I've been roasting soybeans and grinding them in my food processor, the latter picked up a few years ago from a church yard sale. I've been doing this because I had run out of certified organic chick starter and the co-op was out of both starter and grower rations of the certified organic variety when I went to replenish my supply on Friday. As a result, I had to buy laying mash, which is lower in protein than starter or grower rations.....and so, in the fine tradition of farming everywhere, I've been "making do" by making my own protein-rich supplement of roasted and ground soybean and adding it in so that they will have the protein they need at this tender age. The chicks have also been enjoying lots of outdoor time (and enjoying all manner of bug catching, as they had perfected that art while still little fluffballs, under the lamp), for my son Edward came home awhile back, and built the first of two planned paddocks for the poultry flock. The chickens have also been enjoying Speerville grains and beans (wheat, barley, oats, and chickpeas). When I have leftovers or extra of these cooked they get them as wet mash feed. They also love all the pulled weeds from the garden. The plan is to reseed the paddocks and get them a decent pasture by rotating between the two paddocks.
