cost of feeding 6 or so chickens?

[pardenx3]

Well, we have fifteen hens and a roo, and they go through a 50# bag of Layena in about a week 1/2. A bag costs around 12 bucks so thats not to bad. Yours would last longer with only six.

 

[Chris09]

Wow, I have to say I go through more than what has been said so far...
Each breeding pen that contains 1 Rooster and 8 Hen's (9 Birds) will go through 3.0 lbs of 21% protein feed and 1.5 lbs of 14% protein scratch a day...
That's 21 lbs of feed and 10.5 lbs scratch a week and 84 lbs of feed and 42 lbs scratch a month.....

I pay $11.75 a 50 lb bag for the 21% Feed ($23.50 for 100lbs) and $14.75 for 50 lbs of the 14% scratch...
So I spend around 38.25 per breeding pen...

Chris

 

[Cockadoodledon't]

This is a good ballpark. I have 12 birds and I buy 50 lb of cracked corn and 50 lb of laying pellets and mix that 50/50 when I feed. It will last me a month and its about 20 bucks.
When folks want eggs, I usually easily can recupe my costs for the feed.


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[fiberart57]

I have six standards and feed Purina Flock Raiser, homemade scratch of oats, wheat, BOSS and, in the winter, corn. I buy a bag of Flock Raiser about every two months, 25# each of oats and wheat every five months; the BOSS I have on hand for the wild birds so it's hard to say what that costs.

I feed moderate treats; yogurt, safflower seeds, veggies, etc., and they have food in front of them all the time.

So, probably I'm in the $20 per month ball park. But I save in pest control stress, I sell enough eggs to make up the cost of the feed and I didn't get them for money making operations. I like the six differently colored life forces strutting about the yard.

I like the higher protein of the Flock Raiser because I think they eat less and poop less. My neighbor feeds his birds, six standards, 16% layer and goes through a bag a month and his pen smells.

You can ask the local grocery store and butcher shop to save you scraps and produce to feed them that may offset some cost, but you'll have to do some nutritional research.

Mary