How much to feed

[moodlymoo]

Well, since I am now on a very tight budget and a fixed disability income (lets just my husband likes his girlfriend more than his family) how do I keep feed costs down? Currently my 17 girls free range a while during the day, they do get table scraps and scratch and have a flock block in their coop. I have a 30lb feeder in their coop that they empty in a few days I just cant afford to keep feeding them like that. What can I do to lower my feed costs? They are all eating unmedicated chick crumble. My youngest is about 2mo old and my oldest is about 6mo old. Nobody is laying yet but they do have access to oyster shell too incase someone does start to lay.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Just a couple of ideas:

Does your local grocery store have a discount section for produce that's about to go bad? As long as it's not moldy a little punky will do. Old pumpkins, apples, etc they love to pick at.

You're doing great by free ranging them daily, that should actually cut down on food costs. Increase free ranging as able?

You may want to worm the ones that are 6 months old since they free range. That could be a reason they're eating a lot.

Have you looked for feed coupons? Purina gives some out. My local feed store also does a discount program, but you have to buy 10 bags first to get the discount.

And you may also want to think about getting rid of some of them, or eating them if that's something you would do.

You also should switch to pellets, less waste.

 

[SteveBaz]

I dont know where you live but Coastal Farm and Ranch Supply sells #40 Medicated for $14. and non medicated for $11.00 on sale. I just bought 5 bags and it stores for a long time in seal a meal bags. You can beat it but that's good price. I look for sales. I am in a larger city Portland OR and so maybe you have something similar.
One of the things I do is look out for sales and buy when it is timely. Here I put this under my feeder and have "ZERO LOSS" Now at night to help reduce some of the cost I put a 5 gallon bucket that fits over it perfectly and the critters can not get into it or the bottom tray. Yep I would offer more oyster shells crushed
the 6 month old is right at the egg laying time and you should be looking for her to lay. Red face, red crop, squatting a lot building a nest for herself ect....

 

[moodlymoo]

Quote:
I am in Portland too. When did Costal have their feed sale?

 

[SteveBaz]

The one in Gresham is on now and its on Exit #16 238th right to Stark South West Corner. There is another one too some where but You can look it up. Good luck to you

 

[moodlymoo]

Thats the one I go to or sometimes the one in oregon city.

 

[sambia62]

I am on disability and I have found that chickens eat just about any thing and i do mean any thing mine eat plenty of scraps and scratch they dont need the grit and all of that stuff they will get that from the ground as the free range i too was worried that i would have to but grit and gravel i have learned alot from all of the old local chicken farmers around here I have about 50 egg layers and never spend over 30.00 a month on feed i get what i need from my local MFA I havent started them on egg pellets as of yet they arent old enough and i must be doing some thing right so far I havent lost one chicken as of yet and the lady's are beautiful and plump I started them on starter then moved the to grower and now i feed a mixture of grower and scratch and chops and scraps

 

[moodlymoo]

They get starter now because of the age differences and I have 2 50lb bags but they are eating it so fast. I am going to move them to flock raiser in pellet form when its gone. I have been giving them ALL of our scraps from meals and I went to the store today and got a huge bag of greens/fruit/squash and pumpkins that weren't good enough to sell but still good and that is going to them for the next couple of days too. I was really wondering if there was a way to ration out feed like x amount of cups per bird like I do with my dogs