How often do you buy feed?

[Diveks]

I normally buy 50 pound bags, but I just did a 100 pound sack and used my tractor to dump it in feed bins with latches on them. It was really helpful and, having 70 chickens, not going for almost 4 weeks was great! I recommend the 100 as long as you have means to move it and room to put it somewhere!

Oh sorry, I was focused on nutrition and never thought about it being pelleted.. I was thinking more about the crumble. I mean I know I cannot BUT I'm always glad to be reminded that I HAVEN'T thought of everything, it's refreshing and keeps me grounded!

If the pellets are too large for the juveniles, they quickly turn into mash when water is added. My birds do seem to enjoy it served that way, really thick oatmeal consistency (whatever that means since I don't eat oatmeal) I used to do it on occasion for enrichment and they went crazy for it.. it's more full time now.. and the dry feed is tossed out on occasion "like" scratch as enrichment but without diminishing nutrients.

On the back of post #8.. whatever storage container gets used.. beware of any sweating or condensation regardless of container type, Moldy food is wasted. Grain produces heat and may be condensating between the wall and itself without you realizing, true story. Lots of technology or knowledge has gone into storage silos (maybe not an issue in warmer climates than mine but the information is shared, can you guess how I found out). Grain mites, etc.. may still be inside the "sealed" container IF it comes with the feed as they sometimes do (plenty of air exchange inside every time you open the seal).. The DE in some feeds is an anti caking agent at a legal rate of use (here in the US) being up to 2% and has little effect otherwise regarding pest control in my experience (at that rate with my ambient humidity) as I once accidentally used it for my mealworm/darkling beetle colony substrate before reading the label, with no fallout.

The pellets are smaller than the layer ones, I think the older chicks will manage, will have to see them eat them though. I used to feed my day olds watered down mash, really entices weaker chicks.

Same here, I had issues with grain mites (plus some weevils), I haven't had problems with them in my feed but I had to throw a bunch of my scratch because of them. weirdly enough my scratch is honestly stored better (in the house, fully airtight container), maybe they came in with them .

I was honestly keeping my feed in the original bags, I think I should start using containers for them though since im buying a larger ammount.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Get the 40-50 pounders or the 100 pounders and store it in airtight critter-proof bins. a 33 gallon food-safe blue barrel will hold a 50 pound sack of feed and is made from thick ABS. You can get screw-on lids or the metal banded lids for them and as long as you keep them sealed they will stay dry and keep the critters out. Check your local feed store, or if you have a "tank and barrel" type place near you, check there. They run 40-90 dollars depending on how fancy you get with the lids.

I'd be like this....

 

[azurbanclucker]

I'd be like this....
View attachment 3763098

Yes but you're a mutant and have a million birds.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

I get 2 80 lb scratch grain bags and 3 80 lb of layer feed about every 4 -5 weeks with still having about a bag total of feed left.

 

[Insnesnakos]

I have 5 chickens plus the sparrows that are eating it and a 40lb bag last me around 5 weeks. Normally 6 if i could get the last few sparrows to stop eating the feed.

Sparrows eat my feed too
They're small but they can eat a lot especially when there's a few of them and they come back again and again

 

[21hens-incharge]

For storing 100 lb of feed I use gamma lids on home Depot buckets. It works really well. Each bucket holds roughly 25 lb which is easier to move around anyway. I do store mine in the human house though. I feed 29 birds and go through roughly 150 lb in 5 to 6 weeks.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The pellets are smaller than the layer ones, I think the older chicks will manage, will have to see them eat them though.

As long as the pellets aren't too big even fairly young chicks (like 4-6 weeks old) can manage just fine. I only know this because hubby kept putting out layer feed for them when I wasn't looking , instead of all flock crumble.

 

[Shadrach]

I will soon start feeding around 20 chickens, right now only 10 are adults, the rest are 1 month olds. But in a bit they will all be eating the same thing, grower.

Stores only sell the feed in bags of 22, 44, 110 pound bags. The larger the bags the cheaper each pound is of course, which would mean I get to save money, time, and gas going back and fourth to the feed store. I was buying the 44lb bags and finished it in around 3 weeks. Is it worth buying the 100lb bags?

Feed store is far from my place so less trips I do the better.

Do check the mill dates on the bags.
I would caution against making a mash from pellets or feeding mash in general to the one month olds even if their feed is available constantly. Ideally at that age one wants as much balanced nutrition in them as possible and making a mash adds usually around 50% water. Each time they eat, they get half of the nutrient value of the feed they ingest.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Sparrows eat my feed too
They're small but they can eat a lot especially when there's a few of them and they come back again and again

Yes they can eat a lot.
Ive got about 10 hangig around my coop, but they have babies that are just learning to fly.
Im finishing enclosing my run so no more sparrows

 

[NatJ]

I would caution against making a mash from pellets or feeding mash in general to the one month olds even if their feed is available constantly. Ideally at that age one wants as much balanced nutrition in them as possible and making a mash adds usually around 50% water. Each time they eat, they get half of the nutrient value of the feed they ingest.

If they eat dry food, they also drink water.
if they eat wet food, they drink less water.

As long as the mash does not have ridiculous amounts of water, there is no problem.