Cheaper chicken food options?

[chickenbaguette]

I was just wondering if anyone makes their own chicken food, and if it's cheaper that way? If not, which feed do you find is the best and cheapest for layers? Thanks!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I like to make my own food. But it is not cheaper the way I do it.

The cheapest is the Name Brand stuff like Layena and Purina (layer pellets). Pellets tend to be less wasteful than crumbles.

Another option is to buy the higher protein stuff like FlockRaiser (20%) as opposed to 16% layer pellets and cut it with some cracked corn (7-9% protein) to save money.

Be sure not to cut it too much though if you want eggs.

If you can find a feed mill for your crumble...whew that would be the CHEAPEST!!

NOTE: Be sure to offer oyster shell mixed into the feed or on the side in a bin for them if you don't feed 100% layer pellets/crumble because they need the calcium.

 

[chickenbaguette]

Thank you! I'm not sure we have feed mills in England, but I'll look it up. I feed them organic pellets. They have oyster shell in their grit, so that's not a problem.

 

[Fred's Hens]

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The least expensive feed (not cheapest) will almost always be a quality, local mill that grinds their own. A farmer type place, where local ranchers and farmers get feed for their herds, flocks and animals.

There is a horrible premium on buying fancy, pre-bagged, shipped feeds at a retail outlet of some kind. Purina, for example? $16-$17 at feed stores, rural stores.

Hubbard quality 17% layer mash at our local mill? $9.75

 

[chickenbaguette]

Unfortunately I did a search and there aren't any feed mills within 30 miles of here... I think the 'countrywide' feed is about £7 for a sack (20kg I think) but it's not good quality or organic. The one they have at the moment is much better but more expensive.

Does anyone know the ingredients of standard layers' pellets? Annoyingly they don't put them on the bag.

 

[centrarchid]

How many hectares of pasture do you have for the mammals? Do you feed them grains?

 

[chickenbaguette]

We've just moved house so our six chickens currently spend most of the time in our nearly finished 5x5 run. They are used to being completely free range but there are lots of foxes here. They have an hour of free ranging a day, and that will be more when the garden is fenced. Not much grass left in the run already, poor things

And feed- they have layers' pellets constantly in their feeder and I give them a big handful of wheat with cracked corn and peas around twice a day. Almost every day I make them some mush with oats, pellets, apple/pear cores chopped up and seeds and raisins mixed in.

 

[centrarchid]

When you get your livestock and hopefully dogs on line to keep foxes out, a great deal of nutritional needs for chickens will be provided not only by free-range pasture but spilled feed and feces of the livestock. Then you can get your flock to operate in dunghill mode which is manner domestic chickens have been kept for majority of the millenia while under domestication. The confinement alone using foods specifically for chickens is a very recent developement, 100 years tops for adult birds.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

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Wow that sounds like a wonderful diet!

 

[chickenbaguette]

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Unfortunately, although I'd love some, no dogs or livestock xD But what's the dunghill mode?

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Thanks! They go very well on it, my three layers haven't stopped and it's the middle of winter!