Official BYC Poll: How Do You Keep Your Feed Costs Low?

[Drcallen]

Keeping chickens is a wonderful hobby, but the price of their companionship and fresh eggs is the feed bill, which can get scary when you keep a large number of birds. In order to make chicken keeping more economical, or perhaps even profitable, How Do You Keep Your Feed Costs Low?

Feel free to choose multiple answers and please elaborate in the comment section if you choose "Other".

View attachment 2570630

For more money-saving tips visit the Feeding & Watering Your Flock forum sections.

Further Reading:

• Fermenting Chicken Feed: A Straightforward Method
• Creating Your Own Fodder System
• The Scrap Bucket - a MUST for every chicken keeper

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

I let the girls free range for a few hours during the day in my backyard. I also give them treats when they sit with me and my swing I purchase from tractor supply or Amazon that is high in protein. They only get a little bit but it's a lot of fun cuz they like to eat out of my hand and out of my lap. I have six girls. Two are one year old and four are two years old. They are just fun pets for me furnishing my breakfast and I can't eat all the eggs they produce so a couple of my neighbors get some.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

Mostly I, uh, don't.

I switched from organic feed to non-GMO and that cut down a lot.

 

[TLCMidMichigan]

I purchase live mealies to feed as a treat. Ranging from 3/4" to 2" in length.
A great source of protein. Let alone what they get when foraging.

 

[The Sheperds Wife]

I sell my extra eggs.

 

[New_Chicken_Tender]

My 5 girls will be a year old in August. They are out of the coop when the sun is coming up and don't go back in until they put themselves up so I can lock them up. They've been free-rangers since day 1 and though I provide pellets, they hardly eat it anymore; takes forever to get through an $18 dollar 50-lb bag. They've laid through winter and get everything they need from outside, I guess! (And I think they're more excited about my garden this year than I am! ) Though, what I'm not paying in feed was probably paid in bedding during our February snowmaggedon.

 

[chickencoop57]

I made a feeder out of a plastic container, that has 10- 2" holes in it, which helps in keeping food from getting spilled and wasted. I've had to buckle down cause feed was getting a lil costly. I only put about an ice tea pitcher full of Laying Pellets mixed with some Cracked corn in it, every morn, and if there's still a lil left in evening, I'll pick up the feeder and put it where the mice can't get to it. I also thru some Cracked corn out in the run from time to time. I buy Laying Pellets from the local feed store for about $15.00 a 50 lb. bag and I buy the cracked corn at Tractor Supply, I think its $14 a 50 lb bag. Plus, I save the money I get from the egg's to use for buying more feed, when its time. All in all, its helped in keeping the cost down.

 

[Robeenop]

I go through about 60lbs a week. More in winter. 54 chickens, 15 ducks and 2 toulouse geese. My eggs are 3.50 a dz, duck 4.00 a dz and goose 12 a dz. My goose are all ordered in advance. Have good foraging breeds, grass and fermented feed as well.

 

[El Paso Linda]

Keeping chickens is a wonderful hobby, but the price of their companionship and fresh eggs is the feed bill, which can get scary when you keep a large number of birds. In order to make chicken keeping more economical, or perhaps even profitable, How Do You Keep Your Feed Costs Low?

Feel free to choose multiple answers and please elaborate in the comment section if you choose "Other".

View attachment 2570630

For more money-saving tips visit the Feeding & Watering Your Flock forum sections.

Further Reading:

• Fermenting Chicken Feed: A Straightforward Method
• Creating Your Own Fodder System
• The Scrap Bucket - a MUST for every chicken keeper

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

I feed my chickens, quail, game birds, ducks, turtles and koi dried mealworms for extra protein along with veggies from my kitchen and garden.

 

[El Paso Linda]

I go through about 60lbs a week. More in winter. 54 chickens, 15 ducks and 2 toulouse geese. My eggs are 3.50 a dz, duck 4.00 a dz and goose 12 a dz. My goose are all ordered in advance. Have good foraging breeds, grass and fermented feed as well.

I am interested in starting to sell my eggs. I have chicken, duck and quail eggs.
I want to know about setting up a business for this. I live in Texas. Did you have to get a permit to sell your eggs? Do you have to have inspections?
Any advise you or others can give will be appreciated.

 

[BDutch]

I am interested in starting to sell my eggs. I have chicken, duck and quail eggs.
I want to know about setting up a business for this. I live in Texas. Did you have to get a permit to sell your eggs? Do you have to have inspections?
Any advise you or others can give will be appreciated.

I think you will get more answers if you post this question in a new thread.