How to Make Homemade Chicken Feed Recipe: A Simple Guide for Backyard Flocks

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If you’ve ever stood in the feed store aisle squinting at ingredient labels and wondering what half those things even are, you’re not alone. When we first got our backyard chickens, I assumed commercial feed was the only option. But the more I learned about what goes into some of those bags — and the more our family leaned into intentional, non-toxic living — the more I wanted to try something different.

Making your own chicken feed isn’t complicated. It does take a little research and some trial and error, but honestly? It’s become one of those rhythms in our homestead life that just feels right. Kind of like making bread from scratch or hanging laundry on the line. There’s something satisfying about knowing exactly what’s nourishing your flock.

Why Consider Homemade Chicken Feed?

Let me be real with you: commercial feed is convenient, and there are some good organic options out there. If that’s what works for your family, no judgment here. But there are a few reasons we made the switch to mixing our own.

You control the ingredients. No mysterious fillers, no soy (which some chicken keepers prefer to avoid), and no wondering about the quality of what’s in that bag.

It can be more affordable. Especially if you buy grains in bulk or connect with local farms. Here in Northwest Florida, we’ve found a few co-ops that make sourcing ingredients easier than I expected.

Your chickens might actually prefer it. Ours definitely do. They go absolutely wild for the mix, and I’ve noticed their feathers look glossier and their egg yolks are that deep, beautiful orange.

If you’re newer to keeping chickens and want a solid foundation before diving into DIY feed, Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens is an excellent resource. It covers nutrition, health, and just about everything else you’d want to know.

Understanding What Chickens Need Nutritionally

Before you start tossing grains into a bucket, it helps to understand the basics of chicken nutrition. Laying hens need a diet that’s roughly:

• 16-18% protein (higher for growing chicks or molting hens)
• Calcium for strong eggshells
• A balance of fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals

They also benefit from variety — just like us. Chickens are omnivores, and in the wild (or in a nice big backyard), they’d be eating bugs, seeds, greens, and all sorts of things. Our goal with homemade feed is to mimic that diversity as much as possible.

A Simple Homemade Chicken Feed Recipe

Here’s the base recipe we use for our laying hens. You can adjust ratios based on availability and your flock’s needs.

Base Grain Mix (by weight)

• 4 parts whole wheat or wheat berries
• 2 parts corn (cracked or whole)
• 2 parts oats (whole or rolled)
• 1 part sunflower seeds (black oil)
• 1 part field peas or lentils
• ½ part flaxseed or sesame seeds

Protein Boosters (pick one or combine)

• Fish meal
• Dried mealworms
• Brewer’s yeast

Calcium & Minerals

• Oyster shell (free choice, in a separate dish)
• Kelp meal (a sprinkle for trace minerals)
• Food-grade diatomaceous earth — we add a small amount to the feed and also use it in the coop for natural pest control

Optional Additions

• Dried herbs (oregano, parsley, calendula)
• Garlic powder (natural immune support)
• Probiotic powder

We mix up a big batch every few weeks and store it in a metal trash can with a tight lid. Florida humidity is no joke, so keeping feed dry and pest-free is essential.

Tips for Success with DIY Chicken Feed

Start Slow

If your chickens have been on commercial feed, transition gradually. Mix your homemade feed with their regular feed over a week or two so their digestive systems can adjust.

Watch Your Flock

Pay attention to egg production, feather quality, and energy levels. If something seems off, you may need to tweak the protein content or add a supplement.

Don’t Skip the Calcium

Laying hens need calcium for eggshells, and the feed alone usually isn’t enough. We keep a dish of crushed oyster shell in the coop at all times so the girls can self-regulate.

Let Them Forage Too

Homemade feed is just part of the picture. Our chickens spend their days scratching around the yard, eating bugs and weeds and whatever else catches their attention. That natural foraging adds nutrition and keeps them happy. It’s the chicken equivalent of a 1990s childhood — less processed, more exploration.

Making It a Learning Experience

One thing I love about keeping chickens is how naturally it ties into our homeschool. We’re a Charlotte Mason family, so living books and nature study are already woven into our days. The chickens give us endless opportunities for observation.

My kids have learned about nutrition, life cycles, and even basic math through our flock. Measuring out feed ingredients? That’s math. Observing how different foods affect egg color? That’s science. Sketching a hen in their nature journal? That’s art.

If your kids are interested in getting more involved, A Kid’s Guide to Keeping Chickens is a wonderful book. It’s written at their level and covers everything from daily care to fun projects.

A Note on Sourcing Ingredients

Finding bulk grains can feel tricky at first, but here are a few places to check:

• Local feed mills — often cheaper than bagged feed at big box stores
• Azure Standard — delivers to drop points across Florida
• Buying co-ops — check Facebook groups for your area
• Restaurant supply stores — sometimes carry bulk grains

It took us a few months to figure out our sourcing rhythm, but now it’s second nature. And honestly, picking up a 50-pound bag of oats feels a lot more satisfying than grabbing a bag of mystery pellets off the shelf.

Keeping the Coop Running Smoothly

While we’re talking about feeding, I’ll mention a couple other things that have made our chicken-keeping life easier here in Florida.

First, a good chicken waterer with nipples keeps the water clean way longer than open dishes — important when it’s 90 degrees and humid.

Second, we finally invested in an automatic coop door, and it’s been a game-changer. The girls are safely tucked in at dusk and let out at dawn, even if we’re running late on a busy homeschool morning.

Final Thoughts

Making your own chicken feed isn’t about being perfect or doing everything from scratch. It’s about taking one more step toward knowing what goes into the things your family depends on — whether that’s the eggs on your breakfast table or the feed in the coop.

Our chickens are healthy, our kids are learning, and I feel good about what we’re doing. That’s enough for me.

If you’re on the fence, I’d say give it a try. Start with a small batch. See how your flock responds. You might just find, like we did, that it fits right into the rhythm of your days.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I hear the girls fussing — someone probably laid an egg and wants the whole neighborhood to know about it.