Switched from store-bought feeds to mixing my own after 3 years of raising Rhode Island Reds outside Columbus

I spent way too long buying those big bags from Tractor Supply, but when prices jumped to $18 a bag last spring I started mixing my own scratch grains and layer pellets. Got a used grain grinder off Facebook Marketplace for $40 and now I just buy corn and oats in bulk from a feed mill in Marysville. My hens seem perkier and I swear the yolks are darker, but man does it take more time every Sunday. Anybody else tried this and gone back to bags?

2 comments

2 Comments

ericgonzalez2d ago

Huh, darker yolks from mixing your own feed? I kinda doubt it matters that much unless you were buying garbage before.

kais672d ago

Skip the fancy feed and just toss a few extra marigold petals in their run if you want darker yolks for free. I tried the DIY feed route for two months before I got tired of hauling 50 pound sacks of corn through my kitchen at 7am on a Sunday. Now I just buy the cheap bags again and tell myself the eggs look fine in dim lighting.