How to save money on chicken feed?

[BirdsOfAnarchy]

I live in Maine and one of our large grocery chains, Hannafords, saves bread and produce they can't sell, for farmers to pick up for their livestock. I regularly go in and walk out with a huge trash bag full of amazing produce. It's perfect in the winter when free ranging is minimal and there are no greens in site.

 

[BirdsOfAnarchy]

Also have you discussed having a feed buying club? Gathering with friends, neighbors & other chicken owners to collectively buy a huge amount of feed and split it up evenly. Buying in bulk will surely save you money.

 

[Chicks and Bees]

I like the large group idea, but wondering if the produce from grocery stores is sprayed with pesticides??

 

[BirdsOfAnarchy]

Well it's the same products that go on the shelves, some organic some not organic. Just sometimes the leaves aren't green enough or there is a bruise on a tomato and it gets tossed out bc customers won't buy it.

I like the large group idea, but wondering if the produce from grocery stores is sprayed with pesticides??

 

[momofthehouse]

You have to go by the numbers you get not by some book. Take the number of eggs per week(4 hens @ 5eggs each =20), a bag of food should last at least 6 weeks with 4 layers and a broody. (20 eggs a wk times 6 wks =120 or 10 dz) $15 for food divided by 10 dz should be $1.50 dz. Those numbers put you at about .12/.13 cents per egg. These numbers are moveable I am going just on what would be average.

I get 6-7 eggs a day and I have nine layers (I know that about two of them aren't laying however) and 50lb bag is $17.99... Can you do my math?

I have 20 chicks however in the brooder and about 50 more coming...wonder how much feed I should be consuming? They also free range and I am going to try that duck weed stuff but do I have to have an aquarium or can I just put it in a bowl and let it grow?

 

[BirdsOfAnarchy]

@duckinnut how long does a 50lb bag last you?

Take: Total Co$t divided by 30(days in a month) = your daily cost of having chickens.

Then figure how many days does it takes to make a dozen eggs

(in your case 2)

Then take your Daily Cost x 2= how much you pay per dozen

If you go through one 50 lb bag @ $18/month then you pay $1.20/dz

 

[LindaB220]

You might try checking this out:




http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/AGAP/frg/Mulberry/Papers/HTML/Mulbwar2.htm

 

[duckinnut]

@duckinnut how long does a 50lb bag last you?

Take: Total Co$t divided by 30(days in a month) = your daily cost of having chickens.

Then figure how many days does it takes to make a dozen eggs

(in your case 2)

Then take your Daily Cost x 2= how much you pay per dozen

If you go through one 50 lb bag @ $18/month then you pay $1.20/dz

You can also divide the number of eggs in that 30 day period in to the volume of feed used( if a fifty bag lasted 30 days). That would give you cost per egg. The cost obviously will vary pending the amount of eggs you are getting pending on time of year. Production drops off in the winter so the cost per egg rises. I buy 100lb bags at $23. Right now at this point it is running me about 7to8cents an egg. When winter comes that number will be around 10 to 14.

 

[cibula11]

I feel like chicken feed is about as low as it's gonna get. Free ranging is about the only way to truly lower costs. I have 14 hens and in the summer I'm going through a 50 lb bag of feed every 2-3 weeks. So, roughly $20-25 per month. Our family goes through about 1-2 dozens per week and we sell the rest. Our hens are producing 10-12 eggs per day, so we usually get rid of 5/6 dozen per week or about 15-20 dozen per month. We sell them for $2/dozen and that ends up covering the costs of our birds. We might make a dollar or two extra, but if I can fund my hobby, I certainly will

 

[yyz0yyz0]

I have 20 chicks however in the brooder and about 50 more coming...wonder how much feed I should be consuming? They also free range and I am going to try that duck weed stuff but do I have to have an aquarium or can I just put it in a bowl and let it grow?

duck weed will grow just about anywhere you have still water and sunlight. I got some wild and put it in my tropical aquarium, BIG mistake!!! I didn't have any fish that ate it and it just covered the top of the tank and got all over anything that touched the water surface. Even my arm when reaching in for tank maintenance. You can probably grow it on a window sill in a bowl. I'm going to try and get some this weekend and keep it outside in pickle jars, that way I can keep the mosquito larvae out of it. You could also just use a net to remove all the plants, refresh the water and throw some back in the jar and feed the rest to the birds. That would keep the larvae down.