Newbie feeding question

[ThinkingChickens]

I'm researching SO much right now that I feel like my head is going to explode. I'm only getting three chicks (hens for laying) to keep as pets in our yard. I think I've narrowed down my three choices (Easter Egger, Rhode Island Red, Golden Sex Link) but I have no idea how much to budget for food. I know there are a ton of variables but can anyone give me a monthly estimate? Is that just too complicated? An average? Ha ha, anything? I just want to make sure I have all my funds set aside. Thanks guys!

 

[<3ChickenForever]

We get 50 pounds of feed. We get clam shells (for calcium) some months for us would be around 50$ since each bag is about 10-12 $ here.

 

[lynnemabry]

I have 10 chickens and I am using about 1 bag of feed a month. Or course they also get scraps and such. Oyster shell, grit and scratch as needed don't add up to too much more, since it lasts quite a while.

I figure I am spending about $15 a month for about 13-15 dozen eggs.

 

[2DogsFarm]

I pay between $9 & $12 for 50# of layer pellets depending on what brand & which feedstore I buy at.
That size bag lasts my 7 (6 hens, 1 rooster) about 3 weeks, more if they are out freeranging.

I supplement with grit & oyster shell - about $5 for 5lb for each - and those last about a month - again longer if they are out freeranging & can get some on their own.

Also factor in bedding for your coop. I use pine shavings at $5.50 for a 30# bag.
The bag lasts more than a month depending on how messy the weather is.
If it's dry out I use less shavings, wet weather means I replace shavings more often.

Under the shavings I sprinkle Sevin for lice & mite control. Maybe $5 for the can of powder.
That gets refreshed each Spring when I sweep out the coop & totally rebed.
In between I just scoop poop & add shavings if needed.

I use a 1gal heated waterbowl for water, dump & refill it daily. That gallon lasts them more than a day, but I like them to have fresh,clean water.

I feed oatmeal every morning with plain yogurt & a couple of their own eggs scrambled in - for extra calcium & protein.
Scratch (fed as a treat) is a 50/50 mix of whole oats & BOSS (Black Oil Sunflower seeds).
I don't have a price for that as I just borrow from what I feed my horses.
Other treats are any veggie scraps from my cooking or uneaten leftovers.

 

[sadies0111]

For my 6 chickens, they go through a 50# bag of feed in about a month and a half, but they also get maybe 2 cups of scratch/day as well, and also some leftovers occasionally. At my feed store, I got a 25lb bag of grit for $5, and it will probably last a year.

 

[cochicks]

It takes my three adult hens about three months to get through a 50# bag of layer pellets. I also give treats, scratch, oyster shells, and grit.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

If you don't feed anything else, no scratch and no free ranging, you can figure 1/3 lb a day per heavy breed of chicken. That would be the maximum.

 

[liz_s]

I have only 3 chickens as pets/ layers too. I got Ameraucanas because they're so darn cute- and the blue-green eggs blow everybody's minds

I get them a 25 lb. bag probably once a month. As a fellow new small flock owner I want to warn you about getting too big of a bag. I got the 50# bag a few months ago, thinking it would keep fine in the cool air in my basement, but it didn't. It may have not been great quality to begin with, although I hope that's not the case because I'd like to think Aslin-Finch is better than that... But anyway, not even the wild birds would eat it. The food is pretty cheap ($13 for 25#), but it was a shame to waste so much.

I have tried to get my girls to eat black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS), but they refuse. So I spoil them and give them raw shelled sunflower seeds. I found a grocery store where I get them in bulk for $1.50 a pound. That could end up costing me a ton if I let them eat it all of the time, but it's only a treat (especially in this frigid weather), so it's maybe 6 bucks a month.

I'd also advise you to get as small of a waterer and feeder as possible. I started out with the giant metal ones, but it was overkill. Three girls just don't eat or drink that much! I found a waterer that has a base that you can screw a mason jar into, and it's awesome. It's easy to clean since I can take it inside and do it in the sink, I can control the temperature (hot or cool) better, and their water doesn't get stale. The small feeder can still hold 5 or 6 cups of food, which is way more than they eat a day. Also easy to clean, which is good news when it rains and their food gets all soggy (which apparently they love...).

You can buy the grit and calcium in bulk, and it's also inexpensive. I honestly expected to be spending a lot more when I first started out, but have been pleasantly surprised. My girls free-range in my back yard, so they find plenty of fun stuff to eat, in addition to the scraps I give them, which were from the food I bought for myself in the first place. So that makes it free, right?

Good luck, and don't get too overwhelmed! It's sooooo much fun having chickens!

 

[tammyd57]

Feed costs can vary widely, depending on several things. The part of the country where you live since grain prices are not the same everywhere. If you have a large wild bird population, they can decimate your feed in nothing flat if they can get to it (we have that problem here). Even mice, rabbits and possums will steal your chicken feed. So if you figure 1/4 to 1/3 pound of feed per chicken per day, you'll want to add on a bit for lost feed.

 

[liz_s]

That's a good point tammyd57- I actually spend more money on the wild bird food ($20/ month) than I do my chicken food. If I don't, the wild birds will eat it all!