Author: Anna & Mark

Recently,
I’ve overloaded you with masses of information about how
to make grain-based chicken feeds.  This is the
traditional route, but if you remember from the very beginning of this
series, wild
chickens would primarily be eating bugs and worms.  Is there a way to
keep our flock healthier by providing them with a more natural diet?



Some chicken keepers
feed their birds mealworms, which are basically the larval stage of a
beetle.  The Sialis website gives lots of information
about raising mealworms, but it all comes down to giving the larvae
some kind of grain or grain byproduct to eat.  If you have access
to a bunch of bran (for example, if
you grind your own grains into chicken feed), this could be a great use
of the “waste”, turning it into a high protein source that your
chickens will go nuts over.  However, if you’re buying the
mealworm food, feeding mealworms to your chickens would be very
uneconomical.



The next option we
present — Japanese beetles — looks more enticing.  While
you’re waiting, check out our automatic chicken waterers, great in coops or tractors.

One of the reasons we’ve
held back from growing
our own chicken feed grains for so long is that we were
a bit scared of the processing step.  But it sounds like there are
two options that are suitable to the backyard scale.

Some
grains can be fed whole, but nearly all grains are more digestible if
they are ground.  If you’re grinding grain into flour for
yourself, you can use the same hand-cranked mill to grind a bit of
grain for your chickens.  On the other hand, if we really get into
growing our own feed we’ll probably find a way to make or buy a better
mill.



Old timey farmers knew
that sprouting was even better than
grinding.  If you’re willing to put in a little extra time, you
can sprout all of the grains you feed your animals, a process that
makes them even more nutritious.  This would probably be our
processing option of choice, especially in the winter.



Stay tuned for several
less conventional chicken feed options in upcoming posts. 
Meanwhile, check out our homemade chicken
waterers that
provide clean water for your hens.