if you dont have access to laying pellets whats the best alternative

[maoriauctions]

I need some help, the budget is getting tight, at the moment we cant afford any more pellets for a couple of months, but i want to keep my hens in great egg producing condition. At the moment im feeding them vege scraps but could anybody please give me some advice.

 

[arlee453]

The only suggestions I have cost more than laying pellets....sorry.

 

[rooster-red]

Boil some eggs and mash them up for them.

I know how having a very tight budget is, but a bag of pellets is Usually no more than $12.

 

[CarriBrown]

They are going to need calcium and protein. You can buy a bag of oyster shells at the feed store and give them free choice. They will eat what they need. They also need to have lean protein in their diet, in the forum of scrambled eggs, cooked chicken, etc.
I really think you should try and cut back someplace else. It will be very hard on your hens to continue laying with a diet that is not up to par.

 

[maoriauctions]

i know but that does depend on where you live, i live in nz

 

[MissPrissy]

If you can't afford to feed them maybe you should try to find them a home where they could be properly fed?

 

[maoriauctions]

those things i can manage acutally thank you for your help tho. But what do they have in the wild if they dont have pellets?

 

[hcammack]

The breeds of chicken that we have today cannot survive off forage alone because we have bred them to be bigger and grow faster and produce more eggs. The red jungle fowl and many game birds could probably do alright on forage alone but they will not thrive unless they live in the very biodiverse habitat the chickens ancestors ariginated in.

Henry

 

[maoriauctions]

oh ok i understand that thanks. I think i might try sell one or two to get enough feed for the others but thanks for your help.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

If you live in an area you can free-range them, that would help greatly. When we are on a tight budget, our's free-range, get whole corn and whole oats in the evening, and have access to oyster shell. Our's do not get get corn or oats free-choice, only a few handfulls thrown upon the ground before bed(helps remind them where to roost). The oyster shell they have access to all the time. They are allowed to freerange from early in the day to late in the evening, and are locked up safely at night.

They get mealworms and kitchen scraps. Production is as good as ever! We get an egg everyday from each hen and the hens are in their second(!) year of production.

Another good place for cheap protein is using buckets of roadkill to grow maggots. You hang the buckets in the coop and the chickens will gobble up falling larvae before they become flies. This isn't suggested if your coop is near anyone's house! You can also compost worms or farm mealworms. All are great ways for "free" protein and the chickens love it.

If you are near any farms ask them how much they sale their corn and oats for. Our local farmer sells whole corn for $10 a 100lb bag and $7 for 75-85 lb oats.

Free-ranging is the best way to save money on feed, but it's not an available option for everyone. With free-ranging, expect losses to predation, it happens.

Have any other questions, feel free to ask! I'm all about saving money..LOL
-Kim