feed costs

[candy]

It bought feed last week and the price has gone up again! It is now 10.49 per 50 lbs. up 50cents from the week before. I feed a local layer pellet and there is not much waste, but is there something less expensive to feed to strech this? I would be interested on something to plant also. I have 35 layers and a few bantams, but most of those run loose and eat what is in thhe pasture and yard. Thanks, Candy

 

[silkiechicken]

You think that's bad, my feed is $14 per 50 lb bag... I started about 8? years ago and at that time it was only $8 for the same bag....

sorry I don't really know of a healthy way to stretch it... as most other feeds cost more. Free range more maybe?

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

We feed our chickens mainly steamed rice with a small amount of feed added to it. A 25 # bag of rice can run around $6.75 to $7.75 and will get cheaper in larger quantities. My wife doesn’t like to feed them commercial feed she says they get to fat and their eggs get too large.

 

[MoonGoddess]

Wow, Barnyard Dawg. How long have you guys been doing that? I have never heard of that before.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Chickens have been fed rice forever mostly in third world countries one thing you need to realize is that polished rice is not a complete food source since it is missing the outside bran. Brown rice is a better alternative or if you live near a miller that has bran for sale you can add it to the white rice or feed. The bran is normally removed because the rice is very nutritious and attracts insects when storing or shipping. That is while we free-range our chickens so that they have access to grass and bugs, along with feeding vegetables and fruits (figs, blackberries, tomato’s etc.). I will also mix in diatomaceous earth in with the rice. This is not for everyone but it seems to have worked for us, my wife doesn’t like the ingredients of commercial feed and the effects it has on them, to much fat, soft chickens and very large eggs to name a few.

 

[MoonGoddess]

I think that is very interesting.
I can totally understand your wife being concerned about their health. It makes sense to me why she chose rice as the mainstay.
You'll have to forgive my ignorance though, why are large eggs bad?

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Prolapsed Oviduct, also called "blowout" or "pickout" is a condition in which the lower part of the hen's oviduct turns inside out and protrudes through the vent. Prolapse occurs most often when a hen starts laying at too young an age, is too fat, or lays unusually large eggs. There is nothing wrong with large eggs but bigger is not always better.

 

[Jimagination]

Barnyard Dawg: do you cook the rice. Maybe you did say, but I didn't see it. Also when people feed oatmeal do they cook that too?

Thanks.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Yes we steam the rice in a rice cooker, I am not an authority on whether rice needs to be cooked or not but many ducks and geese feed on rice from the fields during their migration they eat it like if it were ice cream. Our chickens will also eat pine nuts that drop from our pine tree as if they were cereal it reminds me of naturalist Euell Gibbons.

 

[cookiesdaddy]

Barnyard Dawg: I'm building a chicken run around 2 redwood trees, where lots of redwood leaves (and needles?) will drop. Is that good or bad for chickens, do you know? I'm surprised that they like pine needles.

THANKS!