Food Cost: An Input/Output Analysis

[Portalguy]

Folks,

I've got a hypothesis... which says that feed costs (manufactured feeds containing subsidy corn plus non-foods that chickens today somehow 'need') are artificially marked up to transfer away from us --- any cost savings to be gained from raising chickens on our own. Input == Output.

If anyone can tell me how many bags of feed (and how expensive per bag and how many dozen eggs over the chicken's lifetime before the chicken becomes sandwiches), I can work some numbers on the real costs of egg/meat production.

I'd like to compare it to the price of 'organic free range' eggs and whole frozen chicken in the green boutiques that we have here in Middlebury, Vermont. I've the feeling, that buying commercial feeds means that I am taking the most expensive possible route. (Collapse is part of another thread --- If you consider that store shelves may be empty at some point, I've made the only possible choice.)

I'm only a beginner with no experience of feed costs over a complete lifecycle--- but very curious about the real costs. I am dropping the fixed costs of startup, such as coop, fencing and the like. Those costs can vary so much based on individual preference as to make comparisons and generalisations meaningless. (And I don't have to think about how to amortise the cost.)

I'm sure that a lot depends on breeds and local conditions.

Much appreciate the help with numbers.

Cheers,
Rob in Vermont

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Well, if it'll help

I have large breeds, dual purpose chickens (brahma, barred rock, buff orpington, black australorps, etc...)

I have probably 125 - 150 chickens (aproximately) I also feed 20 ducks and 3 geese the same feed. The ducks and geese eat mostly grass and bugs - not much feed.

Out of the 150 chickens, I free range about 15-20 of them. The rest are in breeder pens and do not free range, but get scraps and I cut grass and green treats for them.

The feed I buy is a Granary mix (feed mill mixes their own feed) for which I had been paying $6.30 a 50# bag (it just went up to $7.50) I sometimes mix a bag of cracked corn into this if money is tight that week (cracked corn is $4.00 a #50 bag bought direct from the farmer)
At most I will mix #50 corn into #100 feed, making my protein content aproximately 14% (plus treats and grass clippings).

My chickens (and ducks and geese) go through a 5 gallon bucket of feed a day - which adds up to, I believe, about 30 pounds of feed.

I'd love to work out some larger pens so I can have more of them free range (or rather, pasture) - in lieu of such, I am cutting back on the breeder flock sizes, to keep "full time penned chickens" to a minimum, yet still be able to supply the amount of chicks for sale that I need.

For now, the chickens are paying for their own feed (and also the feed for my 10 donkeys) - but, I also understand that at some point I may be forced to either grow my own feed or purchase from a local farmer (which I already do, to a point, when possible).

So, I am thinking that my feed costs are not the typical you'll find on here - so many folks I've seen are paying outrageous TSC prices for feed. I could never afford to have my chickens if I had to pay such feed costs.

ETA - as for egg production - I have about 20 hens who lay my "eating eggs" - many of my chickens are younger stock and either not laying yet, or they lay for hatching purposes to sell chicks. I sell about 25 dozen eggs per month. I hatch out generally about 70 - 90 chicks per month. (I am up to a 98% live hatch rate

)

hope this helped.
meri

 

[azelgin]

Mojo Chick'n :

Well, if it'll help

I have large breeds, dual purpose chickens (brahma, barred rock, buff orpington, black australorps, etc...)

I have probably 125 - 150 chickens (aproximately) I also feed 20 ducks and 3 geese the same feed. The ducks and geese eat mostly grass and bugs - not much feed.

Out of the 150 chickens, I free range about 15-20 of them. The rest are in breeder pens and do not free range, but get scraps and I cut grass and green treats for them.

The feed I buy is a Granary mix (feed mill mixes their own feed) for which I had been paying $6.30 a 50# bag (it just went up to $7.50) I sometimes mix a bag of cracked corn into this if money is tight that week (cracked corn is $4.00 a #50 bag bought direct from the farmer)
At most I will mix #50 corn into #100 feed, making my protein content aproximately 14% (plus treats and grass clippings).

My chickens (and ducks and geese) go through a 5 gallon bucket of feed a day - which adds up to, I believe, about 30 pounds of feed.

I'd love to work out some larger pens so I can have more of them free range - in lieu of such, I am cutting back on the breeder flock sizes, to keep "full time penned chickens" to a minimum, yet still be able to supply the amount of chicks for sale that I need.

For now, the chickens are paying for their own feed (and also the feed for my 10 donkeys) - but, I also understand that at some point I may be forced to either grow my own feed or purchase from a local farmer (which I already do, to a point, when possible).

So, I am thinking that my feed costs are not the typical you'll find on here - so many folks I've seen are paying outrageous TSC prices for feed. I could never afford to have my chickens if I had to pay such feed costs.

hope this helped.
meri

I saw your post on another thread and wondered how you were able to feed your donkeys! I thought I must be doing something wrong, since my egg and chick sales only cover chicken, dog and cat food. Our feed costs are almost triple of what you are paying! Growing feed is not a real option here , becasue we don't get much rainfall (1" from Jan. 1st to June 15th this year) and power cost make irrigating from our well a cost negative. Same for growing hay, or having pasture. We buy hay from those that have access to Colorado river water, that they get dirt cheap, or farms with shallow wells, that get breaks on power costs for low demand hour usage. I'm positive, that if I were not able to let the chickens free range for forage, I'd be upside down on my costs and the chickens would be outa here.​

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
Luckily we have our own hayfields - and the donkeys actually do not eat much grain - too much grain is bad for them. They get about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of corn every day each (cup in the morning, cup at night), and all the grass and hay they want. Horses eat a LOT more than donkeys do (at least 4X as much).

Cracked corn at the feedstore (same one I buy feed from) is running about $5.60 for #50 - even that is cheap enough, but I was happy to find the farmer who was selling it. I've been stocking up on it at $4 bucks a bag, for when sales of chickens slow down for the year.

We've been in a drought for a few years, now - but this year, so far, we've had great rainfall - must be an el Nino year or something.

I do realize how lucky I am to have access to the cheaper food. I honestly am amazed at what some folks have to pay for feed.

eta - I have heard from various sources that if the Cap and Trade bill passes,the electric bill will be much higher, also (some sources says 2X, some say a little less) - which means I'll be re-thinking the brooding times and such (paying for heat lamps as opposed to brooding outside in the brooder coop during the hottest times of the year.) I am also considering buying about 10 large breed cochins next spring for brooding purposes - save me a LOT of trouble and time

meri

 

[azelgin]

Mojo Chick'n :

I have heard from various sources that if the Cap and Trade bill passes,the electric bill will be much higher, also (some sources says 2X, some say a little less) - which means I'll be re-thinking the brooding times and such (paying for heat lamps as opposed to brooding outside in the brooder coop during the hottest times of the year.) I am also considering buying about 10 large breed cochins next spring for brooding purposes - save me a LOT of trouble and time

meri

I figure incubating cost to be about 5 cents per chick around here. Even the cost of starter feed is not that much of the rearing costs, but keeping the little suckers warm, without a mom, is outrageous. My GLW roo X SLW hen gives me a sexlink chick, but I can't even give away cockerel chicks, so it doesn't pay to hatch a batch anymore, without a broody doing it for me. Point of lay pullets fetch $15 ~$20 around here and people come to me to pick them up. Those are worth the time and trouble to raise. Now, if I could just find a recipe for day old cockerel chicks . . . .

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
I figure incubating cost to be about 5 cents per chick around here. Even the cost of starter feed is not that much of the rearing costs, but keeping the little suckers warm, without a mom, is outrageous. My GLW roo X SLW hen gives me a sexlink chick, but I can't even give away cockerel chicks, so it doesn't pay to hatch a batch anymore, without a broody doing it for me. Point of lay pullets fetch $15 ~$20 around here and people come to me to pick them up. Those are worth the time and trouble to raise. Now, if I could just find a recipe for day old cockerel chicks . . . .

yeah, maybe raise em up to "quail size" and sell em as a delicacy?

Yeah, hatching isn't so bad, I have three incubators going all the time (gonna add in a couple more next spring) it is the heat lamps and brooders that cost me more. I am thinking if I had a good 6-8 cochin girls to brood the babies, it would make it a lot easier on my finances.

Plus, I can get some yard candy

Healthy Chicks and More will sell you 10 chicks at a time - free shipping, 5 dollar box charge - average cost of pullets (LF blue cochins) is about 4.50 I think - but with no shipping, it's no more than other hatcheries charge.

I recently acquired a cockerel someone had gotten from this hatchery - he is 12 weeks old and HUGE and healthy - I definately would trust their stock next spring (never bought from them before). This boy is gonna be a Monster when he finishes growing - he is already almost as big as my 1.5 year old brahma hens. I got brahma chicks from Cackle Hatchery and they look like Bantams next to this guy - and they are only two weeks younger than he is.

meri

 

[Portalguy]

Mojo Chick'n :

Well, if it'll help

...I have probably 125 - 150 chickens (aproximately) I also feed 20 ducks and 3 geese the same feed. ... I am thinking that my feed costs are not the typical you'll find on here - so many folks I've seen are paying outrageous TSC prices for feed. I could never afford to have my chickens if I had to pay such feed costs.

...hope this helped.
meri

Meri,

Yes it has indeed helped, thanks! I'm also gratified that folks have found what I posted worthy of some discussion (I don't expect anyone to agree with me, but I like it when I can get people thinking).

Interesting that you also have an opinion on feed costs. It seems that many have approached this as a hobby, something outside of the budget (if any). I don't want to criticise other approaches, but I can't afford to make light of these expenditures... being part of a vanishing middle class...

As for the corn in the feed, I'm against it, without further information. I can't even get wild birds (chickadees, bluejays etc.) to eat it. Our chickens ignore it because they get millet, other grains, food scraps, grub handouts when I'm gardening, and of course everything that they scratch up. I cannot even lure them back into the coop at night with corn-based feed.

Our chickens are growing quickly and are healthy without corn feed, and at this point I'm only giving the rest of the expensive corn non-food that we initially bought, to prevent it from going to mould in the bag.

Cheers,
Rob in Vermont

[Off-topic, but it seems that we're getting force-fed corn. It's in everything; it's almost impossible to buy anything in the supermarket that isn't based on high-fructose corn syrup. And rapeseed oil (canola) which they mistakenly call healthy. Corn ethanol in fuel reduces the mileage on my SAAB from 35 mpg to 30, with less peak torque. The bastards even force it into my gas tank!]

Cheers
Rob​

 

[cybercat]

Rob,

I had spent some time in VT so know a bit what you will have to go threw come winter. Since winter is so long up there you will be feeding alot. Not sure if where you are at if you plan to free range in summer but if you can do. It will help offset some of those feed bills. Point in fact if you rasie a breed and sell chicks in spring you will do better than selling mixes. If you have the space to raise to POL then you will do even better. Again free ranging will help alot here as hen raised chicks do alot better.

Now on another point for numbers. A full grown chicken will eat 1/4 lb of feed a day, at least that is what is the standard quote. I am sure that varies from breed to breed and hen to hen but it is a good avg to start with right now.

I like you do not like corn and will not feed it unless I have to which right now I do. I also am very against soy. So by next year I wll have the local co-op mill mix a special blend for me that will not include them. Again I can get away with alot here since I can free range in a very heavy and deverse growing area. The only time my chickens will be running in a enclosed pen is when it is a hen with chicks. So I am not the typical chicken raiser in that I will be supplementing there ranging not the other way around.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
Meri,

Yes it has indeed helped, thanks! I'm also gratified that folks have found what I posted worthy of some discussion (I don't expect anyone to agree with me, but I like it when I can get people thinking).

Interesting that you also have an opinion on feed costs. It seems that many have approached this as a hobby, something outside of the budget (if any). I don't want to criticise other approaches, but I can't afford to make light of these expenditures... being part of a vanishing middle class...

As for the corn in the feed, I'm against it, without further information. I can't even get wild birds (chickadees, bluejays etc.) to eat it. Our chickens ignore it because they get millet, other grains, food scraps, grub handouts when I'm gardening, and of course everything that they scratch up. I cannot even lure them back into the coop at night with corn-based feed.

Our chickens are growing quickly and are healthy without corn feed, and at this point I'm only giving the rest of the expensive corn non-food that we initially bought, to prevent it from going to mould in the bag.

Cheers,
Rob in Vermont

[Off-topic, but it seems that we're getting force-fed corn. It's in everything; it's almost impossible to buy anything in the supermarket that isn't based on high-fructose corn syrup. And rapeseed oil (canola) which they mistakenly call healthy. Corn ethanol in fuel reduces the mileage on my SAAB from 35 mpg to 30, with less peak torque. The bastards even force it into my gas tank!]

Cheers
Rob

I've been reading the threads on making your own feed, also. I am planning to check into prices of the various ingredients, to see what the cost would be to mix my own.

I also have been considering finding out the yield per acre and cost of planting field peas for part of the feed. I believe the donkeys would eat the pea vines, also, for roughage, so that may be an option.

meri

 

[Portalguy]

Folks,

Thanks for the great information. I have learnt a lot here !

Cheers,
Rob