Brace yourselves, feed prices are going to rise!!!!

[Katy]

Quote:
Yep...unfortunately your glasses are rose colored....I wish they weren't. My husband and I farm. Even tho our grains are higher priced right now, our expenses have risen even more. Fertilizers which only a few years ago were <$200 a ton are now hitting $700 a ton. Everyone knows how much fuel prices have risen. Our tractors go through a lot of fuel in a growing season. I wish the rise in grain prices reflected more income for the farmer, but our bottom line doesn't reflect that.

 

[johnnyjack]

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most farmers make a living not get rich trust me..farming is tough and takes tough people to do it. maybe one day katy it will change for the farmers.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
most farmers make a living not get rich trust me..farming is tough and takes tough people to do it. maybe one day katy it will change for the farmers.

My husband has farmed his whole life (61 yrs) and we've been farming together since we got married 34+ years ago. If we were in it for the money we would have quit a long, long time ago. We've continued because it's a life style we love and were happy to raise our kids in. The kids didn't get to do everything or get everything they wanted because of the cost, but they grew up learning the value of a dollar and how to work hard. That said, it would be nice to feel like we had a little extra money sometimes!!

I doubt that it will change until there are no family farms left and there's only big corporate farms that can afford to hold their product off the market to drive the prices up.

 

[LoneCowboy]

We do compost our chicken poop for ourselves, plus we nab the neighbors cow poop too. Our problems is we fertilize commerically as well, So we have to buy that nasty stuff. It's true, the more the farmers make, the more everything costs, and they get nicked even worse than the common folk.

 

[hencackle]

Nobody mentioned the price of feed going up because the bulk of the corn crop is destined for biofuel production. That, plus the cost of oil...the sellers always look for good excuses to overcharge the buyer. Funny thing, I was just looking at my neighbor's yard yesterday and wishing I could borrow it to grow corn for my chickens.

 

[Katy]

hencackle...you are right the biofuel movement has certainly helped to make corn prices go up.

 

[TheOLDNewChick]

Yeah, for those of us who'd start growing our own corn and stuff for our animals.. What would you experienced people recommend?

 

[Wildsky]

New chick - I'm guessing chickens will be happy to eat whatever I can get growing in my veggie garden - or whatever is left over.
Sandhill preservation center has a mix of seeds to grow just for chickens!
But I worry mine will miss out on something if I ONLY feed from my garden.......
I hope someone can make some suggestions on what to grow. I bet in summer I'll be spending a lot less on chicken feed.... (the grasshoppers won't be too pleased)

 

[johnnyjack]

off topic alittle but i can remember when my family would have maybe around 30-50 chickens running around the barn yard thing is now most of us dont have enough land to let them free range.only thing they got was scraps from the table and alittle scratch everyday.stayed healthy and laid plenty of eggs.but with the population now days and all the land being cut up to build houses on. its impossible for me to free range . i do let themout once a day for about an hr or so befor dark.lol i guess everyone now how dry its been here in sc i planted 1 acre of corn this past season for chickens .needless to say it got about 3 ft tall and that was it ,turned dry the rest of the summer.my family grew peaches and apples mostly but that has all been stopped now. family members saleing land and living off the money. after our mothers and fathers worked so hard.its now just being sold.its a shame i think. not saying all farm familys do sale the land but mine are.a few still farm pigs and peaches.

 

[kstaven]

Wildsky ... I am sure your chickens will be more than pleased with any wild grasses and weeds that grow where you live. Now if you can get clover seeded in they will LOVE you! Any legumes that will grow in your area will be a hit also.

Around here the chickens race the cows for clover alfalfa mixed hay during the winter. Soaked rice in the winter is a cheaper and better option than corn. I do know that with rice, winter production does not nose dive as much as if I use corn.

Every year we use less and less commercial feed and more of our own home grown feeds. Chickens become VERY cheap to keep at that point.

With increased costs for farms going "bio dynamic" is a very good option. Our costs have gone to less than half by doing so, and I find once organized it is less work, fuel, and equipment intensive.

Kurtis