Ok, I skimmed so I'm sure some of my suggestions will be repeats.
One, if you are only getting eggs for yourself then you shouldn't need 25 chickens, sell, cull or something. If you are raising to sell eggs they should pay for the feed. If you have organic, cage free, able to range 3-8 hours/day local fresh eggs you should be able to sell a minimum of $3/dozen.
I use Organic feed $23.50/50 lbs. They are free feed as much as they want and they free range about 2 hours /day. I give about a 14 oz cup of scratch everyday to 11 chickens. I only use about one bag of feed a month, it is really like one bag for 26 days. So your 3 bags seems a bit high. Get a different feeder. There is a great pattern on BYC in a thread here but the idea is standard chute with turn up but the feed area has head size hole so they can get to the feed but they can't sling it out or scratch it out. I don't have one of those yet but I'm getting one and I anticipate that it will cut down on my feed bill as well.
I also am raising mealworms haven't gotten to the part where I am feeding them to the chickens yet but it is an excellent source of protein which means I'll be able to use alittle more of the filler foods like scratch. Remember if you use to much bread or what have you it can effect your egg laying if the protein is too low. Grass, or other greens was a great suggestion made above. I also am growing a 'collard bar ' for my girls. I got a concrete tray from Lowe's, drilled holes in the bottom plunked in soil and spread around some collard seeds. When they get bigger then a wire box goes on top so they can pick at the leaves but not kill the collards, down here they will grow all winter.
There is also the great bug zapper trick where you hang a bug zapper in the run and at night all the bugs get zapped and fall into the run for a nice snack in the morning.
With them free ranging 3-8 hours a day, I am suspecting your biggest problem is feed getting thrown on the floor.
One, if you are only getting eggs for yourself then you shouldn't need 25 chickens, sell, cull or something. If you are raising to sell eggs they should pay for the feed. If you have organic, cage free, able to range 3-8 hours/day local fresh eggs you should be able to sell a minimum of $3/dozen.
I use Organic feed $23.50/50 lbs. They are free feed as much as they want and they free range about 2 hours /day. I give about a 14 oz cup of scratch everyday to 11 chickens. I only use about one bag of feed a month, it is really like one bag for 26 days. So your 3 bags seems a bit high. Get a different feeder. There is a great pattern on BYC in a thread here but the idea is standard chute with turn up but the feed area has head size hole so they can get to the feed but they can't sling it out or scratch it out. I don't have one of those yet but I'm getting one and I anticipate that it will cut down on my feed bill as well.
I also am raising mealworms haven't gotten to the part where I am feeding them to the chickens yet but it is an excellent source of protein which means I'll be able to use alittle more of the filler foods like scratch. Remember if you use to much bread or what have you it can effect your egg laying if the protein is too low. Grass, or other greens was a great suggestion made above. I also am growing a 'collard bar ' for my girls. I got a concrete tray from Lowe's, drilled holes in the bottom plunked in soil and spread around some collard seeds. When they get bigger then a wire box goes on top so they can pick at the leaves but not kill the collards, down here they will grow all winter.
There is also the great bug zapper trick where you hang a bug zapper in the run and at night all the bugs get zapped and fall into the run for a nice snack in the morning.
With them free ranging 3-8 hours a day, I am suspecting your biggest problem is feed getting thrown on the floor.
