Many times people write on here, worried about the feed bill, a legitimate concern. I was personally asked about this topic, and when I gave my advice, I was asked to post it here. You may agree or disagree, or even have a better idea.
The best ways to reduce your feed bill:
Reduce the number of birds you have. Chicken math is real, we have all been bitten, but truthfully a smaller well cared for flock, is a better deal. Freezing eggs when plentiful can help one from buying eggs in the dark days of winter, but luckily most of us live where we can buy eggs if needed. Consider how many hens you truly need for your needs, and more than likely it is less than what is in your flock.
I use a double bowl, putting the feed in the smaller inside bowl, the outer bowl is a black rubber bowl that has a 18 inch diameter. It collects a lot of feed that would be wasted if it fell on the run floor. When I first started with birds, after about 6 months I had a bad smell in the run, and it was spoiled wasted feed. By putting it in a double bowl, every few days, I clean that back up, dampen it, mix it with some scratch and it is eaten up.
Do not have feed present 24 hours a day. Birds do not eat or drink in the dark. What you are most likely feeding is mice and rats. They come out at night. Do not feed the same amount each day. Some weather needs more feed, some seasons need more feed, some age groups need more feed. I check the bowl when I lock up at night, if there is left over feed, I feed less the next day. If it is completely gone, I feed a little more. If it is bitterly cold, I try and get down there just before dark, so that I can give scratch, an energy feed so they go to bed with a full crop.
If the winter if it is bitter cold, I have been happy with a flock block, even though I am feeding rodents too. There is a lot of fat in those blocks, and fat is an energy food.
I have tried both the fermented feed and the fodder. I am not real convinced that they add all that much more nutrition that commercial feed, but I am sure that they do add water to the bird. My commercial feed is just barely dampened so that it does not freeze in a solid block. I soak the scratch in the water + vinegar and stir it into the feed. In the winter, it is hard to have liquid water all day long, by adding it to the feed, I think it helps meet that need. . I was worried this year when I hatched out chicks in late October, that they might get dehydrated, and Orchid suggested this, and it worked well.
I have gone to the nipple waterer when the weather is warm enough, one has much cleaner water. However, both kinds vertical and horizontal will freeze up if it gets below 20 degrees. Then I am back to the black rubber bowl, and it works just fine. I am unable to have warm water for my birds but by taking down water once a day, my birds have done fine for years
Layer feed, flock raiser, chick starter commercial feed, is for the most part darn good feed. People worry and stress about the perfect feed. As I have made my living in commercial ag, believe me, people do not make money on unhealthy animals, well fed animals are much more healthy. So feed that is good enough for commercial birds is good enough for home grown birds. I know that there is an attitude that big commercial farmers are in it for the money, and they are, but what people don't seem to understand is that healthy animals make MORE money. Most people who are in the animal business, like animals and want to make money with them. Enough feed is way more important than perfect feed.
While layer birds do benefit with added calcium, and that can be in the layer feed, or by adding it as a supplement while feeding either chick feed or flock feed to everyone else, and that is what I try to do. However, an occasionally 'wrong' bag will not have huge long term bad effects.
Mrs K
The best ways to reduce your feed bill:
Reduce the number of birds you have. Chicken math is real, we have all been bitten, but truthfully a smaller well cared for flock, is a better deal. Freezing eggs when plentiful can help one from buying eggs in the dark days of winter, but luckily most of us live where we can buy eggs if needed. Consider how many hens you truly need for your needs, and more than likely it is less than what is in your flock.
I use a double bowl, putting the feed in the smaller inside bowl, the outer bowl is a black rubber bowl that has a 18 inch diameter. It collects a lot of feed that would be wasted if it fell on the run floor. When I first started with birds, after about 6 months I had a bad smell in the run, and it was spoiled wasted feed. By putting it in a double bowl, every few days, I clean that back up, dampen it, mix it with some scratch and it is eaten up.
Do not have feed present 24 hours a day. Birds do not eat or drink in the dark. What you are most likely feeding is mice and rats. They come out at night. Do not feed the same amount each day. Some weather needs more feed, some seasons need more feed, some age groups need more feed. I check the bowl when I lock up at night, if there is left over feed, I feed less the next day. If it is completely gone, I feed a little more. If it is bitterly cold, I try and get down there just before dark, so that I can give scratch, an energy feed so they go to bed with a full crop.
If the winter if it is bitter cold, I have been happy with a flock block, even though I am feeding rodents too. There is a lot of fat in those blocks, and fat is an energy food.
I have tried both the fermented feed and the fodder. I am not real convinced that they add all that much more nutrition that commercial feed, but I am sure that they do add water to the bird. My commercial feed is just barely dampened so that it does not freeze in a solid block. I soak the scratch in the water + vinegar and stir it into the feed. In the winter, it is hard to have liquid water all day long, by adding it to the feed, I think it helps meet that need. . I was worried this year when I hatched out chicks in late October, that they might get dehydrated, and Orchid suggested this, and it worked well.
I have gone to the nipple waterer when the weather is warm enough, one has much cleaner water. However, both kinds vertical and horizontal will freeze up if it gets below 20 degrees. Then I am back to the black rubber bowl, and it works just fine. I am unable to have warm water for my birds but by taking down water once a day, my birds have done fine for years
Layer feed, flock raiser, chick starter commercial feed, is for the most part darn good feed. People worry and stress about the perfect feed. As I have made my living in commercial ag, believe me, people do not make money on unhealthy animals, well fed animals are much more healthy. So feed that is good enough for commercial birds is good enough for home grown birds. I know that there is an attitude that big commercial farmers are in it for the money, and they are, but what people don't seem to understand is that healthy animals make MORE money. Most people who are in the animal business, like animals and want to make money with them. Enough feed is way more important than perfect feed.
While layer birds do benefit with added calcium, and that can be in the layer feed, or by adding it as a supplement while feeding either chick feed or flock feed to everyone else, and that is what I try to do. However, an occasionally 'wrong' bag will not have huge long term bad effects.
Mrs K
