how/can I make my own laying mash? Is it camparable to store bought? does anyone else make their mash? Im looking for a cheaper source, thanks

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), October 31, 2001

Answers

You should be able to get a formula from your cooperative extension office, Stan. But I don't know if you could make small batches cheaper than a feed store can sell it to you because of economies of size. What you could do is get on the telephone and start checking out feed stores around you, and see if you can find someone who will sell it to you cheaper. If you offer to get a year's worth at once, for instance, they might give you a deal.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), November 02, 2001.

J.D. Belanger of Countryside fame has a good section on chicken feeding in "The homesteader's handbook to raising small livestock". See if you can find an old "Morrisons Feed and Feeding book" also. Seems like I remember maybe Gene Logsdon had something about this in his book on "Grain raising" (forgot the exact title). Try some of the online places like www.feathersite.ccom or www.thepoultryconnection.com as they have huge reference jumping off points.

The neat thing about chickens is they will eat almost anything and do pretty well. I know of people who pick up road kill even. I keep a close watch on the dumpsters at Quality Farm and Fleet and the Big Blue store also. So far this summer I have scrounged 2 truck loads of mixed feed, cracked corn, bird seed, etc, from what these places throw away. Mixd w/ a little laying mash it takes the bite out of the budget. See if the grocery produce folks will give you some of their throwaways too.

If they have been on straight mash, break a new diet in slowly. They don't like sudden changes tho. Mine have never known any different and don't seem to mind much. They also get most of what used to go into the compost heap also. If you had a place to store grain, growing enough for a small flock would be an option. That part's covered in JD"s book as I have thought about it myself.

-- John (jsmengel@hotmail.com), November 02, 2001.