Has anyone tried milling and mixing their own livestock feed?

The more industrious farmers can mill and mix their own livestock feed. However, it’s not recommended. Does that mean it is impossible? Of course not. What we’re saying is that most of the people asking about making their own livestock feed, don’t have the time or resources for the commitment. But, if you want to go down this path, here are some options available.

Free-range grasses work best for animals such as horses and cattle. That means you will need to be able to rotate pastures. If you can’t rotate pastures to produce enough feed, then you must buy hay. That can get expensive and you might not always be sure what kind of hay you’re buying.

Pigs are the easiest for producing your own livestock feed. Like most of the smaller livestock options, you don’t have to worry about space. Feeding pigs usually requires making use of the scraps and related tidbits you already have on your farm. Barley, wheat and soybean remnants can be scrapped together and broken down into a baseline feed. The catch is knowing how much each size of pigs needs to chow down.

Chickens need a very fine grain. After all, our little feathered friends don’t have teeth. Still, these little guys will graze on a wide variety of grain. Even with that, your chickens should still be supplemented with a good mix of grains for a balanced diet.

But, what do you do if you’re out of farm space to make your own feed? As mentioned before, you can start getting into the pricey hay buying race. Yet, what happens if Farmer Brown treats his hay with chemicals? What happens if you buy a bad batch of hay?

Then, the effort to mill and mix your own livestock feed would be for not. You could still make your own if you have the space and time but take it from your livestock management friends. Stick to a known supplier that can keep your livestock well-fed and happy.