I like the idea of eating organic. I just can't afford it. Organic chicken feed is 2X-3X more expensive than non-organic commercial feed where I live. Our local big box supermarkets sell a dozen eggs for less than $1.00. I can't match that with my backyard flock using kitchen scraps, free range compost foraging, and low cost commercial feed. I am not convinced that all organic feed is any better than regular chicken feed and that organic fed chickens have better eggs.
This is what I discovered in my local market. I don't even bother trying to mix my own chicken scratch to save money, because the math does not work out. The only people I see on YouTube making their own feed are people who have access to low cost supplies or barter for grains. From my limited experience dealing with our local feedmill, it would cost me just as much, or more, to make my own chicken feed and it might still not be as balanced as what you can buy.
There are many, many, reasons to have a backyard flock. But having a backyard flock to save money on eggs was never in consideration where I live - where a dozen eggs costs less than $1.00 at the supermarket.
I'm all in for cutting costs where I can, and will be reading this thread to see if anyone has a good system to cut the cost on a well balanced chicken feed.
