Can’t afford rising feed prices

[3KillerBs]

my 11 birds (roughly half of your flock) go through about 50lbs a month.

And my 20-30 birds eat 100lbs in roughly 2 weeks.

But $2 where you are is crazy cheap compared to around here. When I drive around I see them for sale at $4 a dozen and if I look at Craigslist, more for the other farm stuff, they are around $5/6 a dozen. And the local grocery store has there eggs setting close to $5. I happened to take this picture to show my husband.

$2!?!?!?!

I was getting $5 for an 18 pack, family and friends only and will be raising my prices to $5 a dozen on that basis and more when I'm complying with all sales regulations for roadside stand sales.

Yes and fermenting will cut your feed bill in half. Here's more on the topic:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fermenting-pellet-feed.1287963/

Not unless the birds are wasting massive amounts of feed.

The savings from fermenting feed generally amount to the same savings seen when switching to a no-waste type feeder.

husband has been in the habit of filling several pans of food every morning for them and they gobble it up quick.

This is a situation that sets up massive waste as the hens scratch and compete for food out of containers that allow them to dump great quantities on the ground.

I prefer an old-fashioned metal feeder with a deep pan. This one isn't quite as good as the one I have now, which seems to have been discontinued, but it's close: https://www.southernstates.com/cata...gory=horse-livestock+poultry+feeders-waterers

There are a number of other designs that limit waste, both homemade and commercial. Some require the bird to stick it's head into a port to eat, others have some device to limit their ability to rake feed out.

Chickens do best when free-fed so that they have access to their feed at all hours of daylight. This can actually reduce waste because knowing that they always have access means that they don't feed as frantically and don't throw feed around so much.

But if you do use a measured feeding strategy it's imperative to feed in dishes that permit the entire flock to eat at the same time so that dominant birds can't prevent the low-status birds from eating.

Some people find that less feed is wasted when using pellets. Especially when using this sort of feeder with the plastic bars in the pan to limit raking: https://www.southernstates.com/cata...gory=horse-livestock+poultry+feeders-waterers

Birds also waste more when fed down on the ground than when the feeder is hung at the level of their backs.

 

[Sissyhen]

Diotomaceous earth isn't a wormer for anything, it doesn't do a thing. that's a myth and can actually cause respiratory system issues when breathed.

Experience has proved otherwise, and you mix it in wet feed.

 

[DickMidnight]

And my 20-30 birds eat 100lbs in roughly 2 weeks.

math checks out. this is about where the OP should be

There are a number of other designs that limit waste, both homemade and commercial. Some require the bird to stick it's head into a port to eat

i linked my feeder above, but a picture would be more helpful. no food waste here, and i only have to fill once every 6 weeks-2 months since it holds 80lbs.

Chickens do best when free-fed so that they have access to their feed at all hours of daylight.

agreed.

 

[Isadora]

Experience has proved otherwise, and you mix it in wet feed.

Diatomicious Earth is useless if it's wet.
Are you completely opposed to using a regular dewormer?

 

[Iluveggers]

My girls were spilling a ton of their crumble at the beginning. I bought a heavy rubber dog bowl and put the feeder inside. Anything they spill out now I just pour back in once they go into the coop for the night. I also put out two small bowls of wet mash first thing in the morning which are usually gone by the afternoon. The dog bowl below has prevented a TON of waste.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

It sounds absurd right? There’s literally folks one street over selling them that price, so can’t manage higher and get sales. Grocery stores cost more, but have consistent stock.

It does sound absurd. Around here if I sell them that cheap they would be gone and I would have orders out for months. Even Aldi’s, which I know isn’t everywhere, but they are an inexpensive store that a lot of people shop around here as well, and there eggs aren’t even that cheap. My mom is a store manager for Dollar Tree here and their prices have gone up and they just got a fridge and freezer set up and they sell 6 eggs for $1.25. I mean I know you have competition but you all also have to pay for the upkeep of the chickens. Too bad you couldn’t talk to the neighbor and find out how they are able to sell so cheap and maybe after some talking they will up their prices with you .

 

[FBMcrazy8]

$2!?!?!?!

I was getting $5 for an 18 pack, family and friends only and will be raising my prices to $5 a dozen on that basis and more when I'm complying with all sales regulations for roadside stand sales.

I know! $2 is like highway robbery! I told my husband after this winter blast, I really think that $5 isn’t bad to sell them for either, it took a lot to keep them alive. Well, not a lot, but still…not everyone can do it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Another option to reduce costs if you can't sell eggs for a reasonable price would be to calculate your egg usage for a week, determine the number of hens you need for that number, and ruthlessly manage your flock to keep the number of young layers you require for that number -- getting rid of older and/or unproductive birds.

 

[Isadora]

Another option to reduce costs if you can't sell eggs for a reasonable price would be to calculate your egg usage for a week, determine the number of hens you need for that number, and ruthlessly manage your flock to keep the number of young layers you require for that number -- getting rid of older and/or unproductive birds.

X2

 

[Isadora]

X2

I've come back to this thread twice now with suggestions and found that some one else has narrowly beat me to it