How to save money on chicken feed?

[danahud]

Ive done a few things to cut down on feed costs...
The thing that has made the greatest impact is free ranging them first thing in the morning. THis way they fill up on all kinds of natural foods in the yard. I free range for a couple of hours and then when i walk out to the lot they run after me becasue they know they are getting fed the EASY stuff!
I also ferment my feed which doesnt take long at all and doesnt stink. Mealworms are another way to add protein especially when they are molting. My mealworms started off as a science project with my daughter and the population just exploded! They are also very low maintenance.
I experimented with growing fodder last winter and while somewhat succesful... it was annoying having to remember to soak the seeds every few hours. An automatic system would be awesome, but seems the cost of it would outweigh the benefit.

 

[xmclauchlan]

You can find duckweed in almost all wetlands. Just take a peep at Google Earth, look at the rivers and see if there are any wetlands or ponds nearby. It's one of the most commonly found wetland plants.

 

[arielleacres]

My chickens live quite a bit off of forage. It is hard to make money when buying a lot of feed. We have a farm though so we have a lot of land. If you have the land you may want to look into temp fence and birds that forage well.

 

[danahud]

Also i would recommend gardening. I grew quite a bit of greens, squash, pumpkins, etc this summer just so i could put it up and feed it to my chickens through the summer fall and winter. Seeds are not expensive compared to what i spend on chicken feed. and my chickens are very happy with it.

 

[piedmontfarms]

Does anyone know where to buy organic, non GMO chicken feed in 100 lb bags in central VA?

 

[LindaB220]

Does anyone know where to buy organic, non GMO chicken feed in 100 lb bags in central VA?

Glad to have you. That's a toughie. You might check with your state thread. Search at top for your state. They might have some info. I'm in La so I can order some from a texas supplier or order from Azure Standard. none is cheap, but the rewards might be the turning point in having a good egg business and a great one. Maybe a local mill might can order it for you.

 

[Darnbunnies]

I have access to unlimited amounts of duckweed in the Chino, Corona, Norco area of Southern California. Let me know if you would like to harvest some. -DB

 

[Darnbunnies]

Yes, I've always grown too much produce for my household. After years of giving baskets full to neighbors, relatives, and coworkers I decided to give my surplus to my chickens and ducks. They appreciate it and I'm happy to have them eating pesticide free produce.

 

[jkdubs2]

This Duckweed stuff is amazing! Says here it lives on ammonia. So Just pee in a jar and distribute to your buckets. hehe http://www.mobot.org/jwcross/duckweed/duckweed.htm Only downside is it won't grow in cold climates. I'd have to replant every spring.

not sure if this has been answered for you or not but you can just get a 5 gallon fish tank and light and put a beta fish in it and that way you will have the duck weed come spring. Also if you have a kid they will love the fish.

 

[Lissa Bitton]

This is a little off the subject - but if you have a solid floor in your coop - I would switch from bedding and straw to natural sand. I actually love having the sand in my coop and run. It is so easy to clean daily or every other day. I have a poop board under the roost and then I just use a cat litter scoop. It sounds strange but it is actually quite soothing to scoop through the sand. Kinda like being at the beach, LOL! My coop stays really clean and there is natural grit at the ready.