Feeding chickens meat

[Fred's Hens]

So theoretically, If I fed them Enough meat for protein I could essentially cut the amount of layena (Purina brand laying feed) I feed them?

The very first thing to put on your "to do" list is find a local mill. Such old time feed mill places exist in many places, even if they have no modern web presence. Any place that has any agriculture at all will usually have a feed mill that grinds their own chicken layer feed. You will often find a savings of 40% off pre-bagged Purina from a retail store.

That is what I would do first. Just to whet your appetite, I'm paying $19 for 100 pounds of layer mash from one local mill. You're likely paying almost that for only 50 pounds?

 

[captdad]

$ Cha Ching $

Yeah, 18 clams for 50 lb bag.

 

[Fred's Hens]

$ Cha Ching $

Yeah, 18 clams for 50 lb bag.

Keeping layers is a nifty hobby, I guess, but at those feed prices, I'd be done. Our local market simply doesn't/wouldn't support $4.50 per dozen. That's the amount i'd have to charge at those feed prices. We're a "for profit" farm, so I have to balance the books. It cannot all be hobby here, just sayin'.

 

[aoxa]

No matter the meat - it's the # choice of treat for the birds. I didn't finish my ribs the other night, and tossed them out to the chickens. You should have seen the chaos. It was a good 3 minutes of entertainment

 

[my sunwolf]

Keeping layers is a nifty hobby, I guess, but at those feed prices, I'd be done. Our local market simply doesn't/wouldn't support $4.50 per dozen. That's the amount i'd have to charge at those feed prices. We're a "for profit" farm, so I have to balance the books. It cannot all be hobby here, just sayin'.

Yeah I just keep losing money on all this poultry, but I can't find a local mill in VA to save my life (or my budget).

On Meat: Last month I accidentally left a deer leg in the stock pot out of the fridge overnight. I threw it to the chickens and they DEVOURED it. Little dinosaurs

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Little dinosaurs

Yes. This.

 

[Cindy in PA]

If you're feeding 100 lbs. of layer & 50 lbs. of scratch, you are already feeding about 1/2 the layer that 23 chickens would normally eat. I can not figure out how feeding meat would be cheaper than feeding layer feed, but that's just me. Do you even get eggs from these chickens?

 

[aoxa]

If you're feeding 100 lbs. of layer & 50 lbs. of scratch, you are already feeding about 1/2 the layer that 23 chickens would normally eat.  I can not figure out how feeding meat would be cheaper than feeding layer feed, but that's just me.  Do you even get eggs from these chickens?

I'm a little confused why this question is being asked? Wouldn't one assume the OP is getting eggs if they are feeding layer feed?

 

[captdad]

????
I'm getting18/day. How do you figure this isn't enough?

 

[aoxa]

Captdad:

Why don't you check out Fermenting Feed. It saves me 1/3 of what I normally feed them a week. It's healthier, and they highly enjoy it. Poops are not a smelly or messy, the egg yolks are bigger and deeper in colour, and the shells are stronger.

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.ca/p/fermented-feed.html