Need help with diagnosis

[casportpony]

It most often doesn't balance out, when measuring the economics. Mostly, because we don't produce our own feeds, as my grandparents did during the depression. Or, make our own medicines, as they also did (despite working, many had very dangerous ingredients). There are many things we can do to improve our pastures, so as to obtain far higher yields. We can rotate our crops and our livestock in ways that maximize productivity, and minimize investment. We can even raise our own insects, so as to provide additional protein and essential amino acids, and raise vegetables that are higher in sulpher content to boost their immune systems, and process the grains in various ways, and plant crops that produce greens well into winter ... but, during such horribly difficult times, they worked many more hours per day to obtain far less than life required, and took care of their children and their animals first, because they knew the same answer others have given:

Your chickens must have what they need, in order to give you what you want.

You can obtain some things that are not fit for human consumption, but would still be great for your chickens. But, never because it's spoiled. Or, has been infested. Sure, you'll save a few dollar that day. But, you'll have chickens that are of poor quality, and have weakened immune systems, and all manner of infections. Which cost you more: The supplemental feed and the medications, or the failure to produce any weight gain, or many eggs of good quality, and you suffer the double-digit mortality rates that occur when flocks are not in good and proper condition?

When I was little, everything on our tables (save for the most basic of staple goods) came from the combined labors of our family, and God's kind blessings ... the work was hard, but the times were among our happiest ever. This time around? I'll be lucky if my first dozen eggs doesn't cost me $50 per egg ... let alone, per month ~'-)

My little brother has developed relationships with local produce departments and restaurants, so as to get what he the prepares for his many different birds. And, I've helped raise insects for him as well, so as to further reduce his costs. We've tried sprouted grains, and many other small experiments, in the hopes of making it more cost effective. And, mostly (so far as my farming in this century goes) for the plain ol' fun of it ... I enjoy the work, and the challenges of it all ... if I didn't? I'd surely just buy my eggs from somebody that did.

Well said!

 

[casportpony]

I don't mind spending.... But they don't lay in winter anyway, so why not feed the scratch and scraps? The flock will be moved into their new abode in about a week and will not need bedding it will be warm and dry and a dream. Their run will be larger and a bit more plush vegetation wise. Even some trees for the banties to perch in within the run. Sevens dust... I'll look it up I hear its natural ... Is this correct? Why does de not work? We used to use it years ago for all the animals and their feed. I worked then. My goal is to raise them as naturally as possible. What on earth did the families in the depression era do for feed? Are we not well on our way to that life now? How can anyone justify $50+ in feed a month and no to near no eggs through the winter? In the longer days yes they got layer crumble. And free range during the day. We got our eggs but I still say not enough to cover feed cost. How does this balance out?

Maybe it's different in Idaho, but my hens lay all year long and only slow down when moulting, not eating enough, parasites (internal and/or external). I don't know why DE doesn't work, all I know is that I dusted a bunch of birds with lice/mites and it didn't help, so now I use the poultry dust that's at TSC. You don't even want to know what I spend for feed... Just my 5 turkeys and 14 peafowl eat about $60/week. Even if I were selling eggs, there is no way that I could come close to covering the cost of feed. I do it for the joy of it.

 

[Pele]

I'm sorry, but you are approaching animal husbandry with the wrong angle. If you own a car, you don't drive it until it breaks, then try to fix it without any knowledge on how a car works. You maintain your car, educate yourself, and put in the time, resources and effort into the vehicle so that you can have the privilage of the vehicle at minimum cost for said privilage. You see the corrolation? Roughriding the hens into bad health, then saying they're too expensive to maintain isn't the way to go.

Food doesn't magically appear for hens on your property throughout all of the seasons. There will be times of famine for them, where your property won't yield what they need. In those times, you need to provide supplimentary food. A cost effective way of doing that would be to maintain your own garden with grains, and store them year-round, then dole out to your hens. Think about how small they are, and how big an egg is, that is a LOT of their body resources lost every day. Not feeding them guarentees that they will starve and die when freeranging doesn't yeild enough food. And the reason 'olden days' people had no problems with this is that they didn't genetically manipulate hens into dropping 200+ eggs a year. They laid less often, and needed less food. Eggs are a privilage that you pay for with resources.

Research about chickens. Don't just jump into owning any animal without doing this. Taking the time to research would have yeilded knowledge such as providing light for them in the winter. This method will cause your hens to lay all year round. Though if you are not providing food to them in the winter, I doubt their bodies can handle laying, and will shut down anyway while they die.

Feed your chickens unspoiled food. What they eat, you eat through their eggs. If you are giving them decomposed and rotten food, they will sicken and become weak. Again impacting the egg production that you are concerned about. It doesn't have to be fancy, but it can't be offal.

 

[Haunted55]

Maybe it's different in Idaho, but my hens lay all year long and only slow down when moulting, not eating enough, parasites (internal and/or external). I don't know why DE doesn't work, all I know is that I dusted a bunch of birds with lice/mites and it didn't help, so now I use the poultry dust that's at TSC. You don't even want to know what I spend for feed... Just my 5 turkeys and 14 peafowl eat about $60/week. Even if I were selling eggs, there is no way that I could come close to covering the cost of feed. I do it for the joy of it.

X 2!!!

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Well said!

Thank you!

And, did you choose the Kewpie Doll?
~'-)