What does it cost to feed your birds?

[deenamr]

I am thinking I am spending way to much and hoping to figure out a more affordable way to do this. My flock - 7 large breed hens, 9 large breed pullets, 4 large breed cockerals (looking for homes), 1 banty roo, 4 large breed ducks and 1 quail. They get lots of treats - fresh grass, fruit and veggie trimings. I give oyster shell free choice, layer pellets to the hens, I am on my last bag of medicated chick feed to the pullets/cockerals, all purpose crumble for the ducks and quail, occasional scratch. At the present time I am spending close to $80.00 per month on food for 26 birds. Is this normal?

 

[sillybirds]

That seems a little high to me. How much are you paying per bag of feed? I recently changed feeders, there's a lot less feed waste. It appears that my chickens weren't eating as much as I thought they were. With the other feeder I believe they were beaking alot of the crumbles out into the litter. Even with the old feeder, my 7 nearly one year old hens were only eating about a 50# bag per month.

 

[Matt A NC]

In a month my 42 adult bantams and 35 adult standard sized chickens go through 400 pounds of laying pellets, 100 pounds of Cracked corn, and 50 pounds of Sunflower seeds.

$$$ would be:
8*$10.50 for the 50# bags of layer
2*$6.00 for the corn
$12 for the seed

$108 + 7.29(6.75% sales tax)

grand Total is $115.29 each month on average

This does not include treats or starter for the 26 chicks. Luckily the chicks are free range so that is only about 1 $13 bag per month.

If I get to covering the lots to keep out wild birds that will cut the cost dramatically.

Matt

 

[LauraSBale]

I have
26 chickens 4 are bantams
and 2 silkies, 8 ducks.
now go to a gentlemen that make its.
I pay
100 lbs of layer 15.00
50 lbs of grower 9.00
50 lbs of starch mix, 10.50 those last me 3 months
total = 34.00

Plus i feed scraps from vegs and fruit.
and this last me about 10 weeks.
all my guys get to run free through the day,
i put a large pan under the feeder, the one that go under planters, so this way the feed falls in the pan and not on the ground.

when i did go to Tractor supply it would cost me 4 times that, plus the feed at TS is not that good.

if you can find a grain and feed store thats makes there own, or some one who makes it.
you will pay less,
post on here and someone in your area my know of some one.

 

[Puck-Puck]

It seems a lot to me. I don't know prices in your area, but ways to reduce costs in general (which you may or may not be doing) are to buy from feed stores and not from pet stores, and buy by the truckload for a discount--ask the manager--rather than a bag or two at the time. You're feeding garden weedings and not specially purchased treats at the trendy people store, I trust?

 

[Andora]

I have 40-50 standard sized chickens. Some are in the fast growing teenage stage, and 8 of them are laying now. I also have two Pekin ducks--one teenage and one adult. And I have 10 little chicks.

I feed everyone 18% protein mash. I mix in oyster shell for them, except not for the chicks.

They eat about 25 pounds a week. A 100 lb bag of mash is $15 and lasts 3-4 weeks. They also go through 1 or 2 bags of whole grain scratch a month. That's $4.25 per 25 pound bag.

So usually we spend no more than $30 a month total on their feed. It was way more expensive when I shopped at TSC, and the food is lesser quality so they eat more of it! I now shop at a local feed store that grinds their own feed and mixes it while you wait.

They have a 50x50 pen that has just recently turned to mostly dirt, but they still eat bugs and worms and leaves. They also get kitchen scraps and extra garden produce.

My ducks waste a lot of the mash. I need to figure out some better way to feed them. Any suggestions? Right now they have a big litter box that I just fill with feed. The ducks couldn't get their bills into the regular feeder.

 

[briarpatchfarms]

I have 50 birds half ducks and geese the others bantams and Im spending $120 to $200 a month on feed!

 

[Andora]

Quote:
Wow that's a lot! If you come towards Lexington often you should shop at Woodford Feed. $15 for 100 lbs of good quality feed is a great deal.

 

[briarpatchfarms]

Quote:
Wow that's a lot! If you come towards Lexington often you should shop at Woodford Feed. $15 for 100 lbs of good quality feed is a great deal.

Yeah them geese will eat you out of your own house they are never full! and I have 12 geese

 

[Andora]

Quote:
Wow that's a lot! If you come towards Lexington often you should shop at Woodford Feed. $15 for 100 lbs of good quality feed is a great deal.

Yeah them geese will eat you out of your own house they are never full! and I have 12 geese

Ah, that must be the difference. I've never had geese. They are big birds!