Spending $80 a month on feed, help me cut those costs!!

[bugflipper]

It's perfectly safe to handle gluten based items. The only way to irritate the body is to ingest them. Also animals can't pass along gluten they've ingested in their flesh so you're safe there as well. Here's a short copy and paste. Have a wonderful day.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body to attack the small intestine in response to gluten consumption, creating an inflammatory reaction in the tissue. As a result, the intestinal villi that line the surface of the small intestine shorten. The villi normally act to increase the surface area of the small intestine, helping it absorb nutrients from food. When the villi become blunted, the body is less able to utilize the food you consume, leading to weight loss, anemia, osteoporosis, fatigue, and vitamin deficiencies including A, D, E, K, and some B vitamins. Fortunately, celiac disease affects only about 1% of the US population.

 

[dpears28]

It's perfectly safe to handle gluten based items. The only way to irritate the body is to ingest them. Also animals can't pass along gluten they've ingested in their flesh so you're safe there as well. Here's a short copy and paste. Have a wonderful day. 

[COLOR=111111]Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body to attack the small intestine in response to gluten consumption, creating an inflammatory reaction in the tissue.  As a result, the intestinal villi that line the surface of the small intestine shorten.  The villi normally act to increase the surface area of the small intestine, helping it absorb nutrients from food.  When the villi become blunted, the body is less able to utilize the food you consume, leading to weight loss, anemia, osteoporosis, fatigue, and vitamin deficiencies including A, D, E, K, and some B vitamins.  Fortunately, celiac disease affects only about 1% of the US population.[/COLOR]

As someone who has celiac disease I was as shocked as you to learn that topical gluten is just as dangerous to my body as ingesting it. I didn't come here to debate my disease I can here for help. Thank you for letting me know how my disease is "supposed" to be though instead of just helping me.

 

[farnorth]

I live 100 miles east of you. I only pay $12.99 to 14.99 for 50# of feed be it starter, grower, layers pellets etc. 4 bags a month would only cost me. $52 to $60. and in summer when they free range it would be a bit less. I also feed as much scraps as I can from the house.

The feed I use comes from Ashland Ag in Ashland, WI which would be about an hour and a half from you. You might save on money by taking a drive and getting a few months worth at a time.

I would also suggest that you seem to be using more feed than would seem necessary for the number of poultry you have. Maybe cut back some and make sure a lot isn't being wasted on the ground. I won't feed crumbles any more because they wasted a lot it ended up in the bedding and was so powdery that they really couldn't find it in the bedding....pellets have less waste, at least if it ends up on the ground they can still scratch around and find the pellets.

As for breweries, I think there are a lot of micro breweries in Duluth aren't there? you may be able to get some grain from someone. Try craigslist. I saw someone on there selling spent grains from brewing just the other day (probably not near you but you never know). Maybe you could put a wanted to buy spent grains ad on there.

For scratch I mix up for mine Black Oil Sunflower seeds, whole oats, and some cracked corn. BOSS I pay 12.99 for 50#, Oats I pay $8 for 50# (from a farmer), and cracked corn or whole corn $10. for 50# so that makes $30.99 for 150 lbs. But I don't feed a lot of scratch so that lasts all winter.

I do feed some stale bread now and then when I have it because they do love it.

 

[bugflipper]

Actually being a smart aleck and playing the victim roll is unbecoming. I did in fact give you advice for alternative feed procurement. I was not debating whatsoever.

 

[Tuhmu]

Also be sure to check some of your local grain elevators, I guess I'm not sure how many are in Duluth, but its often quite a bit cheaper than buying from some of the big chains like TSC. Though you have a Fleet Farm close, yes? I think across the bridge into Wisconsin or something. (sorry didn't really pay attention when I was in Duluth last, but fleet farms are all over in that area) Their prices are rather reasonable also, but they only have crumbles in their "Sprout" brand I believe (which there will be a lot of waste)
edit - re-read your original post, see you don't live in Duluth, not sure where I came up with that.

 

[Tuhmu]

You could also start a garden for yourself and grow squash or pumpkins for your chickies, I'm told they can be froze over the winter, so if you grow enough

 

[tomarcs]

Have you tried fermenting you feed? I've only just started this, but from reading up on it it's supposed to decrease the food consumed by your flock as well as allow them to absorb more nutrients from the feed.

I know someone else mentioned that 4 legged creatures could be taknig their unfair share of the feed as well, perhaps securing the feed at night could help?

 

[OoWeeFNP]

I cut down on feed costs 3 ways:
1. Build a PVC feeder if you don't already have one. I could not believe how much feed they wasted!
2. The leftovers from dinner now go to the girlies instead of the dog. Fruit, veggies, meat, whatever. I have found very few things they won't eat.
3. I made a compost bin right outside their coop with about 6 cinder blocks. I started with half dirt and half leaf/dead grass/old garden plants and added about 20 worms we found in the yard. Cover with plastic and voila- you have a worm farm. It takes a few weeks to get up and going but once those worms start making babies you have yourself free food.

 

[dpears28]

Actually being a smart aleck and playing the victim roll is unbecoming. I did in fact give you advice for alternative feed procurement. I was not debating whatsoever.

What you did was quote what I already know. I am not playing the victim. I am simply someone asking for help. Thank you for continuing this unnecessary attitude over my asking for help.

 

[dpears28]

I live 100 miles east of you. I only pay $12.99 to 14.99 for 50# of feed be it starter, grower, layers pellets etc. 4 bags a month would only cost me. $52 to $60. and in summer when they free range it would be a bit less. I also feed as much scraps as I can from the house.

The feed I use comes from Ashland Ag in Ashland, WI which would be about an hour and a half from you. You might save on money by taking a drive and getting a few months worth at a time.

I would also suggest that you seem to be using more feed than would seem necessary for the number of poultry you have. Maybe cut back some and make sure a lot isn't being wasted on the ground. I won't feed crumbles any more because they wasted a lot it ended up in the bedding and was so powdery that they really couldn't find it in the bedding....pellets have less waste, at least if it ends up on the ground they can still scratch around and find the pellets.

As for breweries, I think there are a lot of micro breweries in Duluth aren't there? you may be able to get some grain from someone. Try craigslist. I saw someone on there selling spent grains from brewing just the other day (probably not near you but you never know). Maybe you could put a wanted to buy spent grains ad on there.

For scratch I mix up for mine Black Oil Sunflower seeds, whole oats, and some cracked corn. BOSS I pay 12.99 for 50#, Oats I pay $8 for 50# (from a farmer), and cracked corn or whole corn $10. for 50# so that makes $30.99 for 150 lbs. But I don't feed a lot of scratch so that lasts all winter.

I do feed some stale bread now and then when I have it because they do love it.

I like your ideas on mixing some of your own feed. I will have to look into that a bit. Also, I will look at using pellets next time I buy feed to see how much longer that lasts as well. I put a post of facebook last night and had a few friends respond that brew their own beer and are willing to save their spent grain for me. I am going to a chicken swap tomorrow down in Carlton, MN and they have an L&M that I am going to check feed costs at. I'm unsure how to get in touch with farmers about grains. Do you think I could just put an add of craigslist?