Official BYC Poll: What Factors Affect Your Chicken Feed Buying Decisions?

[LadiesAndJane]

Mine get Purina “flock raiser”, oyster shell on the side. My local feed store carries it. I usually get 6 weeks worth at a time as it is shipped over monthly and there are often delays. It is 20% protein and they like it. They all seem to prefer the crumble over the pellets.
I was feeding them organic feed, that I had shipped over, but it became too cost prohibitive ($60 for 50 lbs compared to $27 for the Purina).

 

[Brooks_]

$27 for the Purina

I was going to say WHAT?! Then I looked at your location and it made sense.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I was going to say WHAT?! Then I looked at your location and it made sense.

Yes for me $27 is a bargain!

 

[Everose]

Price, macro nutrients and availability all affect the chicken feed I purchase.

Price matters a lot because I live on a farm. We feed lots of animals and some get the more expensive high quality feed while others just get what they really need. We want our chickens to forage and eat more fresh nutrients from bugs and plants, so we get them the nice feed with a good price.

Availability is crazy important out here in the middle of nowhere. Most feed stores have really been having a hard time getting feed and keeping the prices low. We keep having to change feeds. Not an ideal situation. If I could find a good quality feed with a reasonable price and steady supply I would be so happy.

 

[Folly's place]

Here we can get Purina's Flock Raiser with good mill dates all the time, so that's my choice. It's fed within two months of the mill date, good nutrient profile, excellent for birds of all ages and both sexes.
Our local feed mill is out of business, and their feed wasn't the best anyway.
Mary

 

[saysfaa]

I wouldn't get the cheapest just because it is the cheapest. It matters why it is cheap. The local feed mill grinds their own. The ingredients are mostly local, especially the heavier ingredients. I'm not paying a lot of unnecessary shipping costs hidden in the price - of ingredients to the brand name mills or shipping costs from those mills. I'm not paying for fancy bags or graphics or advertising.

And it is always very freshly milled.

Chicken feed has been very thoroughly studied so I'm not worried about most of the poll options about what is in it. Wheat, corn, soy, insects, vitamin sources, enzymes, probiotic, - meh.

I do care about enzymes and probiotics but they get enough of those via fresh food and soaking/fermenting which I would do anyway.

And I care about protein, fat, and fiber I don't think what the feed store offers is optimal for my situation but it is close enough to not be a deal breaker.

I avoid organic out of principle. But am not silly about it.

That leaves other as the closest fitting choice.

 

[Folly's place]

If we ate nothing but organically raised food, I might feed organic feed to our chickens. because we don't, our chickens aren't getting organic feed. In theory, nice. in practice, too expensive.
Mary

 

[fishygirl25]

For me, the weight is the most important factor. There are a lot of feeds in 50 lb. bags but that is much too heavy for me to try and lift. I usually pay more for 10 lb. bags or sometimes 25 lb. bags.

 

[Brooks_]

For me, the weight is the most important factor. There are a lot of feeds in 50 lb. bags but that is much too heavy for me to try and lift. I usually pay more for 10 lb. bags or sometimes 25 lb. bags.

Sorry to hear that.

 

[TwitchnChickens]

For me, the weight is the most important factor. There are a lot of feeds in 50 lb. bags but that is much too heavy for me to try and lift. I usually pay more for 10 lb. bags or sometimes 25 lb. bags.

Why not save some bags and get the bigger ones and split it up to make it easier to move?