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

[Judys chooks]

Mine get free range time, but the amount I spend on feed, treats, and fodder offsets that. I use the rentacoop feeders, that they have to stick their head in, so there's almost no waste. The flock raiser is only $17.29 for a 50lb. bag, and it lasts about 2 weeks. I don't think it costs much to feed them, but I only have 15 birds.

Can you tell me about the rentacoop feeders please?

 

[Teresa D]

I have a hanger that the food is in that I move inside the coop at night. I do mix water with their food in the morning in separate containers so they don't fight. I have at least 4 containers spread out for 7 chickens I add 1 cup of feed per container and water just enough so it soaks in like mush, so for my seven chickens they polish off 4 cups of their feed for sure everyday. They don't eat the same amount of layer feed if it is dry. They still peck at it but the quantity is totally less if its just dry feed. Plus I add boiled mashed eggs with cottage cheese as I have mentioned in other forums at least 3x a week. I do also buy crickets but that gets pricey. We also free range we have 23 acres but also coyotes eagles vultures etc., so I am really Leary about letting them out when I am not watching them. I have high prairie grasses that they hide from hawks in, I've actually seen a hawk make a swoop, I ran outside and found them all safe hiding in the high grasses. It is a risk to free range but I love letting them bug hunt.

 

[Ryguy3684]

Can you tell me about the rentacoop feeders please?

Sorry, I've been out of town and didn't see this post. Here's a link to feeder I use.
https://rentacoop.com/collections/feeders/products/pvc-feeder.
They also sell just the feed ports, the red part, that you can fit into a 5 gallon bucket. I have one single feeder for every 4-6 birds.

 

[Gigi_The_Chicken]

Feed costs can be low?

 

[chickencoop57]

Feed costs can be low?

That's what Isay!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Feed costs can be low?

Yeah, my feed store is charging $53 now for 50 pounds of chick starter. Does anybody know about a GMO free organic chick starter for less? For some reason the prices went way up the past few months.

 

[Raptor Mountain Farm]

Yeah, my feed store is charging $53 now for 50 pounds of chick starter. Does anybody know about a GMO free organic chick starter for less? For some reason the prices went way up the past few months.

I'm in upstate NY, but I found a mill about an hour away. It's cheaper to buy directly from the mill and they give me a discount for picking up 10+ bags. I go in with a friend, so we always get more than 10 bags.

 

[BDutch]

I'm in upstate NY, but I found a mill about an hour away. It's cheaper to buy directly from the mill and they give me a discount for picking up 10+ bags. I go in with a friend, so we always get more than 10 bags.

Keep in mind that feed gets less nutritious if it gets older. Some vitamins disappear. Some grains can get moldy if not kept under the best circumstances. The general advice is: don’t stock for more then 3 months. And never buy over dated feed.

 

[Raptor Mountain Farm]

Sorry, I've been out of town and didn't see this post. Here's a link to feeder I use.
https://rentacoop.com/collections/feeders/products/pvc-feeder.
They also sell just the feed ports, the red part, that you can fit into a 5 gallon bucket. I have one single feeder for every 4-6 birds.

I have used their chick feeder for 1-5 week olds, 5-12 week olds, and adults. I also use their DIY waterers for chickens and the metal ones for the rabbits. I had the feeders for adults in totes. That gets heavy because it held over 50 lbs. I also didn't have feed ports on the ends of the totes so the feed was always built up on one side and I would have to push it towards the feed ports. One thing I have noticed is with mash food, air pockets develop, so you have to tap on the container or shake it to make the feed drop. This happens in any size container, even 5 gallon buckets. Easy to train the chickens to eat out of them, just have some food on the edge.

 

[Raptor Mountain Farm]

Keep in mind that feed gets less nutritious if it gets older. Some vitamins disappear. Some grains can get moldy if not kept under the best circumstances. The general advice is: don’t stock for more then 3 months. And never buy over dated feed.

Thank you. I'm usually up there every other month. I do need to stock up for winter because my driveway is usually impassable after we get a foot of snow. And I'm not walking 50 lb bags of feed a quarter mile uphill! I'll be storing the winter supply in a spare bedroom.