Wow, what time did I post that last night? That was definitely fuzzy math. For one thing, I realized my bags of feed are 80# for $30, not 50 lbs. Still not cheap, but better. And it is still lasting me only 3 weeks, maybe a month, with minimum waste.
I can actually get the peas, whole barley and whole oats significantly cheaper than ANY feed because it is all local and quite affordable. I've been reluctant to take the plunge, though. Would sprouted peas (after there are no more greens available in the winter) and oats and barley, combined with the 5 gallon bucket of kitchen scraps every two days or so be enough? What about minerals and vitamins? You can't just get a mineral lick for them like I can with my rabbits.
I can also get alfalfa pellets very cheap. Seems like that would up the protein, but I don't think I've ever heard of people selling alfalfa pellets to chickens.
And yes, our
Wal-Mart has a feed store in it and it is awesome, that fact is the sole thing that made me start shopping there again.
They carry Manna-Pro products and a very inferior locally milled line that I'd like to avoid using it, just not a big fan of soy and corn. The feed I use now is another local, textured feed with whole and rolled grains, a LITTLE cracked corn, and vitamins and minerals. It's a good feed, but things are tight and I'm having trouble justifying it.
Also noticing some of my birds are staying fatter than the others, even though they are lower in the pecking order. My young Brahma pullets and a Chantecler cockerel I got to breed them to are VERY fat and meaty, whereas my Delawares (the top of the pecking order) are always skinny and act ravenous. Definitely things I will be keeping in mind!
