Chicken Feed Up 20% Since October - OUCH !

[Tikkijane]

Quote:

So there's a chance that some of them are lazier than others and therefore won't wont as much because it's not worth their while to fix themselves food?

Ah well, maybe the chicks will set a good example for my 15 yr old and encourage him to to eat more!

Tikki

 

[Donner]

Quote:
Ok, how long will we be spending that much?! I won't be having that many, but am trying to get a good feel for monthly maintenance cost. Still looking, but anyone have good estimates?

TIA!
Tikki

I have 30 chickens. My flock is at about one 50# bag a week and I try for a bale of shavings per month, but sometimes a little more. Add in treats, grit, oyster shell, etc... I budget $40 every two weeks to get 2 bags of food (~$15 each), some treats, and the occasional bale of pine shavings($10). Next year when I dig the composted litter out of the coop for fertilizer, I will probably need to get about 4 or 5 bales of shavings to refill the coop. As we are warming up they are free ranging more and seem to be eating a little less food. I was at a bag every 7 days, and my last bag went about 10 days.

At about 20 eggs per day, 140 per week, ~12 dozen/week I am trying to sell about 10 dozen a week to offset my feed costs.

 

[Imp]

I'm not too far from Donner, and I don't think I've paid less than $12 per 50# bag in about 7 years. It's over $13.99 now and we have a 9.65% sales tax on that. Bought a bag last week and it was $15.32 w/ the tax. Since I average 3-4 hens only it really is not an issue, maybe go through 3 bags a year.
But lately I've had a possum going into the coop and gorging on the layena.

It eats more than my chickens.

Imp- I'm thinking possum chow would be cheaper

 

[1muttsfan]

Lol,imp

Horse feed is up too, you could buy hay at 2.50 a bale last summer, now it is 6 or more - my horses are a much more expensive hobby than the chix (who at least leave me eggs)

 

[catdaddy66]

gas price hikes eventually drive up the cost of everything that moves in the world. These hikes are often pre-inflation indicators. All that is transported using oil is affected.

 

[YYZ]

I paid around 14 dollars for 50 pounds layer pellets, and 11 dollars for 50 pounds of cracked corn.

 

[Tikkijane]

Quote:
Very good to know! We're planning on 6, so my costs shouldn't be that high. Are you using the DLM? Thinking about that, but using the DE (even if it's food grade) has me thinking..... I know my neigbors will complain if they smell anything, for sure.

Thanks!
Tikki

 

[Tikkijane]

Quote:
possum chow= humane trap.....

 

[ralleia]

Besides corn production and fuel costs, keep in mind that the U.S. dollar is by no means a "fixed" price point.

The dollar's value floats relative to the strength of other currencies and more substantive commodities like wheat, corn, metals, and oil.

If you notice the recent large increases in the strength of all commodities (oil, gold, silver, agriculture) against the dollar, then I think you'll have the answer as to why feed prices are going up. Based on the way the currency is being managed, I don't see the price of feed ever going down.

 

[Donner]

Quote:
Very good to know! We're planning on 6, so my costs shouldn't be that high. Are you using the DLM? Thinking about that, but using the DE (even if it's food grade) has me thinking..... I know my neigbors will complain if they smell anything, for sure.

Thanks!
Tikki

Yes, it is DLM. My coop is a dirt floor and sloped, this makes my DLM a little tricky. The shavings move downhill. So, every week I shovel/rake a good portion to the uphill side and toss in some fresh shavings only on the uphill side. By the next week the litter has been scratched to the down hill side and we start over. It stirs everything up pretty good. If I don't shovel every week it will start to smell as the bare ground accumulates unmixed poop. I use DE, but I consider it a drying agent which helps since wet poop stinks and dry poop does not.

My flock just started last September, but I grew up with chickens at my parents house, although not this many. They did not use deep litter, but it seems to be working so far. We will see how my fruits and vegetables do next year when they get a good dose of composted litter.