Feed cost

[Coolguy222]

Hello everyone I have about 20 hens and 2 roosters, a mixed flock plus 2 geese. I am going through an absurd amount of feed it feels like, they don’t free range most of the time but I’m going through about 500lb of feed in 1 1/2 to 2 months and I feel like this isn’t right.

 

[nuthatched]

What's the feed and what kind of feeder are you using? Are you certain you don't have anything else stopping by for lunch?
Your average chicken eats 4oz of feed a day, 4oz times 22, divided by 16 is 5.5lbs a day, so about 165 lbs a month.
I can't imagine the geese are making up the rest.
So yeah, something is up.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Do you have feeders out 24/7? What sort of wildlife is in your area? Do you have dogs, stray or otherwise who can get into the feed? Raccoons, possums, skunks, mice, rats and squirrels will all take advantage of chicken feed if they find it. Wild birds will also take a bite too, which I don't particularly mind them doing as they only seem to do it in the snowy winter months and all I've seen taking feed are native song birds.

I have 2 turkeys, a pair of ducks and 49 chickens. I go through about 50lbs a week so around 200-250lbs a month but I do let them free range so I'm sure they get a portion of their diet from that.

 

[Coolguy222]

What's the feed and what kind of feeder are you using? Are you certain you don't have anything else stopping by for lunch?
Your average chicken eats 4oz of feed a day, 4oz times 22, divided by 16 is 5.5lbs a day, so about 165 lbs a month.
I can't imagine the geese are making up the rest.
So yeah, something is up.

It’s a local mills 16% layer feed

 

[Coolguy222]

Do you have feeders out 24/7? What sort of wildlife is in your area? Do you have dogs, stray or otherwise who can get into the feed? Raccoons, possums, skunks, mice, rats and squirrels will all take advantage of chicken feed if they find it. Wild birds will also take a bite too, which I don't particularly mind them doing as they only seem to do it in the snowy winter months and all I've seen taking feed are native song birds.

I have 2 turkeys, a pair of ducks and 49 chickens. I go through about 50lbs a week so around 200-250lbs a month but I do let them free range so I'm sure they get a portion of their diet from that.

I do leave feeders out 24/7 but the “run” is electric netting so idk what could be getting in there I haven’t seen any other animals get in but maybe rats are eating it

 

[DemeterAD9]

I do leave feeders out 24/7 but the “run” is electric netting so idk what could be getting in there I haven’t seen any other animals get in but maybe rats are eating it

If you know you have rats in the area then definitely start looking around. Check for holes in the ground both under the coop and inside the run. If you have a trail camera it certainly wouldn’t hurt to put it out facing the feeders at night just to see what may be coming by. I’ve never dealt with rats but I’ve seen the videos of chicken pens being overrun with them.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I do leave feeders out 24/7 but the “run” is electric netting so idk what could be getting in there I haven’t seen any other animals get in but maybe rats are eating it

Besides rats, mice will take a surprising amount of feed. Take your feed in at night, or put it in steel containers at night, or switch to rat-proof treadle feeders.

 

[Mrs. K]

Feed bills are real, and can be expensive. When I first started, I wasted a lot of feed. The feed was often spilled out of the feeder, and then tread into the dirt. This seemed to disappear, but eventually there was quite a stink, when I cleaned that up, I realized I was wasting a lot of feed.

There are a lot of solutions to this, some people double bowl their feed, and pour the spilled feed back into the feeder. Some people put out feed once a day, if it is gone at night, they add more the next day, if some is left over, they feed less. This will also reduce mice and rats.

Putting 5 gallon buckets with water in them, and a trip, it can be surprising how many mice and rats you can catch, last fall I took out nearly 12 in two days. After than no more.

But the easiest way to reduce the feed bill is to reduce the flock. Especially going into winter. It gives birds more space in the coop which they need in the long dark nights of winter and blustery days. It keeps your flock younger and because of that more healthy. Birds will be a more peaceful flock. And it will reduce your feed bill.

Mrs K

 

[Debbie292d]

I do leave feeders out 24/7 but the “run” is electric netting so idk what could be getting in there I haven’t seen any other animals get in but maybe rats are eating it

I would get a camera to watch the feeder at night. No chickens should be triggering it, only whatever else is dining there.

If you have no deer cam or camera, we've had Blink for many years, but you could find cheaper ones, I'm sure, and now, while Black Friday sales are going would be a great time.

Also, a solar motion light aimed at the feeder might help too.