How to save money on chicken feed?

[TheDan]

Has anyone tried sprouting your feed grains? Sprouting is a great way to bulk up the amount of food and increases the available nutritional value. Could make whatever size bag you have go further...

 

[Darnbunnies]

Has anyone tried sprouting your feed grains? Sprouting is a great way to bulk up the amount of food and increases the available nutritional value. Could make whatever size bag you have go further...

Sounds like a great idea. I've never done this. Which grains are suitable and how do you do it? -DB

 

[Chicks and Bees]

Whatever you do, don't do bee-keeping. It has cost me thousands with no return. I wish I never started, but they all said, "anyone can keep bees". Very expensive hobby. I have no idea how anyone does it.

 

[TheDan]

Sounds like a great idea. I've never done this. Which grains are suitable and how do you do it? -DB

You should be able to sprout any whole grain. It's pretty easy to do; just let nature takes it's course. I've used jars with cheese cloth or nylon mesh over the tops before. Soak the grains overnight to get them ready, then drain the water and give them a rinse twice a day. I set the jar on it's side so excess water can drain out. The idea is to keep the grains damp, but not completely wet. It usually only takes 24hrs for the seeds to start sprouting and generally by day three they'll have have half to an inch long sprouts and roots. Some people let them grow longer, but by that time you've already released the full potential of the grain. Don't overfill you're sprouting container! They'll expand to take up three times the original volume in just a few days.

I've seen some people using a continuous sprouting system that had trays stacked vertically. The oldest tray is on top; each tray below it is a day younger. You water the top tray and then the water drips down to the younger trays below. When the top tray is ready to be harvested you pull that one out, move all the trays up, and replace the harvested tray in the bottom with freshly soaked seeds. I want to build something like that myself, but I don't know where to put it

 

[adkhunter1590]

I only have 2 week old chicks right now and they are on dumor chick starter for now from Tsc. I plan on letting them free range a lot around the house during the summer months and I can also get a steady supply of wheat and corn. I work at a flour mill so we have plenty of wheat laying around. Machines separate corn and anything not wheat out. It gets dumped into big rolling carts free for the taking. A guy I work with has about 50-60 chickens and fills the bed of his truck once and awhile and feeds them most the wheat corn mix. Was thinking of doing the same with mine once they are bigger. Will always leave a feeder in the coop with some layer food though

 

[optimistic]

can I give a two day old broiler chick power grower?

 

[Nstamenov]

If you have a lot of kitchen scraps it can be a money saver- or if you grow some of your own grains, etc.
However, make sure you don't cut their protein too much- they need the 16% protein feed to make eggs. It takes a LOT of protein to make eggs and feathers.

But if they are dependent on feed that you buy, really it is cheaper to go buy the cheapest of the cheap dozen eggs they sell at the grocery store. But they don't taste the same.

In the summer if they are able to graze grass and hunt for bugs on your land, the feed bill will be less. In winter there isn't much for them - even here where we have green grass in winter, the bugs aren't there and the grass really stops growing.

Three hens and a rooster should only be eating maybe 40 lbs a month (a lighter weight hen supposedly eats about 4 oz. a day). I am guessing but your feed bill should be not too bad (under $20 a month).

The key here is that hens don't give consistent egglaying all through their lives. So they stop laying when they go broody, molt, or become stressed (or if they get too hot, for example). So eggs are not a guarantee, especially with a very small flock.

It is best to replace your layers every couple of years for optimal egg production. Older hens continue to lay, but at a slower rate.

There is a benefit to having hens and a cock, as you can hatch out your own replacements. So it would be best for you to always have a hen or two growing up to be the replacement (otherwise you may end up with all of your chickens being too young to give you eggs). The chick growing up will be a natural part of the flock, and should not be bullied like a new hen would introduced as an adult.

Will it be difficult to get the feed, when they take a break in laying (they always do at some point, like when they molt)? Don't answer me, but ask yourself and you will know if you should keep them.

It needs to be eggs on the table for you and your children, and if you can't buy the eggs and the chicken feed both, then I'd not have the chickens. Many chicken owners end up buying eggs too sometimes!

I hope this helps.

Thanks for all this information 'ChickensAreSwee' ! I am looking to start raising hens and I am doing my research (before I jump in), to learn of tricks to keeping the cost down while raising happy hens. I was leaning towards free range chickens. Would love to get feedback from the forum on what that could/should look like in a suburb. I have a nice size backyard to give them ample roaming room and have read about allowing the chickens to roam in your gardens where they find great food(pests, worms, etc) and then they fertilize the garden for free . My concern is how to keep them safe on a daily basis (when I am at work) from cats, snakes and other predators. I am wondering if my dogs would come to accept them and then stay outside and protect them from any predators? Or is there a way to have them free range in an enclosed area? Would love to be able to hatch out my own replacements. I am not sure if our city will allow a rooster. Will have to check into this. Though neighbors might not appreciate if he wakes them up every morning. ;-)

 

[Nstamenov]

You should be able to sprout any whole grain. It's pretty easy to do; just let nature takes it's course. I've used jars with cheese cloth or nylon mesh over the tops before. Soak the grains overnight to get them ready, then drain the water and give them a rinse twice a day. I set the jar on it's side so excess water can drain out. The idea is to keep the grains damp, but not completely wet. It usually only takes 24hrs for the seeds to start sprouting and generally by day three they'll have have half to an inch long sprouts and roots. Some people let them grow longer, but by that time you've already released the full potential of the grain. Don't overfill you're sprouting container! They'll expand to take up three times the original volume in just a few days.

I've seen some people using a continuous sprouting system that had trays stacked vertically. The oldest tray is on top; each tray below it is a day younger. You water the top tray and then the water drips down to the younger trays below. When the top tray is ready to be harvested you pull that one out, move all the trays up, and replace the harvested tray in the bottom with freshly soaked seeds. I want to build something like that myself, but I don't know where to put it

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Wilsons Far]

After finding out that I was paying $4.29 just from feed per dozen eggs I decided that I need to find as many ways as possible to save on chicken feed.  The person I bought my chicken coop from used shredded newspaper and scrap paper for bedding.  I am going to try to switch to that, and see how that goes.  I'll keep bedding on hand just in case I run out, or it isn't working.  But as for feed...  I need ideas how to save on that.  Bedding can be stretched - not filling it quite as high and such.  Don't worry, they will have a clean coop with enough bedding, I just won't be wasting it by adding more than they need.  

Ideas on how to save on feed are very welcome!

 

[Wilsons Far]

I'm in SE Michigan. Get Dumor @ TSC for $12.99-$11.99, depending on sales, for 50# layer feed. Local Mill same price, but delivers for $5