What about Feeding Worms or Other Bugs?

[tigger19687]

Well, it was fat enough to be one.
I think they were just mad at me for making them stay in the coop.
I did give them an ear of corn on the cob but they have no idea what to do with it .

 

[Catfsm]

I love all the great ideas! I do not spend a lot of time with finding chicken food. I have so much other stuff to do besides the farm! (I wish I could just do it full time!) I mainly use store feed, but it is outrageously expensive! I also, I put an ad on "Nextdoor" and neighbors bring goodies for my hens and goats and bunnies and quail. I also go to discount grocery places and grab stuff for really low prices. I found sunflower seeds, for example, for around 40 cents a pound. I am just moving over away from ONLY the store feed so it may take a while to find sources for the food that are stable and will save money!

 

[Folly's place]

Catfsm, good food pays off! The store bought chicken feed is actually the most cost effective way to get a balanced diet for them, unless you are feeding thousands of birds and can make it yourself. Modern laying hens need that balanced diet, and can use the other stuff as a supplement only. Mary

 

[RodNTN]

I find it amusing that my chickens enjoy eating snakes, no matter the size

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have a local feed mill that makes their own chicken feed---right not $14 for a 50lb bag of layer. I friended the guy that has been working there for years and he told me how they make the feed-----well I did not pay it a lot of attention. Then my Mother re-Married to a man that worked for the State and worked at that feed mill part time----he told me how they made the layer feed as well as the grower for the young birds(same as the other man had told me). I now buy what I need and make most all of my own---it saves me about $5 to $6 per 50lb bag---according to what I am making. I buy the corn about a ton at the time---grind and mix. It only saves me about $20 per week right now but a couple years ago it was saving me about $75 to $100 per week and the way I am set-up it does not take A lot of my time---but it takes time. My Layers do good on it and I mix it 16%. When you raise to sell chickens/chicks every dollar saved is a good Thing!

 

[Folly's place]

So true Riverman, but you have a lot of birds! Mary