Author Topic: Chicken Feed Prices are Outrageous! (Read 8310 times)

aquinasnmore · « **on:** September 20, 2011, 10:50:51 AM »

We've had chickens for about a year and a half now. When we first started raising them their feed cost about $12 a bag. The price has increase several times and now is $18 a bag! A 50% increase in 18 months!

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #1 on:** September 20, 2011, 02:21:17 PM »

Quote from: aquinasnmore

We've had chickens for about a year and a half now. When we first started raising them their feed cost about $12 a bag. The price has increase several times and now is $18 a bag! A 50% increase in 18 months!

I hear you loud and clear! The prices for my gamebird ration are going through the roof! I'm going to have to either start buying it from TractorSupply (reluctantly) or try and grow and mix it myself.

Ian, how are you planning on handling this situation?

aquinasnmore · « **Reply #2 on:** September 20, 2011, 02:34:14 PM »

At this point we aren't sure. Our climate is really too dry to do crop farming. There are other feed brands but we found that when we dropped Purina for a generic brand our egg production also fell through the floor.

We may end up getting rid of the birds altogether. (As in, put them in our freezer.)

wisconsheepgirl · « **Reply #3 on:** September 24, 2011, 12:41:42 PM »

I do not have any chickens, however my dear sister-in-law and her family do. I asked her about the chicken feed and I shared with her about the prices mentioned here in this thread. She directed me to this site to share with you all:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/organic-chicken-feed-cheap.html

Homemade Poultry Feed Mix

2 parts whole corn
3 parts soft white wheat
3 parts hard red winter wheat
½ part Diatomaceous Earth (not the kind you put in your pool)
1 part hulled barley
1 part oat groats
2 part sunflower seeds
½ part peanuts
3 parts millet
1 part wheat bran
1 part split peas
1 part lentils
1 part quinoa
1 part sesame seeds
1/2 part kelp

Good luck.

Many Blessings.

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #4 on:** September 24, 2011, 03:37:24 PM »

Quote from: wisconsheepgirl

I do not have any chickens, however my dear sister-in-law and her family do. I asked her about the chicken feed and I shared with her about the prices mentioned here in this thread. She directed me to this site to share with you all:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/organic-chicken-feed-cheap.html

Homemade Poultry Feed Mix

2 parts whole corn
3 parts soft white wheat
3 parts hard red winter wheat
½ part Diatomaceous Earth (not the kind you put in your pool)
1 part hulled barley
1 part oat groats
2 part sunflower seeds
½ part peanuts
3 parts millet
1 part wheat bran
1 part split peas
1 part lentils
1 part quinoa
1 part sesame seeds
1/2 part kelp

Good luck.

Many Blessings.

Thanks Sheepgal.

I know I can find blends of feed here and there online that I could mix myself. The problem is the cost of those ingredients. The sunflower seeds, millet, and kelp meal are all expensive. You can bet that if you got them organic that these ingredients would be even more expensive. I haven't kept track with the prices of the other grains, but I imagine quinoa would be high too.

I would actually be suplamenting my birds feed with Black Soldier Fly Larvae right now if the bins weren't invaded by ants every time I tried to get a batch going.

TraceG · « **Reply #5 on:** October 29, 2011, 11:13:46 AM »

I know a family in Kentucky that raises chickens and has done so for decades. I could ask how much that stuff has cost them. Unfortunately the most knowledgeable of them was the patriarch that died this past spring.

Diego · « **Reply #6 on:** October 29, 2011, 08:25:59 PM »

Quote from: Catholic Samurai

Quote from: aquinasnmore
my gamebird ration...

You are raising game birds? I am curious which ones.

Iuvenalis · « **Reply #7 on:** November 05, 2011, 02:09:50 AM »

All grains seem to be getting quite a bit more expensive.

I was talking about this just a couple nights ago when me and a buddy stepped into an allnight donut shop that had a sign that they 'regretfully must raise their prices' due to the (as their sign put it) 'soaring costs of flour'. Seriously. Donuts.

copticruiser · « **Reply #8 on:** November 27, 2011, 01:05:06 AM »

Well here in Canada feed has gone up some but not too bad. About 15 years ago I would pay between 5 and 6 dollars for a 25kg bag whether it be layer mash or grower or starter. Now that same bag is about 8 bucks (canadian) but the price of eggs have gone up so I still am money ahead. I usually just have it for my own personal use.

I dont know what all they put in that stuff but my egg production drops alot if I go strictly grain. They need at least 16% protein and wheat is about 12.

I imagine that grain will go up in price since I notice all groceries are going up as well part of it is fuel costs and wages. As a farmer it costs me about 3 bucks a pound to raise pretty much anything. I do get the advantage of organic and fresh and young though. I usually sell enough to cover costs whatever it is Im raising.

Pioneers used more vegis than grain I do believe. They enjoyed growing root crops and cooking them up for chickens. Also they would give animal leftovers from butchering like the guts, certain organs etc. Chickens are omnivores not herbavores. They love meat!!

For now I will stick to layer mash at $8 a bag.

Annie

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #9 on:** November 28, 2011, 11:58:19 AM »

Quote from: copticruiser

I dont know what all they put in that stuff but my egg production drops alot if I go strictly grain. They need at least 16% protein and wheat is about 12.

I think what causes that is a calcium deficiency in the feed, and I don't believe the typical grains are a significant source. When my birds are on plain grain I can forget about getting eggs.

I've actually encountered calcium deficiency in some feed mixes being sold as a layer ration.

You definitely want to look into growing plants that are calcium accuмulators for the birds if you find your egg production dropping. That or switch feed brands.

Marcelino · « **Reply #10 on:** January 07, 2012, 12:06:24 AM »

I thought chickens ate worms and slugs and stuff, if you free range or chicken tractor them. In the cold months I thought you could feed them waste meat and what about parts of cows milk you don't use. Will they consume that? Also, how about egg yolks. I eat a lot of eggs, but I throw all the yolks away or I used to compost them. Also, I thought chickens would pick worms/whatever right out of larger animal's manure (sheep, dogs, cows) and sort of help break that down some.

I get grains for about a dollar a pound. Beans are about the same price. Wouldn't a mix of those be good enough?

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #11 on:** February 01, 2012, 09:14:13 AM »

Quote from: Diego

Quote from: Catholic Samurai
Quote from: aquinasnmore
my gamebird ration...

You are raising game birds? I am curious which ones.

I have a few flocks of these (the ones listed as "wild-type" or "Jumbo")

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/NDG/Quail/JapQ/BRKJapQ.html

Here is one of our native Texas species.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry//NDG/Quail/BlueScale/BRKBlueScale.html

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #12 on:** February 01, 2012, 09:38:11 AM »

Quote from: Marcelino

I thought chickens ate worms and slugs and stuff, if you free range or chicken tractor them. In the cold months I thought you could feed them waste meat and what about parts of cows milk you don't use. Will they consume that? Also, how about egg yolks. I eat a lot of eggs, but I throw all the yolks away or I used to compost them. Also, I thought chickens would pick worms/whatever right out of larger animal's manure (sheep, dogs, cows) and sort of help break that down some.

I get grains for about a dollar a pound. Beans are about the same price. Wouldn't a mix of those be good enough?

Yes, they do a good job of controlling various insects and other "pests" on the land. You can give them meat scraps, but almost always give those to the dogs (which are a lot like hogs in some ways).

I'm glad that you mentioned surplus milk because I think that would be a good calcium supplement.

As for egg yolks, yeah, that's what they eat when they are in their egg - the yolk. I feed surplus eggs back to my birds when I have too many.

And if you have manure or compost piles here and there you should let the birds scratch through them because there are worms and insect larvae (mostly black soldier fly larvae) in there they can eat. One of our roosters who's half blind lived out on his own for about a year because we couldn't catch him... yep, lol. He ate mainly black soldier fly larvae from a nearby compost pile I made and a particular type of grass growing here. What else I couldn't say, but that's what I saw him eating when I could get close enough.

......

Your paying A DOLLAR A POUND FOR GRAINS? :faint:

I tell you what... if everyone paid a $1 per pound for plain grain, one of two things would happen around here...

1. Everyone would butcher their animals

or

2. The feed store would be sacked and burned to the ground

I strongly suggest getting your grains at another place man! Your paying WAY too much!

Marcelino · « **Reply #13 on:** February 01, 2012, 10:54:24 AM »

Quote from: Catholic Samurai

Quote from: Marcelino
I thought chickens ate worms and slugs and stuff, if you free range or chicken tractor them. In the cold months I thought you could feed them waste meat and what about parts of cows milk you don't use. Will they consume that? Also, how about egg yolks. I eat a lot of eggs, but I throw all the yolks away or I used to compost them. Also, I thought chickens would pick worms/whatever right out of larger animal's manure (sheep, dogs, cows) and sort of help break that down some.

I get grains for about a dollar a pound. Beans are about the same price. Wouldn't a mix of those be good enough?

Yes, they do a good job of controlling various insects and other "pests" on the land. You can give them meat scraps, but almost always give those to the dogs (which are a lot like hogs in some ways).

I'm glad that you mentioned surplus milk because I think that would be a good calcium supplement.

As for egg yolks, yeah, that's what they eat when they are in their egg - the yolk. I feed surplus eggs back to my birds when I have too many.

And if you have manure or compost piles here and there you should let the birds scratch through them because there are worms and insect larvae (mostly black soldier fly larvae) in there they can eat. One of our roosters who's half blind lived out on his own for about a year because we couldn't catch him... yep, lol. He ate mainly black soldier fly larvae from a nearby compost pile I made and a particular type of grass growing here. What else I couldn't say, but that's what I saw him eating when I could get close enough.

......

Your paying A DOLLAR A POUND FOR GRAINS? :faint:

I tell you what... if everyone paid a $1 per pound for plain grain, one of two things would happen around here...

1. Everyone would butcher their animals

or

2. The feed store would be sacked and burned to the ground

I strongly suggest getting your grains at another place man! Your paying WAY too much!

What should I be paying a pound for grain and where do I find them at?

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #14 on:** February 01, 2012, 02:27:42 PM »

Quote from: Marcelino

What should I be paying a pound for grain and where do I find them at?

For a regular mix of scratch grains that's typically a mix of milo, corn, and wheat, I wouldn't pay more than .24 cents per lb. , or about $12 for a 50lb bag, and you can get it much cheaper than that. Depending on where you are getting it, you can also get laying mesh or pellets for about the same price.

We used to buy from the local feed stores, but now buy directly from the mill's store and we save a buck or two per bag even though it's a longer drive. So buy directly from the mill making the mix if it's feasible for you to make the trip. You can look in the phone books for feedstores and mills in your area.

Keep in mind though that the ingredients of the feed are likely GMOs, so find out if they offer organic feeds and see if they are affordable. I'd like to feed my animals on the latter, but that's just not an option right now.