The recipe for that mix is in my Natural Homestead book.This particular recipe does not contain lentils.Since you are using whole grains, it should not loose it nutritive content as quickly as more processed feeds.That may or may not be possible in your area.I also feed kelp to my cows, goats, and horses.Even if its slightly more complicated for you to source, I wouldnt skip it.Heres a dealer locater to see if you can find it in your local area.Another calcium option is crushed egg shells.However, I always go back to the fact that great-Grandma was keeping her flock productive long before there were shiny bags of Chicken Chow at the feed store, so I hesitate to overcomplicate the matter.Plus, when someone with WAY more chicken experience like Justin Rhodes has consistent success with a recipe like this, I trust that.But heres the dealwe cant control every aspect of our lives.This is just a side-effect of living on an imperfect planet.By feeding all year round, you’ll give them a better chance to survive food shortages whenever they may occur.At this time of year, put out food and water on a regular basis.Use only good-quality food and scraps.Always adjust the quantity given to the demand, and never allow uneaten foods to accumulate around the feeders.Once you establish a feeding routine, try not to change it as the birds will become used to it and time their visits to your garden accordingly.During the summer months, birds require high protein foods, especially while they are moulting.Only feed selected foods at this time of year.Good hygiene is vital, or feeding may do more harm than good.Soft apples and pears cut in half, bananas and grapes are also good.If you feel you must put out peanuts, only do so in suitable mesh feeders that will not allow sizeable pieces of peanuts to betaken, reducing the choking risk to chicks. Commercially produced fat bars are suitable for summer feeding but discard any remains after three weeks.It is now known that if the weather turns cold or wet during spring or summer, severe shortage of insect food can occur, and if the weather is exceptionally dry, earthworms will be unavailable to ground feeding birds because of the hard soil.In order to help with this, buggy nibbles and mealworms can be provided during these times to prevent starvation.If food shortages occur when birds have young in the nest they may be tempted by easy food put on bird tables to make up the shortfall in natural food, initially to feed themselves, but if the situation gets bad enough, they will also take the food to the nest.If the food offered on your bird table isn’t suitable for the young chicks, it can do more harm than good, and can even be lethal to the chicks as they can choke on the food.It can be difficult for a human to gauge when food shortage in the wild occurs, and hence it is best not to put out food that is likely to create problems dring the breeding season.Therefore, never put out loose peanuts, dry hard foods, large chunks of bread, or fats during the spring or summer months.This page shows you what to feed your garden birds - and what to avoid.Appreciate the colours and fascinating behaviour of birds up close, when you feed them in your garden.Eating with feathered companions is a great way to socialize them; however, there are some foods that humans love that should never be offered to pet birds because of potential toxicity.