounds…..I’m wondering how much a chicken eats in a day…..or how long does that 25 pound bag last for how many chickens?

    Reply

    • Hi Nancy, Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s an easy answer for that. It depends on their age, what else is in their diet, if they are free-ranging, the time of year, etc.

      Reply

  11. Thanks for the great info!
    We are new to chickens and so far have only fed them regular store bought feed because I just couldn’t figure out any other option in my area.
    Thanks to you, I can now work on this combo and see if I can make it work – Thanks again!
    ~Karina

    Reply

  13. Loved this today! Can you share the link for Amazon, my searches keep giving me garden fertilizers instead of fish meal and kelp meal. Thanks so much for your blog!

    Reply

  14. Thank you for posting this. We are trying to come up with a more economical way to feed our chickens. What would you reccomend for meat birds? We are a small 1/8 acre farm that is looking to be more self sustainable. Feel free to check us out! mysocalledfarm.com

    Reply

    • Since we just had our first batch of meat birds this year, I gave in and just bought meat bird feed this year. But hopefully I’ll have a DIY recipe in the future!

      Reply

  15. Thank you for this! I also am having a hard time finding fish meal…I tried doing a bit of research to find the purpose of it in chicken feed, and if there’s a substitute. It seems it serves as a protein, and either that or milled soybeans. I’m not sure if you have any knowledge about this, but I’m wondering if black sunflower seeds can be used in place of it? I know it’s Justin’s recipe, but just seeking any advice from experienced chicken peeps! 🙂

    Reply

    • Soybeans are not healthy for chickens or us at all. Black sunflower seeds and oats serve as a protein to. My 20 or more chickens are free range and I make a mix of 50 lb bags of corn, oats, rye, barley, and wheat that I get from our local feed store for $7.00 – $12.00 per bag. I add 25 -50 lbs. of black sunflower seeds to my mix. I give them 12-16 oz of my mix a day. My mix supplies me for 10 to 12 months. I also give them what ever I have left over from our meals. You can also give them peas or any other vegetables and fruit you want. I give them pumpkins in the fall which supply them with a lot of vitamins for their health during the winter. Hope this can help you.

      Reply

        • I live in Oklahoma and my hens won’t touch pumpkin either. Even tried baking them to soften but they still won’t eat it. I thought maybe because they were pen raised on only bagged feed before I got them. But they like zucchini and other veggies from the garden,so I don’t understand it. Sure wish they would since after Halloween so many are available

          Reply

  16. I use an even mix of organic oats, rye, wheat, barley, and BOSS which is fermented year round. The dinos also are on a rotational pasture system and get various food scraps along with farmed live mealworms. It costs me roughly $20/ month to feed them.

    Reply

  17. I have been using fish meal for my chickens but I’ve been advised that it’s not good for your chickens. Because of high Mercury count is this true, can someone help me on this?

    Reply

    • Yes, fish products can contain mercury. It does depend on the fish meal, though. Most recipes only include it in small portions. Unfortunately, it’s hard (read: impossible) to find an absolutely “perfect” protein source, so sometimes you just do the best you can.

      Reply

  18. I’m excited to try the chicken feed recipe! Even if it works out to be the same cost as commercial feed, it won’t have that ‘commercial feed’ smell to it! The birds already get roadkill deer when we can find it (and are driving a vehicle conducive to transport… and it’s still there on the way home ;). We’re blessed to have ample garden space, so excess will be planted for birds next year.

    I have a question about the recipe, though. Are the proportions by weight or by volume??

    Reply

  19. Wowzers! $38??? We pay $13 for a 25 lb bag on non-GMO, antibiotic free formulated at our loan mill. I also give them fruits and veggies from the garden and sunflower seeds as added bonuses. I also toss those things with Oregano for the natural antibiotic properties. I’m fairly new to chickens, but I’ve found that a lot of research before hand and talking to those I know who love and raise chickens for the best advice. I haven’t paid anything for my babies themselves either. A friend of mine who raises them gave us one and fertilized eggs. We borrowed another friend’s incubator to hatch them. There is always a way. We also managed to get our paws on a lot of used wood and have paid very little for our coup. Thankfully, we live on 3 acres so we are able to free range.

    Reply

  20. Hi Jill , I’ve read that you shouldn’t give chicken dried beans. Is it safe to add dried lentils and peas to the mix or could it hard them?

    Reply

  22. I’d love to communicate with you about my little girl chicken, her name is Linda. I have a concern but almost never on pintrist. Is it possible to communicate with you by phone or email?

    Reply

  24. It is important to have an analysis of the eggs to have the right balance of omega 3 & 6 the Hens might need more proteins. If there’s no right balance in the eggs this could cause some free-radicals /oxidation and can be dangerously for your health. It’s always good to get a commercial feed. I didn’t see any flax seed in the feed ?

    Reply

  25. I must confess to being very confused about why it’s so complicated to balance a chicken feed. What were people feeding chickens before commercial feeds? I wasn’t under the impression they went to a lot of trouble about it.

    Reply

    • I agree, Rachel. And that’s a topic I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. People have fed chickens for a long time before Purina came around… And the chickens survived and probably even thrived.

      Reply

  27. Hi Jill,

    I loved this blog post and all the posts I read of yours. I was looking at the the ingredients for the feed and was wondering what kind of oats are used. There are so many different kinds. When I was looking on Azure, they have feed grade corn and such. I would appreciate your help in this matter.

    Reply

  29. I agree with some of your readers. What did people do years ago before store bought feed. I’m sure the pioneers didn’t worry about the ratio of this to that. Also where (if they did) would they get it? Chickens have survived and produced for many years……before all this.

    Reply

  30. I’ve read many time never to feed dry beans or peas to your chickens yet your showing it here….. ???? Just wondering why I read no no no but you say yes

    Reply

    • Fermenting or sprouting is the key to helping your chickens enjoy these nutrients.:) These methods, along with all the prior ingredients lsited and more, make it possible for them to obtain and process MANY more nutrients than they othere is would…and it helps with their digestive systems 🙂

      Reply

  31. Hi I was wondering what I could substitute for wheat? I have a friend with anaphylactic allergy to wheat.

    Reply

  32. You lost me when you said corn. Corn should never make up 30% of ANYTHING for a chicken. It’s like feeding a person 30% of their diet in sugar or candy. We only give it in the winter for them to add extra fat to their bodies. If chickens get too fat they don’t lay eggs! I’m calling this. They’d do better eating “crap food” from the local store than that mix. Anyone who knows chickens should know this already. Please people don’t take her word for it!!!

    Reply

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    Reply

  34. Folks thank you for all of the information, as I have read thru all of it. I can’t help but chuckle at listening to the prices of the ingredients and wonder “how is this saving any money”? Our local feed co-op sells an Organic Laying Mix for $8.50 for a 50 pound bag. Hard to beat!! Then you would have a bit of money in your pocket for fancy coops and treats. ?

    Reply

  37. Thank you for the simple recipe! I’ve been hunting around and found several more complicated mixes, but I think this will be a good place for me to start.

    Reply

  39. We keep a dozen or so chicks for eggs, we’re vegetarians. We feed an organic feed for the girls. The fact is, in the old tyme days of gramma’s hens, they free ranged. Many were predated, many were eaten by gramma’s family. Very few lived past one or two years. Thay weren’t exposed to the toxic world we live in today. Most food was “organic” – LOL. It didn’t really matter what you fed them beyong corn or wheat.

    Reply

  40. What is the protein % for this recipe? I’m wondering if I can feed it to both my broilers and my egg layers?

    Reply

  41. Your blog is so helpful. We are building an extension to coop for feed as I want to mix my own and have started sprouting grains and fermenting. Loving having the chickens even though at sunset training them into coop is taking some time.

    Reply

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