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:welcome Waiting is frustrating. I have had girls start right on time (16-24 weeks depending on breed), and adults start in January. Now I’m waiting... perhaps I blocked some light accidentally, I don’t know. :barnie Ha ha, so we wait.
Free ranging cuts down on feed, but don’t forget that they eat more to keep warm. The colder it is, the more feed they need.
 
Hey, Mark! Welcome to BYC!

We’re in the central Black Hills, so around your latitude. I’m getting on avg. 5 eggs a day from approximately 40 pullets and hens. The younger ones lay more in winter short days. If your flock are all in their 2-3rd year that may be why no eggs. I think my Australorps are laying, but the rest of the layers so far this year are pullets. When they do pick up, I’m gonna have soooo many eggs.

You can get soybean meal for around $17/50 lb bag in Rapid City. If you’re close enough that you shop here, it’s D & M Ag Supply. Good protein source and not that pricey for the 42.5% protein kick. If you feed much scratch you’re going to dilute the protein content of your feed, which can inhibit the egg laying, esp in winter.

If you’re near a town, you may be able to collect discarded food from restaurants and mix it with hay/wood chips/leaves, etc to make compost. You can also use ruminant and pig manures—cow, goat, sheep... Not dog or cat, though. Chickens eat microbes in compost piles as they heat up and turn into compost. You have to turn the piles, but you get compost for your garden or to sell and you feed your birds. It is a lot of work, though. Other than that I haven’t found many cheap ways to feed chickens here, esp in winter.

Best of success with all your projects and I hope BYC will be a blessing to you!
 
Hi Cindy,

Thanks for the welcome. I do have some older chickens. But I also have some from this last summer. So they're not even a year yet. They were laying by winter but not much. Another reason why I don't think I am feeding them right. I don't go to Rapid City but I bet I can find it in billings for a decent price. Thanks for the advice!
 
Markissyrillus said:
Hello everyone my name is Mark Widdison. I have owned chickens for about three years. I have 25 chickens. Including red and black stars, rir, white leg horns,amercana brama and Orpington. My favorite aspects to raising chickens,has to be the fresh eggs. I also like having something to keep me busy. I do wish that mine were a little more friendly. Unfortunately right now they are not laying any eggs right now. But they should be cause it hasn't been that cold here.

I also like hunting and fishing. Riding bicycles and 4 wheelers. Camping is one of our favorite things todo and we use wood for our mane source of heat. So I spend allot of time cutting and splitting wood.

We live in northern Wyoming. I am married with four kids. Ages 10,9,5 and almost 2. We have 4 dogs witch my wife is a dog groomer. I myself make dogs and beer cans. We also have 3 guinea pigs and six gliders. We are also in the process of making a contract to buy our home.

I've known about BYC for most the time have had chickens. Hoping now for advice on inexpensive feed.witch hopefully they will start laying more. I am using layer and scratch right now.We feed them more than what it calls for but they always act like there starving.

Thanks for reading
Mark Widdison
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Welcome to the forums.. Most of us has the same reason we raise chickens.. its because of the eggs we get from them. we can always get eggs from a local grocery store. But nothing beats a freshly farmed egg. hope to hear from you more. Thanks.
 

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