If local or home-grown corn or milo is available, you may want to mix your own feed by combining a commercial protein, vitamin and mineral concentrate with ground grain. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations as to the ratio of grain and concentrate to use. However, a fairly large volume of feed must be mixed to make this more economical than purchasing a complete feed. Some producers think they would like to mix their own total formula, but this creates some problems for the small flock owner that make the idea impractical. It requires a very large volume of feed to justify buying and storing even small quantities of vitamins, minerals, protein sources and medicants for poultry.
Feed represents the major expense item in egg production.
It is at least 60 percent of the total cost of producing eggs. If the formulation used is not correct, the cost will be even higher. It is very easy to make a change in the formula birds are fed, thinking it is a way to save money when, in fact, it may cause the hens to eat more feed or lay fewer eggs or both. Check with a nutritionist before you try something different. Fresh waste products from the kitchen may be used to supplement the hen's regular diet if done correctly.