Bay Area BYCers!

[Stephine]

Ha! Yes, well EVERYTHING is way more expensive here....
You could check out Azure Standard, see if you are happier with those prices and check if there is a local drop (it is a coop and you can order once a month, normally, and then have to be at the drop off spot at a given time to receive your order straight from the truck). I have tried Azure, but either we don't have enough orders to meet the minimum requirement for a delivery or I can't make the drop.
Where are you in the Bay Area?

I meant it's a Co-op, not a coop...

 

[casportpony]

@Kacey Elle , try Sam's Downtown Feed in San Jose, Portola Valley Feed in Portola Valley, and Silva's in San Martin. Perhaps one of them will be able to help you.

 

[Kacey Elle]

@Kacey Elle , try Sam's Downtown Feed in San Jose, Portola Valley Feed in Portola Valley, and Silva's in San Martin. Perhaps one of them will be able to help you.

Thanks, casportpony. I've been to Sam's and still found it pretty expensive...even though Sam has been a great source of knowledge for me, my pocketbook doesn't love his store!

Ha! Yes, well EVERYTHING is way more expensive here....
You could check out Azure Standard, see if you are happier with those prices and check if there is a local drop (it is a coop and you can order once a month, normally, and then have to be at the drop off spot at a given time to receive your order straight from the truck). I have tried Azure, but either we don't have enough orders to meet the minimum requirement for a delivery or I can't make the drop.
Where are you in the Bay Area?

Hah! Good point. We have everything but it just costs more! I'll look into Azure Standard. Thanks for the tip.

As a somewhat related digression, has anyone heard of Modesto Milling? I went to An-Jan's today and they said they're going to start carrying feed from MM. They told me it's comparable to Scratch N' Peck but cheaper.

 

[casportpony]

Thanks, casportpony. I've been to Sam's and still found it pretty expensive...even though Sam has been a great source of knowledge for me, my pocketbook doesn't love his store!

Then stay away from Portola Valley Feed! lol

As a somewhat related digression, has anyone heard of Modesto Milling? I went to An-Jan's today and they said they're going to start carrying feed from MM. They told me it's comparable to Scratch N' Peck but cheaper.

Have heard of them, but never fed any of their feed. Let us know how you like it!

 

[jenuinejumper]

Thanks, casportpony. I've been to Sam's and still found it pretty expensive...even though Sam has been a great source of knowledge for me, my pocketbook doesn't love his store!



Hah! Good point. We have everything but it just costs more! I'll look into Azure Standard. Thanks for the tip.

As a somewhat related digression, has anyone heard of Modesto Milling? I went to An-Jan's today and they said they're going to start carrying feed from MM. They told me it's comparable to Scratch N' Peck but cheaper.

We only buy Modesto Milling feed. We buy their organic layer pellets, about $38 for a 50lb bag. Not the cheapest stuff, but we, and the chickens, love it!

 

[Stephine]

Thanks, casportpony. I've been to Sam's and still found it pretty expensive...even though Sam has been a great source of knowledge for me, my pocketbook doesn't love his store!



Hah! Good point. We have everything but it just costs more! I'll look into Azure Standard. Thanks for the tip.

As a somewhat related digression, has anyone heard of Modesto Milling? I went to An-Jan's today and they said they're going to start carrying feed from MM. They told me it's comparable to Scratch N' Peck but cheaper.

It is organic, like Scratch and Peck, maybe it's also soy free (and maybe even corn free?) like S&P, I don't know, but S&P is whole grains, fishmeal and vitamin/mineral mix, Modesto Milling comes in pellets and crumbles like other conventional feed which makes it more prone to going rancid, so it has a shorter shelf life and all that.
They started carrying it at the local feed store, so I saw it... I think S&P has a better product from a nutrition point of view, but MM is a bit cheaper and a bit easier to feed.

 

[Kacey Elle]

Okay...so I've been calling around San Jose today and I found a place called Ganado's that told me they have organic layer for $25...for a fifty pound bag! They were sort of busy/curt and hung up before I could ask my follow-up question about the brand. Anyone ever heard of good quality organic feed being that cheap?

We only buy Modesto Milling feed. We buy their organic layer pellets, about $38 for a 50lb bag. Not the cheapest stuff, but we, and the chickens, love it!

Good to know! Thanks!

It is organic, like Scratch and Peck, maybe it's also soy free (and maybe even corn free?) like S&P, I don't know, but S&P is whole grains, fishmeal and vitamin/mineral mix, Modesto Milling comes in pellets and crumbles like other conventional feed which makes it more prone to going rancid, so it has a shorter shelf life and all that.
They started carrying it at the local feed store, so I saw it... I think S&P has a better product from a nutrition point of view, but MM is a bit cheaper and a bit easier to feed.

Hmm. The person at the store said they hadn't started carrying it yet but she "thought" it was a mix of a pellet with whole grains. I did want some whole grains in there but I'm not opposed to having a mini-pellet with all the nutrients that they need. It's disappointing to learn that it doesn't have any whole grains. Do you use/like S&P? I love everything about it except the price!

 

[Stephine]

Okay...so I've been calling around San Jose today and I found a place called Ganado's that told me they have organic layer for $25...for a fifty pound bag! They were sort of busy/curt and hung up before I could ask my follow-up question about the brand. Anyone ever heard of good quality organic feed being that cheap?



Good to know! Thanks!



Hmm. The person at the store said they hadn't started carrying it yet but she "thought" it was a mix of a pellet with whole grains. I did want some whole grains in there but I'm not opposed to having a mini-pellet with all the nutrients that they need. It's disappointing to learn that it doesn't have any whole grains. Do you use/like S&P? I love everything about it except the price!

I have seen samples - I don't remember seing whole grains in there, it was just pellets or crumbles, etc.
Yes, I feed Scratch and Peck and am pretty happy with it. I wish it had more ingredients (a wider variety of grains and seeds), but oh well. I might start making my own one day...

 

[casportpony]

Okay...so I've been calling around San Jose today and I found a place called Ganado's that told me they have organic layer for $25...for a fifty pound bag! They were sort of busy/curt and hung up before I could ask my follow-up question about the brand. Anyone ever heard of good quality organic feed being that cheap?

$25 is still twice what I pay for layer feed.
Don't know about Ganado's. Are they a new store? Interestingly, I saw one of their delivery trucks being loaded with hay at Silva's in San Martin. I'll have to ask about them the next time I go.

 

[Kacey Elle]

I have seen samples - I don't remember seing whole grains in there, it was just pellets or crumbles, etc.
Yes, I feed Scratch and Peck and am pretty happy with it. I wish it had more ingredients (a wider variety of grains and seeds), but oh well. I might start making my own one day...

That's originally what I planned to do until I discovered that the individual components would mean I was paying like $6/pound of homemade food. I'm on a teacher's salary here!

$25 is still twice what I pay for layer feed.
Don't know about Ganado's. Are they a new store? Interestingly, I saw one of their delivery trucks being loaded with hay at Silva's in San Martin. I'll have to ask about them the next time I go.

No idea how long they've been around...I'm currently "caretaker" of a flock but won't have my own until the spring. I've only started pricing stuff in the last month or so--everything is "new" to me!

Yeah, $25 is still a lot but it seems cheap for organic! I'm currently paying $21/pound for conventional feed so a four dollar bump isn't too much, especially considering that it would eliminate the pesticides and GMOs.