Best way to store feed?

[ChickenLeg]

I won't tell you how much I spend on feed. You'd all be ashamed of me...

Its been about $15 for a 16% bag on average at our local feed store, they offer 22% for $16 now too whic isnt bad, but man a year ago 16% was only $12-13

 

[gtaus]

I won't tell you how much I spend on feed. You'd all be ashamed of me...

I can't afford the organic feed prices which are about 3X the cost of regular commercial feed. I do feed my chickens fresh organics in terms of chicken run compost consisting of wood chips, leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, and about anything else organic that the chickens will eat. The chicken run compost is full of worms and bugs, so they spend most of their day outside scratching and pecking in the run. Their commercial feed consumption goes down by more than half.

Now the chicken run is covered with about 1 foot of snow, and the chickens will not go out of their chicken coop until the snow melts in the spring. So, long winter ahead and a lull in the action. Commercial feed costs double for me in the winter, but hardly any eggs at the same time. Double whammy. Next time I get a backyard flock I will replace them the third summer and not carry them over their third winter.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I can't afford the organic feed prices which are about 3X the cost of regular commercial feed. I do feed my chickens fresh organics in terms of chicken run compost consisting of wood chips, leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, and about anything else organic that the chickens will eat. The chicken run compost is full of worms and bugs, so they spend most of their day outside scratching and pecking in the run. Their commercial feed consumption goes down by more than half.

Now the chicken run is covered with about 1 foot of snow, and the chickens will not go out of their chicken coop until the snow melts in the spring. So, long winter ahead and a lull in the action. Commercial feed costs double for me in the winter, but hardly any eggs at the same time. Double whammy. Next time I get a backyard flock I will replace them the third summer and not carry them over their third winter.

That all makes sense (cents!), economically speaking.

My birds are pets, so I buy them pricey stuff. Lately, though, I've been buying a bag of the really pricey stuff and a bag of the not-so-pricey (but still organic) stuff and giving them some of both. That's helped trim costs some. I also ferment the pricey stuff. They get more variety and better nutrition from the whole seed feed that way.