Breakfast of Champion Layers

We have never had such beautifully-colored eggs or healthy-looking hens as we do now.  We also have never had any problems with respiratory infections or other sickness, and I think it is due in large part to the feed mix I have developed for the girls and how strong their immune systems are because of it. 

 Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, for chickens as well as for people, and my girls get this custom mix every morning before they get any treats.  

If I had any doubts about the nutritional value of the feed mix before this summer, I didn't any longer after seeing the drastic improvement in the sheen and feathers of these three Marans I brought home July 4th weekend. Within 8 weeks of being on a steady diet of the feed mix, they went from being dull and listless to being active, lively and looking gorgeous.

Here is the 'recipe' :

10 parts layer crumble (I use Nutrena)

1 part shelled sunflower seeds

1 part cracked corn (less in summer, more in winter)

1 part raw old-fashioned oats

1/4 part whole flax seed

1/4 part probiotic powder (link to purchase below)

1/4 part garlic powder

1/4 part food-grade diatomaceous earth (link to purchase below)

1/8 part powdered milk

This mix provides added Omega-3s in the flax seed which passes to our hens' eggs to make the eggs healthier for us to eat.  

The probiotic powder assures better intestinal health. Probiotics form a barrier that prevent bad bacteria from attaching to the intestinal walls and also aid digestion, assist in nutrient absorption and help boost productivity.  They support the immune system in general and increase growth rates. Probiotics are also thought to help combat coccidiosis in flocks. [Read more here...]

The garlic provides both a boost to their immune system as well and is also a help in mite/tick prevention. 

The DE is a natural parasitic and adds beneficial silica while the powdered milk provides them extra calcium. I mix it up in small batches in plastic pails inside metal covered buckets, enough to last for about a week.

If you use a brand of feed that has any of these ingredients already in the mix, you can skip that addition.

Update: I have started using a new product,called Omega Ultra Egg which I mix into the feed. It contains ground flaxseed and some other vitamins and nutrients, so I no longer mix flax seed into the feed separately. This works wonderfully especially for a mixed flock because ducks shouldn't eat whole seeds so I had stopped mixing in the sunflower and flax seeds into the feed. With the Omega Ultra Egg, the chickens and ducks are both again getting the benefit of the flax.

You can also purchase Omega Ultra Egg direct from www.omegafields.com. They give a 5% discount if you use the coupon code FRESHEGGS.

I also started using Thomas Labs Brewer's Yeast and Garlic Powder. This is also a great product especially if you have ducks because the brewer's yeast helps them grow nice strong legs.  And the garlic helps repel fleas, ticks and other parasites, as well as having lots of health benefits.  So I don't add the garlic powder into their feed any longer either, I use this mix in its place.

Click HERE for our 'new and improved' recipe - also updated with measurements for a 50lb. bag of feed.

I tried using pellets instead of crumble, but find that the powders stick better to crumble - instead of falling to the bottom of the feeder. 

Instead of the traditional metal feeders that always seemed to be emptied out all over the ground, and limited how many could eat at once, I built this custom feeder out of a wooden planted box. They love being able to line up on both sides to eat, and it even keeps the feed dry if it starts to rain. Because it is fairly deep, the feed tends to stay in the feeder instead of being kicked out.

It even has a small plastic container on the side for their crushed eggshells.

       

If you do use the traditional feeders, here's an easy way to keep rodents out of them at night. Rats and mice can easily fit through even chicken wire run fencing, and they carry disease, so it's important to keep the feed secured out of their reach.

On very cold mornings as a special treat, I warm some water in a tea kettle on the stove, pour it over the plain crumble and mix in some oatmeal, raisins and sometimes even some scrambled eggs for an extra-special breakfast for the girls.  I know they appreciate the warm breakfast.  

The additions to the feed certainly do set me back a bit, but the better diet the chickens have, the healthier they will be and the more nutritious their eggs will be.  They love the feed and all are good eaters.  As you can see, sometimes they can't even wait for me to dish it out into the feeder !

Sources: 

Probiotic Powder ~ Probios brand available online from amazon.com

Whole Flax Seed ~ Mexican section of our grocery store or online from amazon.com

Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth ~  some Tractor Supply stores or online from amazon.com

   

 

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