A lot of us have been there- you're at the feed store and chick days has begun. Whether you planned on it or not, you decided to bring a few or more of those fluff balls home.
Of course, you want to be properly prepared, so if you don't have chick starter already at home, you may find yourself drawn to the feed aisle where lots of options await you.
Not only will your eyes meet different brands and varieties of poultry feed, you will also see different sized bags of poultry feed.
The first time I bought chicks at my local store, I made the mistake of quickly and easily picking up a small, 7 lb. bag of chick starter. After all, I was just getting six cute little chicks, and picking up the little bag was an easy option, instead of messing with a big 50 lb. bag of feed.
You may see where I'm going with this- if all goes well those 4, 5, 6, or more chicks are going to eat WAY more than seven pounds of feed in their young life! In fact, I currently have two brooders of chicks, ten chicks in each brooder, about a week apart. The older ones are almost 5 weeks old, and the younger chicks almost 4 weeks old. They have been eating off of a 55 lb. bag of feed for a little over a month. The bag is now under 1/4 of the way full! They have eaten that whole bag, besides a half gallon or less that I used for a sick hen.
That's a lot of food! But when you think about it, how much more would that much feed have cost split up into little bags? That 55 lb. bag probably cost me about $20.00. Whereas at the same store, a 7 lb. bag of chick starter would cost me almost $7.00! That's almost a dollar a pound! Not to mention how much sooner you will have to go back to the store to get more feed for those hungry babies! Think about the value of each, especially with rising costs.
And remember, even if for some sad reason those chicks you brought home don't make it, doesn't the more chick feed you have on hand/left over give you a bigger excuse to get MORE chicks?
Hopefully that was insightful to those of you thinking about how to save money and time, with your first baby chicks.
Of course, you want to be properly prepared, so if you don't have chick starter already at home, you may find yourself drawn to the feed aisle where lots of options await you.
Not only will your eyes meet different brands and varieties of poultry feed, you will also see different sized bags of poultry feed.
The first time I bought chicks at my local store, I made the mistake of quickly and easily picking up a small, 7 lb. bag of chick starter. After all, I was just getting six cute little chicks, and picking up the little bag was an easy option, instead of messing with a big 50 lb. bag of feed.
You may see where I'm going with this- if all goes well those 4, 5, 6, or more chicks are going to eat WAY more than seven pounds of feed in their young life! In fact, I currently have two brooders of chicks, ten chicks in each brooder, about a week apart. The older ones are almost 5 weeks old, and the younger chicks almost 4 weeks old. They have been eating off of a 55 lb. bag of feed for a little over a month. The bag is now under 1/4 of the way full! They have eaten that whole bag, besides a half gallon or less that I used for a sick hen.
That's a lot of food! But when you think about it, how much more would that much feed have cost split up into little bags? That 55 lb. bag probably cost me about $20.00. Whereas at the same store, a 7 lb. bag of chick starter would cost me almost $7.00! That's almost a dollar a pound! Not to mention how much sooner you will have to go back to the store to get more feed for those hungry babies! Think about the value of each, especially with rising costs.
And remember, even if for some sad reason those chicks you brought home don't make it, doesn't the more chick feed you have on hand/left over give you a bigger excuse to get MORE chicks?
Hopefully that was insightful to those of you thinking about how to save money and time, with your first baby chicks.
