Food$$$$$$$

[Chicken Lover 1]

My 24 chickens eat a lot. I mostly just feed them 1 1/2 scoops of food a day because they have lots of room to graze on grass and clover and I give them compost. But bags of food cost 50 dollars and it gets eaten fast. Does anybody know how I can save food or feed them something that does not cost money. Or plants I can plant in the chicken yard.

 

[highpointfarm]

Here is an article by mother earth news......
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/Grow-Poultry-Feed-What-Chickens-Eat.aspx


Also heard of a bag seeds that you grow, then cut, and just throw it to your chickens........

 

[OkChickens]

My 24 chickens eat a lot. I mostly just feed them 1 1/2 scoops of food a day because they have lots of room to graze on grass and clover and I give them compost. But bags of food cost 50 dollars and it gets eaten fast. Does anybody know how I can save food or feed them something that does not cost money. Or plants I can plant in the chicken yard.

Where are you buying their feed? How much feed do you get for $50? What type of feed do they have? I give mine veggies sometimes and I free range some also.

Nate

 

[Kara515]

Chickweed is a fantastic green for them!! I googled it to see just how nutritious it really is and was surprised at how great it is!! I am very lucky to have it growing all over my place so I pick it (my chickens are in coops) and cut it into approx 1/2 inch pieces and then give it to my chickens and geese. They go completely crazy for it too! I have gotten a bit obsessive about it too, I think!! LOL I spend A LOT of time picking and cutting it since I read about it!! My egg production has gone up also!! I sit in front of the tv in the evening and cut the greens into this container so I can put a lid on it and keep the cats out of it during the night!! Chickweed grows very easily and roots itself at the leaf junctions. I have also put some in some pots all the same height and then bent some hardware cloth over the top. I put these in the coops so the chickens can eat the plants but not pull the roots out! Good luck finding a less expensive way to feed! This is working great for me!!!

 

[chickensinwasillaAK]

I've got a potato field and the hens are the ones that do the weeding. We have a mas problem with chickweek, don't want to kill it with chemicals so it's the job for the birds. They leave the potato alone and eat the chickweed like crazy. My food bill drops to almost nil during the summer, they would rather eat the greens. I still leave food out for them, they get to choose the food.

 

[stone_family3]

Check with some of the local produce stands, I buy about $5 worth of produce for my family a week from a local lady, she gives me all her "bad" stuff. Most of it is just starting to turn and she can't sell it. In the winter I only get about 1/2 a box a week . I clean and divide it up into bags and freeze. Every day I pull out a quart bag and heat it up for the girls in the morning. In the summer I get a few boxes a week.

 

[Chicken Lover 1]

I get 3 bags of food for $50. Their food I give them is layer mash and scratch. I get my food at a local feed store which just raised its price on food.

. There is the answer to your Qs Nate.

 

[OkChickens]

I have about 35-40 chickens on layer pellets right now and I bought 250 lbs on 1/26/12 and I have about 20lbs left. I have all or mine free choice. I let a breed free range usually everyday but besides that I just feed them Layer Pellets. I don't feed them scratch or corn unless it is cold. I Raise Hogs so when its about 15 degrees or lower ill through them a handful of corn in the morning in their run. None of my birds are hatchery stock except my RSL but I get them from a friend who raises the 2 breed to cross. My birds eat between 3.5-5 lbs a day in the winter and 2-3.5lbs in the summer. Have you tried free ranging them? it will cut about 1/4 of their feed cost in the summer time.

Nate

 

[Chicken Lover 1]

I free range them everyday if it is not raining.

 

[sparrker]

I have 26 hens and 4 roos and buy 4 (50lb) bags layer mash about every 5 weeks or a little less for $46.50. I also free range, give alfalfa cubes soaked in water , cabbage, bread, corn and other snacks. Feed them what they want in a self feeder, they won't waste it. I really hate to say this but if you can't afford to feed them sell some or eat them.