high feed cost

[KYBOY]

9.90 for 50# layer pellets here.

 

[nccountrygirl]

12.59 for 50# of Purina Layina and 14.00 for 50# of Purina Start And Grow

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
For this very reason, I find oats and field peas to be best. They're held in place. I threw a bunch into the chicken area last summer and it keps then etertained for weeks 'hunting' the peas and oat kernels in the pile.

And for anyone who thinks growing grain is something for just big farmers, look into it further. On a mere 1/4 acre you could probably grow enough wheat to feed yourself for an entire year... so just think how much your chicken feed bills will be cut.

 

[a2ms4chickens]

In Nov 2007, I paid $12.49 for 50# of layer pellets. In March 2008, I paid $13.50 for the same pellets, and that was with a 5% 4-H discount.

Thank goodness I only have a few hens. Though I'd like to get a few more.

 

[wynedot55]

on .25ac you could grow 10bu of wheat.that is 600lbs of wheat.that would be about 3 months of feed.

 

[silkiechicken]

Question from the farming nieve... when you grow grains like oats, how do you make sure grasses and other weeds don't take over? Then I assume you have to have a machine to harvest it all and prep it? Sounds like it is equipment intensive? Does it re seed itself? This is an interesting idea.

Wonder if I could grow rice. LOL, since we eat a few hundred lbs of that and maybe 3-4 lbs of oats. Probably need lots upon lots of water for rice...

 

[greyfields]

You can very easily do a 1/4 acre using hand tools alone. Grains are grasses, so they grow very quickly in our climate. They do a good job blocking out the sun and preventing weeds from germinating. However, you are right, when you are first turning over the ground for your first crop, you are going to have weed issues the first year. I mostly get creeping buttercup and some Reed's Canary in my grain fields. But, since we're not selling grain, but simply feeding it to animals, it doesn't have to be clean! Chickens will eat the grass and weed seed right along with the grain.

Try to get a copy of this if you can:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Complet...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207676009&sr=8-1

p.s. Yes you can grow rice here.

 

[silkiechicken]

Thanks for that book link.

Is the reason we don't grow rice here because it's not economical production wise? I'm thinking jasmine rice in my head though... and where my mom grew up was a lot hotter and longer seasoned than it is here, so that's why I was thinking rice wouldn't do so well. I'll have to look into that.

 

[greyfields]

Most the rice we get here comes from Northern California. They do get more heat units in the Summer than we do. But according to Carla Emergy's book it can be done here as well.

 

[silkiechicken]

Hmm...

If I tell my mom she'd freak out and recall all her bad memories of being "educated" out on the rice patties and pulling leaches off her feet.

Wonder where I'd be able to get jasmine rice seeds... maybe I'll stick to buying the 50 lb bags of it from the store already finished and ready to cook in it's wonderful lack of vitamin A glory.