Why is chicken scratch more expensive than chicken feed?

[gtaus]

I only feed a couple of medium handfuls per day as treats, so a 25 lb. bag lasts me a very long time.

That's about what I do, too. Last time I bought some chicken scratch was early last summer. Just was surprised to discover that a bag of scratch was more expensive than feed when I went to the Fleet store. Never saw that before.

 

[raingarden]

My local TSC has a generic bird feed that costs 10.00 per 50# has some good grains and boss in it.

The stuff I see is mostly the little white proso millet, with some of the larger reddish milo, and a few sunflower seeds thrown in to make the mix look better. All of our birds will stand there and pick up every damn one of those little grains. They would never even think of picking up all the well-balanced crumble mash that has pieces about the same size as milo. Anyway, it's cheap entertainment.

 

[gtaus]

Anyway, it's cheap entertainment.

Certainly, there is an entertainment factor to consider. But I also throw the scratch on areas of my coop deep bedding litter that I want the chickens to turn over. I just let the chickens keep their coop deep bedding cleaning by having them scratch and peck the litter, turning it over, keeping the fresh litter on top while the chicken poo gets worked down to lower layers.

Also, in the winter time, when the temps are dropping very low at night, I have read that cracked corn gives them a heat boost. I think our local chicken scratch mix is about 50% cracked corn.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I’ve never bought “scratch”, but use whole corn and BOSS for the same “directional motivation” for their scratching and turning attention that @gtaus mentioned.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Feed prices are sky high right now for one main reason. China, with less than 19% of the world's population is storing half of the existing grain in the world. Some claim their leadership has an abiding fear of famine causing civil unrest and revolution, others claim they are just aware of more trouble to come from their bio attack they unleashed, others claim they are preparing for war and know that trade will cease if they invade Taiwan. Add to that the fact that so many more people are storing long term food supplies or keeping their freezers packed with meat, cheese, and lord knows what else. Artificial demand for food for storage means more grain to feed the critters that were processed or raised to provide the milk that made the cheese.

What to do about it. A big yard to plant forage and planting trees that produce large amounts of berries like mulberries. If you have the time most states have fish varieties that don't have bag limits, carp or gar come to mind. Catch a freezer load, pressure cook once a week to supplement the expensive grain. Dumpster diving behind supermarkets for old produce. Road kill and black soldier larva, maggot raising, worm bins, if you have the time you can find a way.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Feed prices are sky high right now

Oats were $8-9 per 50# bag@tsc last year now $ 17.
Corn was $8.5 per 50# went up but but now back down to $10.8 . I agree so much of scratch is corn no reason for price hike I buy store brand layer pellets( don't hate me!) and they've gone up $1.5 in a year.
Now BACON!!! don't even get me started!!! or a good old T bone !!
I've bought a 1/2 beef in 2016 paid 600.00 another one in 2020 some price . So why during Covid have the prices gone sky high? Somebody's making money!!! it AINT the producers guys !!!

 

[Al Gerhart]

When Covid hit in March of 2020 I loaded both freezers to the top with frozen meat. I could be the neighborhood bacon pimp if needed. But Lord knows where prices and availability is going so I think I'll keep what I got.

 

[gtaus]

When Covid hit in March of 2020 I loaded both freezers to the top with frozen meat. I could be the neighborhood bacon pimp if needed. But Lord knows where prices and availability is going so I think I'll keep what I got.

I think freezers are a great way to buy meat on sale and save some money. But how long does meat last in a freezer before it gets freezer burn? I heard somewhere that you should rotate your freezer meat so that it is used up within 6 months. Does it depend on the type of freezer you have - that is, frost free versus regular freezer? Don't really know. But we have taken out some meat that had freezer burn and that was not good.

BTW, I think it's a good idea to put a label on freezer products along with the date. So far, I have been able to convince myself but Dear Wife is taking a little longer to get on board with that idea.

 

[gtaus]

I buy store brand layer pellets( don't hate me!) and they've gone up $1.5 in a year.

I also buy store brand layer crumble, but our prices have gone up almost $3.00 per 50# bag over the past year. We have a local mill that makes their own pellets and crumble, but that is usually higher in price than the store brand I buy. In any case, I think getting a well balanced feed is important for the laying hens which is why I don't mix my own.

 

[gtaus]

If you have the time most states have fish varieties that don't have bag limits, carp or gar come to mind. Catch a freezer load, pressure cook once a week to supplement the expensive grain.

That's an idea I had not thought of trying. I feed the fish offal to my girls when I bring home a mess of fish to clean. They pick at the remains a bit, but usually most of the remains end up getting buried into the compost for the worms. Then the chickens can eat the worms. So, it's all good.