Rising feed prices

[growyourbrew]

I pay $16.50 for all flock which also feeds my ducks and geese. It is expensive. I sell my eggs for $3.50/doz and am barely breaking even. Of course, no doubt, I have a bunch of older chickens and the family does through about 1 doz eggs a day so over all, we are just breaking even for summer production. On sale, stores sell their eggs for $0.99/doz for factory farmed eggs.
I'm looking for ideas on growing fodder for chickens. We tried sprouting wheat and rye berries and cut their feed but that made egg production go down tremendously. I agree that we should be concerned about China. The population is growing and their land is getting more and more polluted. That means less land to feed their population - they'll need to fight with the rest of the world for food supply. Add the problem of oil supplies, we need to figure out how to be as self-sufficient as possible. I would love ideas on what you guys grow for fodder!

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Just had to buy a 25lbs bag of Flock Raiser for $11.00.

I almost feeling like switching the chicks from Flock Raiser to cheaper regular food by now.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

And 75 cents of that cost is for the bag.

 

[foulplay]

And egg prices. Some guy came by the farm & said how much for your yard eggs well the sign out front says three bucks a dozen guess he couldn't read. This guy said he could get them for a buck & a half. How can you sell them for this was my thoughts? Heck, its hard to even buy the feed & break even at three bucks. I free range have three gardens & still can't afford the feed. Thinking of going up but people just don't understand the cost & time you put into the birds. The summer months are by far the hardest time of year. Your constantly filling waterers & your egg production suffers. Can't wait for some cooler weather my chickens seem to lay better when its cooler not that it ever gets cold here.

I agree completely with you on egg prices having to go up too some people just don't understand how much work we put into it.

 

[Fred's Hens]

And 75 cents of that cost is for the bag.

Made me smile. We get a 50 cent credit for bringing back the feed bag at our local mill. LOL I keep a couple behind the seat of my truck just in case I stop by on a whim. Don't want to be caught without my bag to turn in.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

I pay $14.99 #50lb. starter/grower @ 22% protein. $12.99 #50lb. layer at 17% protein. All Kalmbach Brand. It comes from a Local Amish Feed Store.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

*Now pays $19.50 per 50lbs bag of Nutrena 18% all flock*

 

[farmer9989]

The cure to higher feed cost for your flock is to raise it yourself, (see which is more valuable to you, money or time/labor ) being more self sufficient is never a bad thing.
In the winter I plant turnips and elbon rye to keep garden covered and feed the flock every day about two five gallon buckets of this .
They get all the weeds that I don't want in the garden,and leaves, bagged grass clippings any thing else that I can come up with.
all the food scraps I can come up with .
at this time I have around 45 hen's and 10 roosters

 

[PAchickengirl]

I got a bag of Nutrena layer pellets yesterday for $14.50 at the local feed store. I think I paid $15.75 or so last time at the local Agway for the crumbles.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I went from paying $18.50 for a 50lb bag of Purina Flockraiser down to $14.95 for a 50lb bag at a feed mill. And it's a better quality feed at the feed mill.