Cheaper chicken food options?

[centrarchid]

Dunghill birds are free-ranging, usually in the presence of livestock. Minimal effort is put into management other than possibly supplemental feeding with grains or some other form of feed. Natural forages dominate food intake. Some will further define as having little or no control over reproduction.

Below as part of your signature intepreted to mean you will have feild spaniel (dog), donkey and cow(s) which are both livestock.

"To be owner of at least ten Pekin bantams, lots of rescue battery hens, a red setter, a field spaniel, a donkey and one or two little Dexter cows".

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Is your waterer in the corner of the coop or in the middle? Mine is set in the corner on a block--being in the corner prevents it from being knocked off.

 

[chickenbaguette]

Quote:
Oh, sorry! I didn't know that was what you meant. That isn't about to happen for at least 20 years xD But now I'm THE chicken keeper. But yes, in 20 years time my dog and donkey will keep the foxes away and the chickens can eat the cow food. I actually didn't think of that

Quote:
The waterer is outside the coop on two levelled bricks, as we don't have a proper coop yet. When we do, the waterer will go in the corner to stop droppings getting into it

 

[LiLRedCV]

Feed mills usually sell in bulk - meaning you might have to buy 500-lbs (more or less) before they'll sell it to you. On the plus? You won't have to buy feed again for a very long time for your small flock, so driving that 30 miles may make it worth your effort. On the downside? You may not have the means to transport that much feed or have a place to store it all nor have that kind of money it'd take up front to buy it all. But many will have organic and by the time you break down the price of the bulk buy it'll be cheaper than the bags of regular feed at the store.

We have a mill about 20 miles from us that I'm looking at for this. Right now, regular feed is running between $15-$20 per 40-50lb bag and organic is running between $27-$33 per 40-50lb bag. If I buy my organic feed at the mill in bulk (minimum 500lbs at this mill), it will break down to about $10 per 50lbs! I'm working out the logistics of where I'm going to store it all - safely from rats and inclement weather - before I make this purchase tho'.

 

[chickenbaguette]

I like the idea of buying cheaply in bulk, but unfortunately our shed isn't completely waterproof and it would probably rot. But it's an idea...

 

[Mychicagoladies]

I don't know if this is the right place to ask, but someone in my area is giving away free spent grain from a brewery. Is that ok for chickens to eat?