Trying to get a firm handle on my long-term feed costs

[biodarwin]

If I pm you, would you mind sending those my way as well?

 

[rjohns39]

If I pm you, would you mind sending those my way as well?

Sure thing.

 

[Kiki]

 

[Digby57]

I re-evaluated my ration which basically means I've upped it to $300 / year. My flock being at 10 weeks old today I think they are a little overfed, and I want to teach them to forage a little harder, so I have left them out all day (about 9 hrs) on the days that I am not gone for extended hours. I am knocking on wood, but I have only seen one hawk in the vicinity lately and the crows got him moving in short order.

$0.81 per day for 12 chickens = $0.0675 per bird per day. I'm totally just shooting in the dark at this point. Is this a totally crazy number? Attached is my feed bill, please don't sue me, Betty.

 

[ben0125]

Impressive.

 

[rjohns39]

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

I am new at this and, contrary to my standard behavior, it seems I am underthinking the food issue. I do understand the need for cost projections with a production flock but a little backyard bunch of girls?
We have six chickens, twenty weeks old. They do not free range due to heavy predator presence.
I dump a few scoops of store bought feed into a feeder in the morning. Sometimes they eat more, sometimes less. They look forward to their small evening treat---a few tablespoons of mealworms and sunflower seed bits, fresh herbs, nasturtiums, etc.
I buy another bag of feed when I am close to running out. Fifty pounds for $16.
All these calculations seem so painful!!
Enjoyed reading this thread but all this agonizing is not for me!
I hope you are enjoying your birds.
To each his own, of course, and no disrespect meant.

 

[Digby57]

Haha, I agree But its not the situation that its purely for a pet or hobby for me.

 

[BantyChooks]

Interesting read, following... with free ranging, my feed bill can be anywhere from 70 to 45 dollars a month depending on how timing lines up. I stock up on about #100--150 of feed at a time so costs aren't really even. I have 30--50 birds, was 50 for most of the above data collection.

 

[Molpet]

I am new at this and, contrary to my standard behavior, it seems I am underthinking the food issue. I do understand the need for cost projections with a production flock but a little backyard bunch of girls?
We have six chickens, twenty weeks old. They do not free range due to heavy predator presence.
I dump a few scoops of store bought feed into a feeder in the morning. Sometimes they eat more, sometimes less. They look forward to their small evening treat---a few tablespoons of mealworms and sunflower seed bits, fresh herbs, nasturtiums, etc.
I buy another bag of feed when I am close to running out. Fifty pounds for $16.
All these calculations seem so painful!!
Enjoyed reading this thread but all this agonizing is not for me!
I hope you are enjoying your birds.
To each his own, of course, and no disrespect meant.

yeah I started w/6 hens... went into last winter with 26 chickens and 4 Turkeys
Hatched out over 50 this year LOL feed is organic and I was feeding 150# a week.
as of this morning I have 53 chickens and 6 turkeys still.