Feed is getting pricey..

[Momagain1]

I am using a 50lb bag of feed almost a wk now..which equates to about $60 a month...

hubby is about ready to flip a lid over the cost...we have 16 chicks 3 wks old (will be freezer camped when time) and 30 hens/1 roo

the 3 wk chicks were a given to us from the Pre-k..so ...

ok..when they get to layer age...please tell me the feed is cheaper or they eat less...

can we maybe pull back on some of the feed?? maybe put it down in the morning and pick up late afternoon?? do they REALLY need to have feed
available at ALL times...I know they peck/forage a lot..but they even eat the sand in the run..there is no greenery in there...

advice...I am getting flack from hubby now because he thought that they'd be cheaper than buying eggs/chicken in the store..WRONG WRONG WRONG obviously...

so not only are they a big responsibility..they are becoming extremely costly...so...

now that I've griped about the cost...I guess my main question is can we pull the feed up? or lessen the amt of feed put out for them a day etc??

 

[MsPony]

I feed very "natural", LOTS of greens and grains beside their feed. BOSS, wheat seed, oat seed, safflower, etc. Its actually cheaper this way.

 

[CowgirlPenny]

They WILL be cheaper than buying eggs at the store....if you sell all the eggs those 30 hens are laying. Most lay daily, but we'll say 5 a week, from each hen. 5 a week per hen all year is 600 eggs a month. If you sold them by the dozen at $2 each you would have 50 dozen and make $100 which covers your feed, and gives you eggs too. If you aren't selling the eggs and you keep that many chickens....no, you wont see much savings, if any!


I have two large feeders that I fill in the morning. If they eat it all before bed...oh well. They usually finish it around 5pm that day and then they just spend the rest of the day foraging. So in a sense they freely eat, but only until they tap out for the day. I also do not leave food in the coop. I can feed 26 chickens 100lbs of feed a month when I combine that will all the table scraps they get, and foraging.