Chickens get too expensive

[seann]

According to
http://www.nutrenaworld.com/knowledge-center/poultry/how-much-does-a-chicken-eat/index.jsp
Laying bird needs 1.5lbs of feed per bird per week.

However, I went through 100 lbs in 5 weeks.
I have 8 chickens. So it's 2.5lbs per chicken per week.
Do they really need only 1.5lbs per chicken per week?

The cost for 100lbs feed is $36 so it's about $7.20 per week.
This means I spend $28.80 per month.

Yikes.

If I follow that link, it would be $17.28 per month which is much less expensive.
Thoughts?

Thanks.

Notes:
MY 8 chickens are 7 months old.
I buy feed from closest ranch: http://www.ranchfeedandpet.com/
I tried fermented feed for a few weeks but it got too nasty. It was fine for first few weeks then last few days before I dumped the whole thing the top layer was all white. I can't stand the smell.

 

[Percheron chick]

Breeds? Large DP birds need more food than slim egg laying machines.

You are pretty close. An average LF laying hen will eat about 4 oz of feed a day. That would be 1.75# a week, 14# a week or about 60# a month. When you are going through more, check to make sure birds, especially magpies and pigeons are's eating at the all day free buffet. Same goes for mice. Are they cleaning everything up or picking out their faves and leaving the crumbs in the feeder? Make them clean everything up before you refill the feeders. Are you able to free range your birds? That will decrease their consumption 50%. Are you feeding them all your kitchen scraps? That's free chicken feed that shouldn't go in the trash.

 

[seann]

Thanks.

We have 6 rhode island reds, 1 whiteleghorn and 1 ee.
We don't have much kitchen scraps. I eat clean haha.
Not able to free range, we have a small backyard.

I'll reduce to 1.5lb per bird per week, or call some local restaurants/groceries and see if they have scraps for free...

 

[philyaw539]

Put them on a feeding plan, feed them once everyday and let them find the rest of their food or pull up grass, weeds, etc. And throw in their pen to scratch at and eat!

 

[seann]

I will try. Thanks!

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

That does sound like a lot of feed. My girls are 18 weeks old (it's 5 hens, also had a rooster until last week) and I'm still on my 2nd 50 pound bag of feed. My girls do get a lot of food/yard/garden snacks and free range around the yard. I feel like most days, they eat so much "other stuff" that they don't eat a lot of grain.

 

[CHICKLOVER69]

BEEN READING ABOUT THE 5 GALLON NO WASTE FEEDER. GONNA MAKE ONE SOON. VIRTUALLY NO WASTE GOING TO THE GROUND. COULD WASTE BE YOUR PROBLEM? IF SO, LOOK IN THIS FORUM FOR THE 5 GAL FEEDER. REALLY CHEAP TO MAKE

 

[seann]

No I give them by hand several times a day and they all finish. No waste.

 

[BriW]

We have 14 hens and ours go through about 50 lbs of layer pellets a month. We have a family of seven, 4 of the children are under the age of 10. We have table scraps everyday that they get and I do rake up our yard clippings and give it to them. We live on a lake with an association so the girls can't free range but love the fresh clippings!

 

[FarmgateTx]

I am going through about 300-350 lbs a week with 400+ (maybe closer to 450) chickens of which about 200 of them are just starting to lay (since July 1) and the balance about to be at laying age. I did notice that the amount of feed increased about 20% after the eggs started coming. I have "free-eating" and "free-range" feeding. The younger chickens may come in during the day and eat but the layers stay out all day and only eat early in the morning and late at night. I cage them right at dusk so they are free to roam from about 8:00 a.m. till 9:00 p.m. I do supplement with scraps and excess garden extras.