Confused.......how can you afford to feed your chickens

[MSDeb]

Fred's Hens:

I agree. Economics/politics/science/sociology are tough subjects to discuss in sound bites. The information you provided was informative. Even though this post got a little heated I picked up some interesting tidbits on feeding my chickens. I hope the original poster did as well.

One of the things I find most confusing is WHAT to feed. There are so many choices after you leave starter feed. Pellets, mash, scratch, etc. Is there a formula or does anyone have "a rule of thumb" that can be applied to laying hens to keep them healthy and laying but not overweight or under fed?

I am feeding laying pellets and try to keep them available all day. In the morning I make a breakfast of chopped apples, bananas (or other fruit/veges, mash and scratch, mixed with warm vitamin water on cold days. On weekends mostly I provide leftovers from the fridge.

They also get all kinds of seasonal fruit and veges as available. Yesterday we stripped a persimmon tree and the birds had a pig fest. They have a very large protected pen and also "free range" the back yard when someone is home to keep an eye on them. We get nice eggs and seem to have happy, healthy birds.

I'd like to use only scratch and pellets and get away from the mash. Since my birds get so much fresh food is there (one) recommended feed that would work for me?

We only have 10 hens and they are here to lay eggs although they have moved into the realm of "pets". We do have two roosters, one of whom needs to go to freezer camp but neither me nor the husband has ever "done that".

 

[NonnasBabies]

Quote:
Couldn't have said it better myself!!

 

[popcornchicken]

Our chicken adventure started like alot of peoples did, the kids got into 4H. Now we look at it as a source of food and entertainment. As well as for the kids to learn a little responsibilities.

That being said we buy 50# bags of layer mash for ~$7-8 a bag, and use 2-3 bags a week. We get 11-14 eggs a day (in the winter), and sell everything we don't eat for $1.50 a dozen. If you take in consideration the "free" food we get, it might be pretty close to break even. We also sell a couple of chickens at the 4H auction for a "premium", (but that's how we "pay" the kids) we probably make a little, very little!! Thank God our county is VERY supportive of the local 4H!!!

 

[Lisa202]

Quote:
That's very cheap. What state are you in? Here they would sell those eggs for close to 4$ & up a dozen.

 

[popcornchicken]

We're in NE IN, out in the middle of nowhere

We wer looking at raising our prices to $2, but so far, we haven't had too, but we'll see.

Quote:
That's very cheap. What state are you in? Here they would sell those eggs for close to 4$ & up a dozen.

 

[NonnasBabies]

Quote:
That's very cheap. What state are you in? Here they would sell those eggs for close to 4$ & up a dozen.

I get $2.00 a dozen. Don't think I'd sell any if I upped the price. You being in NY have a much higher cost of living than in the South!!

 

[fowler_chick]

i pay 8.75 for a 50 pound bag of gro-lay, and 5 some thing for cracked corn per 50 pound bag for 12 chickens, 2 ducks and a turkey hen, we buy it twice a month so that's 200 pounds of feed for them a month, in the summer i have a local restraunt that buys all my eggs that we do not use for $1.50 a doz.
we live on a farm so we also raise our own meat

 

[3rocksandme]

I don't know if this is an option in your household...but I feed my flock lots of scraps. My theory is we shouldn't be eating anything I wouldn't want to feed the chickens so we don't. I feed them pretty much everything except chicken. Bits left on everyone's plates after meals get combined, crusts from the kids sandwiches, left overs from their bowls of cereal, I make my own bread and it gets hard fast so any hardened parts go to them, go into a covered pot on the stove. I heat it up for them now because it's so very cold outside. I also keep fruits and vegtable scraps. Apple peels, melon rinds, carrot skins ends and tops, etc. I throw it in the pot and cook it up with whatever else and they always eat it. I find it as a useful way of cleaning out the fridge or meals that weren't too great and no one is touching those leftovers. I don't feed them anything toxic, moldy, rancid, etc.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Just found laying feed (Purina) at Wal-Mart for about $8 a 50-lb bag but still ... it's expensive. Takes about 2 weeks to go through one of these bags (14 chickens). Plus supplementing with stuff from fridge.

I did a posting about what to grow to feed my girls (at https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=443681 ) ... would appreciate input from people who don't buy feed at all.

 

[seedcorn]

where do you buy layer mash for $7/50#'s,