Folks often eye my flock of fifty birds and ask, ‘What’s your monthly feed bill?’
My honest answer usually catches ’em off guard: ‘Zero. Mostly hand-me-downs.’ I only buy a sack of broken rice when we’re really scraping bottom.
You won’t catch me shelling out for pricey commercial feed at the hardware store. And here’s another thing: I don’t bother with fermented feed either, even though it’s practically gospel in natural poultry circles.
Why? Simple. The bird’s own gut? That’s the finest fermentation tank you’ll ever find.
This piece lays out my no-nonsense, low-effort philosophy for keeping a flock healthy and laying, all while sticking to a ‘zero-cost full course’ diet.
Our Main Course: Hokkaido’s Local Bounty
I’m settled deep in southern Hokkaido, surrounded by endless fields and rice paddies. My chickens’ staple diet comes primarily from the grains I get from local farmers – either gifted or bought cheap.
🐓 Our Grain List:
- Broken Rice (Energy source)
- Soybeans (Protein source)
- Wheat & Buckwheat (Minerals & Fiber)
- Rice Hulls (Filler & Fiber)
We feed these grains straight up (単給 – Tankyuu), without any grinding or mixing. I’m even planning to cultivate sunflowers for winter, aiming for those high-calorie seeds.
The Only Chore: Soaking Soybeans
While most grains go in as-is, soybeans are the exception. Dry, rock-hard soybeans? My chickens won’t touch ’em.
So, the night before, I simply soak ’em in a bucket of water. By morning, they’ve plumped up, soft and ready. The chickens gobble them down with gusto.
Why I Don’t Bother with Fermented Feed
In the natural poultry world, fermenting rice bran or okara is often touted as the gold standard. I looked into it when I started, but a question gnawed at me:
‘Do wild birds go out of their way to find and eat fermented grub?’
The answer is a resounding ‘Nope.’ They eat whatever seeds and bugs they find, as they find ’em. Besides, trying to maintain fermentation temperatures through a Hokkaido winter is a fool’s errand, and in summer, you’re just inviting rot. It’s too much fuss.
The Answer Was in the Gut
Then I stumbled across a tidbit of information that clicked: ‘The ideal temperature for fermentation is the same as an animal’s internal body temperature.’
That was it. Why go through all the trouble of fermenting feed outside, when I can just let the chickens eat it, and their warm bellies will do the job for me?
Feeding dry grains means easy, long-term storage with no spoilage worries. When they eat it, the grains mix with water in their gut, making nutrient absorption as efficient as can be. This is the logical style I’ve settled on: ‘Intestinal Fermentation.’
Protein: Sourced Wild and Free
Protein is non-negotiable for egg production. Here too, we stick to ‘zero-cost’ and ‘wild’ sourcing.
1. A Fisherman’s Perk: Fish Scraps
I love to fish, and I’m often down by the sea. The heads, guts, and bones of my catch – the parts humans don’t eat – are a feast for the chickens. A true festival!
Fish and meat are hands-down their favorite. The look in their eyes when I toss in some fish scraps is, frankly, a little terrifying sometimes.
2. The Backyard Bug Buffet
On good weather days, I let the flock free-range in the backyard. They scratch and dig, gleefully unearthing earthworms and beetle larvae. As a bonus, they munch on weeds, saving me the chore of weeding. Two birds, one stone.
Kitchen Scraps? No, They’re Resources.
The concept of ‘kitchen garbage’ doesn’t exist on my homestead. Vegetable peels, leftovers, any organic matter from the kitchen goes straight into the chickens’ bellies, transforming into delicious eggs.
The Window’s Call
It’s funny what happens when I open the kitchen window while the chickens are out back. The ‘clatter’ of the window latch is their signal. They think, ‘Something tasty’s coming!’ and sprint over, gathering below the sill.
I toss out the veggie scraps. Zero food waste. No garbage bag fees. Happy chickens. This, right here, is the pure joy of self-sufficiency.
In Summary: Feeding is All About Morning Observation
My feeding routine is simple. In the morning, I dump out their daily portion.
Then, in the evening, when they’re roosting, I feel their crop (the pouch at the base of their neck). If it’s plump, they’ve had enough. If it’s flat, I’ll add a little more tomorrow. No need to overthink it; I just listen to my birds and keep feeding them from the land’s generous bounty.
▼ Our Feeding Rules:
- Primarily ‘single-ingredient’ grains. No mixing, no processing.
- Fermentation is left to the chicken’s gut.
- Fish scraps and kitchen waste are top treats.
- Amount is judged by the evening crop, not by a manual.
- Achieve zero annual feed costs by avoiding expensive commercial feeds.
- Implement single-ingredient feeding using local by-products like broken rice, soybeans, and buckwheat.
- Embrace a minimalist natural poultry philosophy by eliminating the effort of making fermented feed.
Comments