Does anyone else hate 50 pound bags of feed?

[JMotuzick]

You should be able to find a complete silo, not sure pricing but I know a few guys that have bought them over the years. I’m guessing 2k?

I would get it by the ton and have it delivered if I could store it.
Depending on the season I go through up to 2 bags a day give or take.
Sucks going and getting as much as I can haul just to go back in 7 to 10 days.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Wow! 2 bags a day is totally mind boggling to me. I really hope you are turning a profit off of it. I just ordered 5 more chicks from Ideal to get me towards my chicken keeping goals. At least I know those guys will eat chick starter! Once they get loose in the yard they will loose interest in anything I have to offer.

 

[The Moonshiner]

You should be able to find a complete silo, not sure pricing but I know a few guys that have bought them over the years. I’m guessing 2k?

That's about right. I know of two used ones now for about that price.
I'm to cheap and hillbilly to spend that much.
I'd take the 2k and build another small barn and line it with a dozen broken down chest freezers and fill them instead. Then line other side with more breeder pens.

 

[lazy gardener]

I find the 50# bags to be difficult to manage. I am short, and don't have the strength and vigor that I had 20 years ago, but I still manage. I use wheel barrow, hand truck, and even have a wheeled luggage carrier that comes in handy for moving them. The most difficult part is hefting the bags up to dump them into the metal trash cans. I am too cheap with my $$ to pay extra to purchase feed in smaller bags. If I had a smaller flock that would not finish off a bag in the 6 week quality window, I would most likely freeze half of each bag, or find a friend to split it with.

 

[happybooker1]

It might not be cost effective but .... Amazon carries chicken supplies. Get a Prime membership ($100/year approx.) and shipping is free. OP could find 25 lb. feed.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I find the 50# bags to be difficult to manage. I am short, and don't have the strength and vigor that I had 20 years ago, but I still manage. I use wheel barrow, hand truck, and even have a wheeled luggage carrier that comes in handy for moving them. The most difficult part is hefting the bags up to dump them into the metal trash cans. I am too cheap with my $$ to pay extra to purchase feed in smaller bags. If I had a smaller flock that would not finish off a bag in the 6 week quality window, I would most likely freeze half of each bag, or find a friend to split it with.

I too live 25 miles from the feed store (or any store!) so shopping for anything and back is a 50 mile trip minimum. I buy 50 pound bags too (they do have smaller bags) and I have the store employee put them in my car. I pick them up and transfer them myself to my food shed. Not horrible but not fun either at 5 ft tall and over 65 years old (I won't say how much over!!). I use a 50 lb bag in about 7 days. It goes fast! I do free range but have 28 chickens that are growing fast and eating fast too!

 

[lazy gardener]

Can you use a wheel barrow, or some other conveyance to make the transfer to the shed easier? I use a kid's plastic snow sled in the winter.

 

[BantyChooks]

I like the 50 lb bags. Bigger would be nice in terms of cost efficiency and buying frequency, but I can't lift much more than 50 without making my back sing like a tenor with his tie stuck a meat grinder. If I am careful, I can usually keep flock size down to where they eat about 50 lbs a week.

 

[lazy gardener]

That's the ticket, Banty! Chicken math does have division and subtraction functions. I'm getting ready to hit the subtraction button, just as I have a gal gearing up to set a batch of eggs!

 

[Redhead Rae]

I'm excited that my parents are going to be getting a concrete slab put in their garage. Right now our feed is stored in a huge soaking tub on top of some pallets in their garage (we live next door to them). After the slab is done, we'll store it on pallets on the floor. Thank goodness we have three good mousers on the property (2 cats and a dog). We buy food a half ton or more at a time and go through 2 bags of broiler a week for our adult birds and maybe a 1/4 bag of starter. Although it sounds like I have a little bit of an advantage when it comes to moving large feed bags. I'm 32 and 6'1" (though not as strong as a guy my size would be).