Where to get bulk/quantities of food?

DPGDirk · Sep 29, 2015

We are brand new to chickens. Looking to cut feeding costs.

Currently have 7 Barred rock hens, 16 guineas and 26 Black Australorp chicks coming along.

The adult birds free range during the day, but will be cooped up more during the coming winter.

Any good sources to buy bulk quantities of feed? Is it any cheaper to make your own?
Currently just buying bags of food at the local Atwoods and supplementing a bit with garden and fruit scraps.

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks!

CascadiaRiver · Sep 29, 2015

We always use our Local feed store, we get 50 lb bags for 20 dollars or something similar, I wouldnt know about making your own feed though, Best of Luck!

donrae · Sep 29, 2015

Look online or (gasp) in the phone book for a local feed mill. If you have a local feed store, ask them. We found our local Grange has a mill just about 30 miles away. Instead of paying $15 for 50lbs of feed at the store, we buy it in bulk down at the mill and it comes to around $10 for 50lbs. They had great savings on our hog feed, also.

Ol Grey Mare · Sep 29, 2015

donrae said:
Look online or (gasp) in the phone book for a local feed mill. If you have a local feed store, ask them. We found our local Grange has a mill just about 30 miles away. Instead of paying $15 for 50lbs of feed at the store, we buy it in bulk down at the mill and it comes to around $10 for 50lbs. They had great savings on our hog feed, also.

X 2 - a feed mill is an excellent resource. You can also often get quantity breaks if you ask about them, buy by the pallet, etc.

Folly's place · Sep 29, 2015

Buying in bulk makes sense if you have good storage available, and use the feed up in a couple of months. once it's milled, the vitamins start to degrade, so more than two or three months is too long to keep it. Mary

DPGDirk · Sep 29, 2015

Great info.

Looking into feed, it seems there are multiple formulations for different ages and whether for laying hens, meat birds, etc.

I'm using chick starter for the babies and an all flock pellet for everything else. Is that OK?

How old before we shift the chicks to standard feed?

Thanks!

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay · Sep 30, 2015

Just be warned that Bulk in the feed industry usually refers to multiple ton quanities that are delivered to the farm and stored in bulk bins. Your local feed mill might work with you on smaller quantities and consider it bulk.

donrae · Sep 30, 2015

DPGDirk said:
Great info.

Looking into feed, it seems there are multiple formulations for different ages and whether for laying hens, meat birds, etc.

I'm using chick starter for the babies and an all flock pellet for everything else. Is that OK?

How old before we shift the chicks to standard feed?

Thanks!

I use our local mill's all-in-one, similar to all flock, for everyone. Babies, layers, roosters, growing cockerels, it's what they all eat. Oyster shell for the ladies when they're laying so they can eat what they want.

Where to get bulk/quantities of food?

More options

DPGDirk

Hatching

CascadiaRiver

Songster

donrae

Hopelessly Addicted

Ol Grey Mare

One egg shy of a full carton. .....

Folly's place

Addict

DPGDirk

Hatching

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay

Crowing

donrae

Hopelessly Addicted

Similar threads

New posts New threads Active threads

Latest posts

Latest threads

Threads with more replies in the last 15 days