Chicken feed has been around since the turn of the 20th century, not a real new invention, Read the old chicken periodicals on Google Books, it's fascinating.
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Here are some of the things I am planning/considering:I’d be more than happy to hear your plans for if there are shortages. I have small amounts of different grains etc growing at the moment to see what grows best. Trying to gather as much info as possible and see what everyone else is doing to see which parts I can use myself
I am going for insect raising options as well. Im setting up mini grain silos in 55 gal drums with mylar liners.Here are some of the things I am planning/considering:
1. Mealworm Farming - Fairly inexpensive to set up and can be easily sustained throughout the year.
2. Black Soldier Fly Farming - Again fairly inexpensive to set up but only available when flies are present
3. Earthworm Farming- Again fairly inexpensive to set up but not sure if is sustainable throughout the year.
4. Housefly Maggot Harvesting- Again fairly inexpensive to set up but only available when flies are present
5. Fodder - Can be done year round but may require No. 6 to be sustainable.
6. Vegetable Plot - To grow millet/barley to sustain fodder production. Also include some other veggies they like. Obviously seasonal. This might not be necessary if these grains are available but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared. I haven't tried to determine what size plot would be needed to make this sustainable.
7. Long Term Storage - Purchase commercial chicken feed while it is available over and above what your needs are for your flock and store it in 5 gallon mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. A 5 gallon bag will hold about 25 to 30 pounds of feed and the bags are a bit pricey ...... About $5 per bag and $1 for the absorbers. The bags can be sealed with a HOT iron.
We have a freeze drier (not a dehydrator) so any/all surplus from activities 1 thru 5 throughout the year will be freeze-dried and stored. A dehydrator is MUCH cheaper and may serve the same as a freeze drier for these purposes. Singularly these items will not substitute completely for chicken feed but will, coupled with free ranging, might get one through a shortage/lack of feed.
We live in a very rural environment and as such can implement these without any concerns for neighbor complaints. Some of these may not be suitable for an urban environment.
Hope this helps.
Sad, but true.It ain't going to happen. Our price for chicken feed and Pepsi Cola (made with high fructose corn syrup) will keep going up, but the products will not disappear. There is a lot of flexability in how corn is used. The limited supplies will be bought up by those with the most lucrative markets and a customer base with the least price sensitivity. People will not stop drinking Pepsi Cola or feeding backyard chickens because of price and the producers know it.
I follow edible acres too.I'm seriously looking into raising black soldier fly larvae for when I get my birds. (Only getting 9 layers most likely in September when the coop is ready). I'm also already growing/drying/freezing stuff for them as well. This isn't my first go round with chickens, but we have moved to a smaller property in another state now that we are empty nesters. I won't be able to totally replace feed right off the bat, but I am doing as much research as possible.
There are a number of YouTube videos out there about raising chickens on compost (Justin Rhodes interviewed an older fellow named Karl who has been raising 600+ birds on massive compost piles and Edible Acres has a much smaller operation). I will start by supplementing commercial feed and gradually try switching over to BSF larvae/compost/forage/meat rabbit innards/etc and see how it goes. (With feed in reserve if it doesn't go well)