How to cut the cost of feeding chickens?

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

If anyone hunts or fishes, scraps from cleaning your trophy (or bi-catch from fishing) can make good protein-rich supplements for the flock.

 

[MysteryChicken]

have to include the youngsters, they eat too! That's what's blowing up my feed budget ATM.

Me, & my sister trades off.

We also have Turkeys, & Guineas in the mixed flock coop, we feed Flock Raiser in a 60lbs feeder, & that adds to the bill.

But we trade off to manage it, one time I would have to fill the bin, & she buys the Flock Raiser.

The next time I buy the Flock Raiser, then she has to fill the bin.

The feed bin last about a month.

The mixed flock 60lb feeder lasts about a week, to two weeks, with the BB Bronze Turkeys, without the turkeys it lasts about a month too.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I also have started bug collecting from the water troughs (anything besides stinging bugs and water beetles). Usually I get 30+ moths a day, not a whole ton considering the number of birds I have, but it is something. They won't eat worms apart from literally one hen I have. Climate here isn't great for growing bugs unfortunately.

I might try the sprouting. Any clue if I can use scratch grains as the seeds for that?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Me, & my sister trades off.

We also have Turkeys, & Guineas in the mixed flock coop, we feed Flock Raiser in a 60lbs feeder, & that adds to the bill.

But we trade off to manage it, one time I would have to fill the bin, & she buys the Flock Raiser.

The next time I buy the Flock Raiser, then she has to fill the bin.

The feed bin last about a month.

The mixed flock 60lb feeder lasts about a week, to two weeks, with the BB Bronze Turkeys, without the turkeys it lasts about a month too.

"goats".

Unstoppable eating machines. and yes, I know how dangerous chicken food is to them. Trying to devise a way to keep them from getting at the chicken's feed when I offer it once daily. Can't fence them out, they go over it. Can't pen them in, they go thru it. Working on a structure that will keep them "away" while the flock descends on it and eats their fill.

I've a 3' dia "chicken tower" of composting soil and sprouting seeds. Thinking about building a hexagonal or octagonal "bench" around it, then pouring the feed in a ring between the back of the bench and the wall of the chicken tower - and trusting that between the posts, the width of the seat, and the heigh of the seat that the goats won't be able to get their heads (far) under it to eat the chicken feed.

Having more than half the flock below the age of lay is horrific, too - but I can fix that, with time.

 

[NatJ]

I might try the sprouting. Any clue if I can use scratch grains as the seeds for that?

Cracked corn will not sprout.
Any whole grains probably will.

The easiest way to find out: test a small sample and see.

 

[MysteryChicken]

"goats".

Unstoppable eating machines. and yes, I know how dangerous chicken food is to them. Trying to devise a way to keep them from getting at the chicken's feed when I offer it once daily. Can't fence them out, they go over it. Can't pen them in, they go thru it. Working on a structure that will keep them "away" while the flock descends on it and eats their fill.

I've a 3' dia "chicken tower" of composting soil and sprouting seeds. Thinking about building a hexagonal or octagonal "bench" around it, then pouring the feed in a ring between the back of the bench and the wall of the chicken tower - and trusting that between the posts, the width of the seat, and the heigh of the seat that the goats won't be able to get their heads (far) under it to eat the chicken feed.

Having more than half the flock below the age of lay is horrific, too - but I can fix that, with time.

We don't have goats, but planning to get sheep. Definitely gonna have their own feed, & area.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

We don't have goats, but planning to get sheep. Definitely gonna have their own feed, & area.

I think that's very wise

 

[MysteryChicken]

I think that's very wise

We have pretty large area we can clear out for a sheep pen.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Cracked corn will not sprout.
Any whole grains probably will.

The easiest way to find out: test a small sample and see.

Alright, that's my next test. Now to just see if I can find a bag less than 40 pounds

 

[NatJ]

Alright, that's my next test. Now to just see if I can find a bag less than 40 pounds

If it won't sprout, you can feed the rest of the bag to the chickens anyway, so it won't be a total waste.

You could look at all the animal feeds you already have, and try sprouting a bit of any whole grains. It doesn't really matter if it was bought for chickens or goats or horses or whatever, any whole grains have a reasonable chance of sprouting.