But, OP says: "I just can't really afford 120 dollars per month for 300 lbs of food for the chickens." As I read through this again, I think I'm spending half as much as she is, but with half the amount of chickens, and they free range in my orchard. :idunno 23 chickens will produce a lot of...
This ^^ is more in line with what I spend on chicken food per month, maybe $50, and that includes grit,oyster shell and a few treats, but I have never kept track of it to be exact. That's because I'm always buying other stuff at the same time, like wild bird seed, squirrel food, dog and cat...
I sympathize. Although I can afford to feed my chickens, I realize it is more costly than I ever expected. That being said, I think you should be using flock raiser and offering oyster shell on the side. Using the Purina brand that will run the $120/mo for your 300 lbs/mo. That does seem...