Why is chicken scratch more expensive than chicken feed?

[gtaus]

Last time I bought chicken scratch, it was a couple of dollars less expensive than chicken feed. I went into town yesterday and was going to pick up a fresh bag of chicken scratch, but I see that it is now almost $2.00 more than chicken feed! Anybody know what's going on with these prices? BTW, the chicken feed I normally get has gone up almost $3.00 per 50# bag from a few months ago when I last purchased a few.

 

[swamphiker]

That is very strange, scratch is definitely still less expensive than feed in my area, though prices are up all around, especially on feed.

 

[Isadora]

Prices are going up on everything.

 

[Cecisflock]

Inflation. That's how it works.

 

[gtaus]

That is very strange, scratch is definitely still less expensive than feed in my area, though prices are up all around, especially on feed.

Scratch has been less expensive than feed for as many years as I can remember, too. Makes me wonder if the next shipment of chicken feed is coming in with another big price hike!?

 

[gtaus]

Inflation. That's how it works.

If it was just inflation, then the commercial feed would have also gone up in price and still be higher than scratch. This is the first time I can think of ever seeing chicken scratch costing more than chicken feed.

I might just make up my own chicken scratch as the individual grain prices are much lower than the combined chicken scratch mix. I am lucky in that we have a local grain mill that will sell me the grain and I can mix it myself. In the past, there was really no money to be saved by mixing my own scratch, but there sure is now.

 

[K0k0shka]

Could be a supply chain issue. For that particular product or area.

 

[gtaus]

Could be a supply chain issue. For that particular product or area.

I hear a lot about the supply chain, but in this case, the chicken scratch and feed have never been out of stock. There are pallets full of bags for the chickens. Also, I think most of our animal feed is actually made in state, and not from overseas suppliers. But I can imagine any excuse to raise prices might be somewhere in the answer.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Our feeds have all jumped 3-4 dollars, including cracked corn.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I might just make up my own chicken scratch as the individual grain prices are much lower than the combined chicken scratch mix. I am lucky in that we have a local grain mill that will sell me the grain and I can mix it myself. In the past, there was really no money to be saved by mixing my own scratch, but there sure is now.

Even if the cost is a wash, this is probably a good plan. Whole grains hold their nutrition longer than cracked, and you can pick and choose what you want to give your flock.

Plus, whole seed, especially if soaked overnight, is likely to sprout in a chicken run compost system.