Feed bill reduction?

[redfeather]

I have 17, 1.5 year old hens: they lay quite nicely but feed is horrendously expensive. How to reduce the bill? I feed what the co op sells (purinas animal protein free blend).

Well these stinkers chow through about 2 bags every 3 weeks, eating much more than their eggs are worth.

We have been letting them free range all day in an attempt to reduce feed consumption (they chow down on worms in the compost and gobble spilled seeds under the bird feeders), but it doesn't help much and puts our birds in danger of predation.


Ideas, please? :3

 

[duckinnut]

What are you paying? With 17 which I assume are standard or heritage breeds you should be going through about 4lbs+ of feed a day. On average a chicken needs about 4 ounces of layer feed a day. So 21 days @ 4lbs a day adds up to about 80lbs or so. If you are getting 50 lb bags that leaves about 20 lbs missing. Are the spilling it or perhaps you might be feeding the local wildlife without you knowing. Squirrels and chipmunks love the feed as do birds. Not sure where you live but I would shop around for feed beyond the local co-op. Tractor Supply, local feed stores and maybe grain mills.

 

[Cindy in PA]

What are you paying? With 17 which I assume are standard or heritage breeds you should be going through about 4lbs+ of feed a day. On average a chicken needs about 4 ounces of layer feed a day. So 21 days @ 4lbs a day adds up to about 80lbs or so. If you are getting 50 lb bags that leaves about 20 lbs missing. Are the spilling it or perhaps you might be feeding the local wildlife without you knowing. Squirrels and chipmunks love the feed as do birds. Not sure where you live but I would shop around for feed beyond the local co-op. Tractor Supply, local feed stores and maybe grain mills.

If they are dual purpose breeds they would eat closer to 1/3lb/bird or 5.25 ounces a day. The 4 ounces is stated for leghorn type birds. That would be 5.5lbs./day for 17 birds or 115 lbs.+ in 3 weeks, so right on with 2 bags in 3 weeks. You can cut down on feed by free ranging as you are doing or more food scraps. Chickens cost money & you can only get the price of your eggs down so much.

 

[MelanieR]

Do you eat as many eggs a day as they are producing? Most people with chickens in my area sell the eggs (anywhere from $2.00-$5.00 a dozen with the average at $3.00 a dozen) to help cover the feed costs.

A good number of my chickens are still on crumble grower feed which makes a horrible mess. Every other day I go out and sweep it up (I have concrete under my hanging feeders) and put it in a metal dog dish. The chickens will still pick out of it. It's amazing how much they waste otherwise!!!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

im not sure how you can reduce you bill but i pay $13-$15 a bag every 3-4 weeks for my 16 hens and they are fine, they also free range and get a bucket of scrapes 4-5 times a week. i sell my eggs $4.50 a doz or $2.50 half a doz, so i cover my cost in about 3 doz eggs which is easily done in about a week. (So im profiting well this spring)

 

[duckinnut]

If they are dual purpose breeds they would eat closer to 1/3lb/bird or 5.25 ounces a day. The 4 ounces is stated for leghorn type birds. That would be 5.5lbs./day for 17 birds or 115 lbs.+ in 3 weeks, so right on with 2 bags in 3 weeks. You can cut down on feed by free ranging as you are doing or more food scraps. Chickens cost money & you can only get the price of your eggs down so much.

That's why I said on average. I had 17(currently 19) at one point and was going through 50lbs every 10 to15 days depending on external factors. All of them being dual purpose(White Rocks,Barreds,RIR). The OP didn't tell us the type of birds that they have so I gave a general synopsis. Nor the size of bags they buy or the cost.

I was speaking in generalities based on the info provided. I totally agree with you on chickens costing money. What is the saying? Want to make a little money raising chickens start with a lot of money. Buying in bulk from a local mill( maybe partner with some others) will help drive down cost as I did. Buying 50lb bags was costing me about .18-.22 cents an egg, but now buy 100lb bags which brings it down to .10 -.14 cents an egg. All that contingent on the girls laying at least 10 a day average.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I'm not sure anyone can reduce their feed bill, in a meaningful way, by only buying retail bags of pre-filled, trucked in feed.

The feeds stores, from privately owned to the chains like TSC, sell feed that is just too expensive for my wallet and the bird's appetites. Our only solution was to find a local feed mill, that grinds their own layer mash, and sacks it in a soft material, old fashion feed sack, drawing the top together with a piece of bailing string.

Such mill ground feed, here, is almost HALF the cost.

 

[duckinnut]

I'm not sure anyone can reduce their feed bill, in a meaningful way, by only buying retail bags of pre-filled, trucked in feed.

The feeds stores, from privately owned to the chains like TSC, sell feed that is just too expensive for my wallet and the bird's appetites. Our only solution was to find a local feed mill, that grinds their own layer mash, and sacks it in a soft material, old fashion feed sack, drawing the top together with a piece of bailing string.

Such mill ground feed, here, is almost HALF the cost.

Agreed Fred. Paying for the picture of a chicken on the bag doesn't warrant the cost. Like you said trucking costs money as well as every time that bag is handled.I think it is going to get worse in the coming year ahead.

 

[7L Farm]

Agreed Fred. Paying for the picture of a chicken on the bag doesn't warrant the cost. Like you said trucking costs money as well as every time that bag is handled.I think it is going to get worse in the coming year ahead.

No doubt ! Its time to go up on egg prices.I just hate hearing the customers gripeing about the price. But if they ever raised birds & new of not only the feeding & watering but the money to build the coops & the hours to build the coop they would then realize the problem. I might just bump it up a quarter now & another quarter aliitle further down the line.

 

[Barred Rock Caf]

Here's an idea that may help, in some regard. I just saw cracked corn at a local brick and mortar farm store for $12.99 per 50# bag. It's not feed, but more or less treats, but reducing costs associated with raising chickens is the topic, so anything is relevent that goes towards the birds. My idea, which I "field tested" this morning in my kitchen, was to take dried-on-the cob corn from this year's crop and grind it up myself in my food processor! Voila! Cracked corn-home-grown style. It's worth a try.

Barred Rock Cafe