Growing fodder for chickens

[jnr005]

So quick question. (I've read about 100 pages and figured it was quicker to ask):

I called around and can get the grain for the following prices (I live closer to DC so I would need to travel further to get better prices). Which is best or would you go with if you can get these seeds for this price?

1. Barley $17.99/50lb
2. Rye $23/50lb
3. Wheat $14/50lb

The rye seems to be popular on here but is dang expensive at my local feed/garden supply. Are barley and wheat just as good in nutrition and value for what grows from 50lbs?

 

[lazy gardener]

I would choose barley and wheat over rye any day of the week. My research has said that rye is an inferior grain in terms of nutrient absorption. I like to make a mix of barley, wheat and BOSS. Have also used a product similar to this:

http://raganandmassey.com/product/plotspike-forage-complete/

It comes in both a grain based and a brassica based version. It didn't sprout as well as the grains. If you buy this product, be sure it has not been treated with any insecticides/fungicides. When buying feed grains, be sure you find out if they have been heat treated. HT grains, obviously won't sprout.

 

[CuzChickens]

What does it cost to feed 35 chickens sprouted barley all winter long? How much should you feed them?

 

[WPFarmstead]

So quick question. (I've read about 100 pages and figured it was quicker to ask):

I called around and can get the grain for the following prices (I live closer to DC so I would need to travel further to get better prices).  Which is best or would you go with if you can get these seeds for this price?

1. Barley $17.99/50lb
2. Rye $23/50lb
3. Wheat $14/50lb

The rye seems to be popular on here but is dang expensive at my local feed/garden supply.  Are barley and wheat just as good in nutrition and value for what grows from 50lbs?

From my research, neither barley or rye should be more than 25% of the diet, so keep that in mind. Rye seems to have more anti-nutritional thingies than barley, but I would go with wheat for sure and barley as an addition. Neither will give a complete diet.

 

[WPFarmstead]

What does it cost to feed 35 chickens sprouted barley all winter long? How much should you feed them?

I have to say, first and foremost, I love your screen name. As I said above, barley and/or rye shouldn't be more than 25% of the diet. So, it depends on how much they are eating as to how much you feed. And how much it costs depends on that and how much the grain itself costs for you.

This is a hypothetical, plug in yoyr own numbers, including seed weight:
I can get it for, I think, $20/bag. That makes it 40c per pound (if my early morning math is right lol). If I feed 1# worth of seed a day in fodder, for 90 days, it's gonna cost me $36.

As I said above, these numbers are hypothetical. You may feed more or less, grain can cost more or less and you may feed longer or shorter.

 

[Jensownzoo]

From my research, neither barley or rye should be more than 25% of the diet, so keep that in mind. Rye seems to have more anti-nutritional thingies than barley, but I would go with wheat for sure and barley as an addition. Neither will give a complete diet.

Is that info on the regular seed or the sprouted seed? Not sure if the anti-nutrient content is transformed by sprouting or not.

 

[kindofodd]

I have to say, first and foremost, I love your screen name. As I said above, barley and/or rye shouldn't be more than 25% of the diet. So, it depends on how much they are eating as to how much you feed. And how much it costs depends on that and how much the grain itself costs for you.

This is a hypothetical, plug in yoyr own numbers, including seed weight:
I can get it for, I think, $20/bag. That makes it 40c per pound (if my early morning math is right lol). If I feed 1# worth of seed a day in fodder, for 90 days, it's gonna cost me $36.

As I said above, these numbers are hypothetical. You may feed more or less, grain can cost more or less and you may feed longer or shorter.

...except that a lb of seed is going to make much more than a lb of fodder. God I hate math

 

[WPFarmstead]

...except that a lb of seed is going to make much more than a lb of fodder. God I hate math

Yes, it will. That's not part of the cost equation, though. That's part of the diet percentage. Cost equation just deals with price per daily amount of seed used times how many days fed. That's why the numbers I put in were hypothetical lol Don't use my numbers

 

[lazy gardener]

I have to say, first and foremost, I love your screen name. As I said above, barley and/or rye shouldn't be more than 25% of the diet. So, it depends on how much they are eating as to how much you feed. And how much it costs depends on that and how much the grain itself costs for you.

This is a hypothetical, plug in yoyr own numbers, including seed weight:
I can get it for, I think, $20/bag. That makes it 40c per pound (if my early morning math is right lol). If I feed 1# worth of seed a day in fodder, for 90 days, it's gonna cost me $36.

As I said above, these numbers are hypothetical. You may feed more or less, grain can cost more or less and you may feed longer or shorter.

1# of grain = roughly 6# of sprouts. When feeding sprouts, I simply attempt to get some green into their daily diet. I don't spend any time doing math calculations or even trying to figure out how much sprouts they should get compared to their formulated feed. I simply give them their FF, then when it warms up a bit mid day, give them some sprouts to work on. It's especially good when I can toss the sprouts into the leaf litter in the green house! Chickie party!!!

...except that a lb of seed is going to make much more than a lb of fodder. God I hate math

Roughly 1:6. I love math.

 

[jnr005]

So here is my math...but I may be way off on my estimates:

1. I think I have ~30 chickens (when you have that many and they are the kids...you really stop trying to count and just say "I have too many".) I just buy the food when they are low so the following are guestimates on my current usage:

A. Currently:
(3) bags of 50 lb feed/mnth @$15/bag = $45
(2) bags 50 lb cracked corn @ $9/bag = $18 (kids prob over feed this, but it is what it is)

Total: $63/month in feed

B. Estimate with fermenting feed and fodder
I bought the following yesterday:
(2) 50lb barley @ $13/bag
(2) 50 lb wheat @ $13/bag
(1) 25 lb sunflower seeds @ $15/bag

Total is 250 lbs seeds x 6 (estimate on weight gain with fodder) = 1500 lbs green food/$67 spent = $0.044/lb of food

So to feed my 30 piggy chickens: (fig 2 lbs per each in food per week)
(2) bags of 50 lb feed/mnth @$15/bag = $30
30x1lb fodder x 4 weeks = 120 lbs fodder/month @ $0.044/lb = $5.28

So hopefully $35.28/mnth which is about 50% savings. As to if that will really happen...will find out this next few months