Tired of over priced feed!!!

[JB8907]

Organic is a marketing ploy, has been from the beginning.

It is... But I also understand why it is more expensive... Labor time and certifications.

 

[JB8907]

This guy has a large setup. If you want to make yours look nice, you could do something similar to what he has, but with nicer looking framework and maybe a solid front that hinges open? It would NOT need to be as large as his. His is massive.

Another option is just to get a classic Rubbermaid/Sterilite brand plastic storage drawer system. Those won't be customable, but they are an "all in one" package that you would not need to modify.

I like the shelf system. I could do that for the whole system probably no problem. Wonder where I could find one of those... Looks like something out of my school cafeteria

 

[paneubert]

I like the shelf system. I could do that for the whole system probably no problem. Wonder where I could find one of those... Looks like something out of my school cafeteria

Yeah, when I watched the video again this morning I noticed that his racks look a lot like rolling baking racks that you roll into a giant oven to cook hundreds of buns or bread loafs all at once. I bet you could call around to some restaurant supply companies to see what they have. Although I bet they are not cheap. The best would be to find an auction company that is liquidating a bakery or something.

 

[JB8907]

What other alternative feeding options are out there?

 

[Fishkeeper]

No good ones aside from trying to make your own feed. Which you're going to need a lot of research into, to give them a good diet that they'll actually do well on. If a recipe seems simple or easy to do, that's probably not a good recipe- there's a reason most people don't make their own chicken feed, and that reason is because it's hard to do right.

 

[Fairview01]

Price.

Wait until you add up the cost - financially, labor, and time. If you think commercial feed is expensive, you'll be in sticker shock when you add up what it costs to make a complete balanced poultry feed.

It is... But I also understand why it is more expensive... Labor time and certifications.

If you understand that why do you insist on organic feed.

What other alternative feeding options are out there?

Throw down $10.00 +/- on a local feed store counter and walk out with a 50lb bag of balanced poultry feed. There is no surcharge for the added benefit of the research the company's poultry nutritional experts work to ensure the feed meets the nutritional needs of poultry.

In regards to your idea on fodder and mealworms. Whatever seed you buy will need to be organically produced and growing the fodder will need to be organically done meaning a very wide buffer of land you control between your growing area and adjacent non controlled land. No synthetic fertilizer, yadda, yadda, yadda.

In regards to the mealworms to be organic the bedding and vegetable scraps must be organically grown.

Now add in organically produced vitamins,minerals essential amino acids, etc.

If you aren't willing to do that and spend the money for it as far as being organic goes you are deluding yourself and talking the talk because quite simply there would be no recognizable difference between the diet you create and the 50lb bag of feed for around $10 available at your local feed store. Actually there would be a recognizable difference. Every sack of feed from the feed store would meet the nutritional requirements of your flocks.

To cut your feed costs I would like to suggest a novel approach. Decrease your flock sizes.

 

[GC-Raptor]

My previous bag of feed, 50 pounds, cost me $19.13 with tax. It lasted 23 days for 3 Hens and 7 Pullets. All but one hen are laying. That comes out to 0.83¢ a day. Less than 9 cents per Chicken.
I do give them a daily treat of Scratch Grains blended with Cardinal seeds. 25 pounds of Scratch and 7 pounds of Cardinal mix, $16.99 with tax for both. I give each chicken about 2 tablespoons daily, double that in winter if temps stay below freezing all day. Last bag lasted 3 1/2 months.
That's 0.16¢ a day for 10 Chickens, less than 2 cents per chicken.
So that's 0.99¢ a day to feed 10 Chickens. Less than $30 dollars a month. In my opinion that's cheap.
I sell my eggs, about 3 dozen a week. 2 for $4 and 1 for $3. It costs me nothing to feed my Chickens, egg sales pay for feed.
Even if I didn't sell eggs during winter for 3 months. It would still only cost me on average for the year, $90 bucks, $7.50 a month to feed 10 Chickens and I still have 1 1/2 dozen eggs a week for myself. .GC

 

[JB8907]

I insist on organic because I know what goes into non organic products used to produce said feed. I'm not a fan of fertilizers pesticides herbicides and the like being used and getting passed on to my family. Also BigAg practices are not good for our planet. Organic isn't much better but it's a step in the right direction. I can't reduce my flocks I have 6 children 4 boys and 2 girls and they EAT.

Here's a video of an egg producer that feeds his girls supplements and hasn't bought grain in 20 years.