I have 23 chickens- 2 roos and 21 hens. A few standards, some banty EEers, and some Japanese banties. Standards range in age between 1-3 years, banties are 1-4 years old. I am going through one big bag of feed a week and getting 1-2 eggs a day. Yes, ONE or TWO eggs a day.
All the banties have quite laying totally altogether. It has snowed this past week, but the coop has very sufficient lighting.
It is killing me every time I have to go to the feed store and shell out $18 a bag for maybe 10 eggs a week. Killing me. Financially this can not go on. In the past I have justified using the egg $ for the feed, but we have not had enough eggs to sell for months.
I am thinking of gettting rid of some hens to minimize my feed bill, but I can't figure out which ones. I am kind of attached to the fickle EEers, but the standards are the ones laying. Maybe do them all in and start from chicks in spring.
There is a friend who would gladly take them all to feed his dogs the raw diet, so no worries there. My one buff orp roo is definitely staying. Best roo ever.
Ugh. Decisions are hard. I am hoping to come up with a plan or at least rationalize my thoughts.... Any ideas or thoughts on this?

It is killing me every time I have to go to the feed store and shell out $18 a bag for maybe 10 eggs a week. Killing me. Financially this can not go on. In the past I have justified using the egg $ for the feed, but we have not had enough eggs to sell for months.
I am thinking of gettting rid of some hens to minimize my feed bill, but I can't figure out which ones. I am kind of attached to the fickle EEers, but the standards are the ones laying. Maybe do them all in and start from chicks in spring.

Ugh. Decisions are hard. I am hoping to come up with a plan or at least rationalize my thoughts.... Any ideas or thoughts on this?