Homemade Chicken Feed Mix: Champion Layers

Learn how to prepare a homemade chicken feed mix that your layers will love, and that gives them all the nutrients they need.

by Debby Dathe – Good-quality layer feed is all your chickens really need to eat, but by adding a few supplements to their feed, you can provide your flock a healthy boost to their immune systems and improve overall health, both of which can result in increased productivity and better quality eggs.

I have been feeding my flock a custom mix that I call the “Breakfast of Champion Layers” for the past several years. I have never had such beautiful-looking hens with glossy feathers, bright eyes and rosy combs as I have since I started this feed regiment. I also don’t have issues with soft-shelled eggs or any respiratory or other health problems common to backyard flocks.

The supplements will set you back a bit each month, but I strongly believe in preventives, which are ultimately far less costly than a vet visit — if you can even find a vet who will treat your hens. The more you can do to keep your chickens healthy, the better their bodies are able to fight infection and pathogens on their own.

Benefits of Homemade Chicken Feed Mix Ingredients

Garlic powder

• repels fleas, ticks, lice and mites
• natural wormer
• boosts immune and respiratory system health
• controls manure odor

Diatomaceous Earth

• kills bugs in feed
• increases shell thickness
• increases egg production
• increases hen body weight

Probiotic Powder

• improves intestinal health and digestion
• increases absorption of nutrients
• boosts egg production
• results in larger eggs with stronger shells
• supports the immune system
• combats coccidiosis, E.coli and salmonella

Flax Seed

• increases omega-3 levels in eggs
• improves egg shell quality
• improves egg production
• boosts overall health

Sea Kelp

• provides essential vitamins and minerals
• increases fertility in hens
• guards against coccidiosis
• improves overall health
• improves yolk color
• reduces cholesterol in eggs

Dried Herbs

• various health benefits to be discussed in future segments of this series

Homemade Chicken Feed Mix: Breakfast of Champion Layers Recipe

Since making this feed blend, we have no wasted feed. Our chickens love how it tastes, and I love knowing that I am providing them with so many beneficial nutrients every day.

Ingredients:

• 40-50 pound bag of layer crumble (crumble allows the powders to stick and mix in better than pelleted feed does)
• 1-1/2 cups garlic powder
• 1-1/2 cups diatomaceous earth
• 1-1/2 cups probiotic powder
• 1 cup flax Seed
• 1 cup sea kelp
• 1-2 cups dried herbs

Optional add-ins:

• 4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 4 cups shelled sunflower seeds
• 2 cups cracked corn

These optional ingredients are considered “treats” and should be taken into consideration as an addition to other treats you are offering on a daily basis, but adding them will ensure your flock will love their breakfast!