best, cheapest food

[Lynnmj]

With the price of everything going up what is the best and cheapest food and where do you get it?

 

[Ebony Rose]

Assuming you want a feed that is nutritionally sound, one that will ensure the health of your flock over the long haul, I'd respond 'At your local feed store'.
That said, if you're raising birds that won't see much past their 2 or 3 month mark (some breeds of meat birds), you can get away with a substandard menu if you're willing to sacrifice some butcher weight.

You can greatly reduce your cost of feed by only offering what they **should** have daily, a quarter pound of feed per chicken, per day; Serve this in two separate locations that are out of the line of sight of the other location to reduce the risk of submissive birds being bullied out of their fair share. This will also encourage your birds to eat what they're given and pick up their leavings.

Free ranging your flock can also greatly reduce your feed bill, but comes with the risk of your bird(s) not making it home safely. I'm uncertain if it's the exercise or the extra tidbits that they're scrounging up, but I believe the meat of a free range bird has a better texture and taste.

Don't forget to feed your fresh, non-moldy kitchen scraps, crushed eggshells, and excess eggs (if any, cooked or raw, but not served in the shell in a recognizable condition) to your flock, with no more than 10% of their overall intake being from these sources. I prefer to feed these treats about an hour before bedtime to encourage my free ranging chickens to come home at a decent hour for their daily head-count.

 

[arion]

The feed will never be cheaper than it is today with inflation. I bought a poly shed with a hard floor specifically for the chicken feed and picking up four or five #50 bags a week while the feed is still available [with lack of fertilizers, etc] at tractor supply and currently the Dumor brand feed is around $16 a bag.

 

[Brooks_]

picking up four or five #50 bags a week

How big is your flock? How many bags can you use in a timely fashion. Nutrient degradation, spoilage, bugs, mold, etc. are things to consider.

 

[nuthatched]

I buy whatever has the best protein 18-22% for the lowest price, could be chick feed, feather fixer, gamebird deed, etc. I don't buy layer.

 

[Brooks_]

I buy whatever has the best protein 18-22% for the lowest price, could be chick feed, feather fixer, gamebird deed, etc. I don't buy layer.

If it's the same feather fixer that I know of, it's layer feed.

But really, best protein with the best mill date at the best price is a fine formula to use when buying feed. For almost 2 years, that formula equaled Purina flock raiser for me. The low price went out the window about a month ago.

 

[nuthatched]

If it's the same feather fixer that I know of, it's layer feed.

But really, best protein with the best mill date at the best price is a fine formula to use when buying feed. For almost 2 years, that formula equaled Purina flock raiser for me. The low price went out the window about a month ago.

To clarify, I don't buy normal layer feed with only 15% (it seems organic layer is 15%) or %16 protein. Feathers fixer is what? 17-18%

 

[Brooks_]

To clarify, I don't buy normal layer feed with only 15% (it seems organic layer is 15%) or %16 protein. Feathers fixer is what? 17-18%

20, I think.

Edit: 18 is the correct answer.