We all love our birds or we wouldn't be here, but money has never been more of an issue. Now that winter is coming on, we'll all start to feel the crunch of higher feed costs, the need for more bedding with the flocks spending more time indoors and so on. Let's all brainstorm some money saving tips on how to keep our flocks as economical as possible so we can keep our spouses as in love with them as we are I've seen some great ideas on other threads and wanted to combine them into one place where we can come and learn fom eachother. Here are some: Bedding can be changed with the seasons... -In the summer, use grass clippings that have been dried. -In the fall, use leaves. -Even talk with nurseries and stores about what they are doing with their ornamental autumn displays (STRAW) Feed -Kitchen scraps is the best money saver. Whatever we don't eat gets put aside for morning mealtime for the chickens. -Grocery stores sometimes throw out old greens or bread. Make friends with them and let them know of a great alternative to the waste! Coops Always keep eyes peeled for recycled materials when thinking of building a new coop. -Check Craigslist and Freecycle.com for cheap building materials or even post your own ad. Some people just want it gone -Ask about fallen or rundown buildings and see if you can salvage its usable pieces (Remember to be very careful...Nothing can be more nasty than a hundred year old rusty nail in your foot) -Yard Sales are great places to get old windows and doors...cheap
I have found that most towns have building projects. New subdivisions or buildings going up. You can go to the job site and talk with the job foreman and ask permission to get the lumber they just throw away. I built a neat little 2-story banty barn from material gotten from a new subdivision going up nearby. Also, large department stores and building supplies throw away lumber. For example, Sears spring riding mowers come wrapped in a wood frame that they just throw away and will often give them to folks who ask. Lowes and Home Depot has miss cut lumber at a great discount. These are just a few ideas, I hope they help.
i like most of the ideas, but if leaves get wet, they carry Cocci and can make your birds sick, aother thing to use in the fall is cor cob bedding
We took down some trees this year and had a ton of regular mulch we used instead of pine. You can buy loads of it for $12 to $20 a yard. Just make sure there are no chemicals, dyes, or cedar. It's a good pine alternative. Chickens are natural scavengers. I don't mean to gross anyone out but I've been feeding my layers all the stuff left over from processing meat birds. They love it, it's good for them, and it reduces feed consumption. I started buying my broiler and layer feeds from a local famers co-op. It's a lot of work. I lay down a tarp and put rubbermaid bins on it. They dump the feed in and I shovel up the overflow. I save 25% versus bagged food and the quality and freshness is superb.
Quote:oh I didn't think of that. maybe mix with shavings and use with mature flock. Thanks, Brooster Purplechicken, I feed mine everything! I totally agree with the "organic garbage disposal" someone once said. Hello, they eat mice! Thanks, Becky for some awesome ideas on new construction remenants. My hubby and I built our coops using a lot of that stuff. If they have odd cut OSB or plywood, they just throw it away. and the packing crates from Sears, another excellent idea....thanx I love everyones ideas. more more more
My turkies are in my raised garden with a greenhouse over it. I've been mulching my leaves a bag or two at a time and covering the ground with them to block the smell. With the leaves being mulched and the turkies pooping and compressing them they are turning into dirt in days, not months. Next years garden should be great and need no fertilizer. I wouldn't use leave mulch in my coop or my chicken run.
That is great! I never even thought of ways your chickens can help eleviate other cost issues. Great point, PC. Decomposed leaves and doo doo will make the best soil for next year.
Right now I have part of my corn field fenced off. I put my scraps, leaves, hay, alfalfa, grass, etc. in their area and let them scratch through it and they do a good job of scratching it all up and then I'll move them to another area in the field. Spanish moss is abundant here so I use it in their nest boxes.
