Chicken Feed

[homesteadmomma]

Here is what I am thinking, let me know if you can add anything or make any comments.

Winter Wheat 150 pounds $15.00
Laying Crumbles 100 pounds $22.00
All Stock 100 pounds $13.20

This is a total of 350 pounds of feed for $50.00 compared to 250 pounds of laying pellets for $55 dollars.

I am also going to start just throwing the feed on the ground in the AM and the PM and during the day they can free range.

I still have to go out tonight and see who is laying and who needs to be culled.

 

[Farmfresh]

Personally I would probably trade the All Stock for whole corn. Should be a similar cost. All Stock has molasses and stuff that I am not sure poultry would take full advantage of.

I also like using scratch grains. With approximately 10% protein content and the wide variety of whole grains in it, it gives them more variety.

Your supplemental grains should be shooting for about 15 - 16 percent protein if you are feeding laying hens. You also need to supply granite grit and oyster shell free choice in their coop. Don't forget that spoiled leftovers also add to that protein count.

Another thought .. It may be cheaper to feed something like 24 percent starter feed instead of the layer mix and then cut it with even more whole grains.

 

[homesteadmomma]

Personally I would probably trade the All Stock for whole corn. Should be a similar cost. All Stock has molasses and stuff that I am not sure poultry would take full advantage of.

I also like using scratch grains. With approximately 10% protein content and the wide variety of whole grains in it, it gives them more variety.

Your supplemental grains should be shooting for about 15 - 16 percent protein if you are feeding laying hens. You also need to supply granite grit and oyster shell free choice in their coop. Don't forget that spoiled leftovers also add to that protein count.

Another thought .. It may be cheaper to feed something like 24 percent starter feed instead of the layer mix and then cut it with even more whole grains.

Thanks for your input. I went with All Stock (may not be the best choice) because it was $6.59 per 50 lbs of feed where as the whole corn or crack corn was $12.00 per 50 lbs.

Cracked Corn, Oats (whole or rolled) were also 40 lbs for $12.00. I did find BOSS for $12.99 though also.

They free range so they get lots of little rocks and gravel but I do provide oyster shell. Actually I wash and microwave their egg shells and feed them back to them also.

 

[Beekissed]

Im working on the idea of growing a huge sunflower garden just for the birds, as well as my visual delight. I figured I could dry them and have them for the winter. High in protien, no?

They are so easy to grow.

Is this a crazy idea?

I'm doing the same thing next year, Mackay. I'm doing a serious crop rotation, so my big garden is going to be planted with a mix of grasses, oats, field peas, wildflowers and black oil sunflowers, as well as a few ornamentals, and pumpkins.

I'm going to harvest the sunflowers, as I use them for both chickens and sheep. Then I will rotate the sheep through this stockpile in the fall. It should also make for a pretty showing all spring and summer, even if we do have some drought.

I'm doing a much smaller garden next year in the sheep pen, where I will plant traditional veggies in rows, overseeded with clover.

And...of course I'm a nurse! Who else would so readily put her finger in those places??

 

[Farmfresh]

Thanks for your input. I went with All Stock (may not be the best choice) because it was $6.59 per 50 lbs of feed where as the whole corn or crack corn was $12.00 per 50 lbs.

Cracked Corn, Oats (whole or rolled) were also 40 lbs for $12.00. I did find BOSS for $12.99 though also.

They free range so they get lots of little rocks and gravel but I do provide oyster shell. Actually I wash and microwave their egg shells and feed them back to them also.

Wow corn is expensive where you are! Here at TSC whole corn is $8.79 for 50#.

Given the costs I can see why you went with All Stock.

 

[homesteadmomma]

Thanks for your input. I went with All Stock (may not be the best choice) because it was $6.59 per 50 lbs of feed where as the whole corn or crack corn was $12.00 per 50 lbs.

Cracked Corn, Oats (whole or rolled) were also 40 lbs for $12.00. I did find BOSS for $12.99 though also.

They free range so they get lots of little rocks and gravel but I do provide oyster shell. Actually I wash and microwave their egg shells and feed them back to them also.

Wow corn is expensive where you are! Here at TSC whole corn is $8.79 for 50#.

Given the costs I can see why you went with All Stock.

I was really shocked at the prices I got and I called three different stores. Amazing really!

 

[Farmfresh]

I'm doing the same thing next year, Mackay. I'm doing a serious crop rotation, so my big garden is going to be planted with a mix of grasses, oats, field peas, wildflowers and black oil sunflowers, as well as a few ornamentals, and pumpkins.

I'm going to harvest the sunflowers, as I use them for both chickens and sheep. Then I will rotate the sheep through this stockpile in the fall. It should also make for a pretty showing all spring and summer, even if we do have some drought.

I'm doing a much smaller garden next year in the sheep pen, where I will plant traditional veggies in rows, overseeded with clover.

I read an article a while back about planting a corn crop to use as part of your rotational grazing. You basically broadcast it and then graze it down bit by bit like feeding supplemental grain. Your oats and peas should work in the same way.

 

[Beekissed]

They say that works well with beets and turnips also, Farm. They said they could be grazed up to four times without hurting the root growth and then you could dig up the roots and let them have that in the winter for supplemental feed.

After the summer we had, I just left my beet and turnip seeds in the packets...no use to waste the seed. Maybe next year will be better.

 

[flossy]

I have found this thread really interesting. I have been reading up quite about on how to feed without buying, or at least buying in as little as you can. This is a link on OFG's blog on one of the pages that has some good info too.

 

[FarmerDenise]

We grow sunflowers. The hardest part is getting the sunflower seed heads harvested before the wild birds empty them of seeds.

Sunflowers are great. They look pretty. The bees love them. Everyone can eat the seeds. All the parts are edible. The dog, chickens, goats and rabbit all eat the leaves. It is great fun to watch the chickens pick out the seeds or the goats stand on their hind legs to get to the flowers. The goats eat the whole flower or seedhead.
Storing them away from rats is also important. One summer we lost nearly our whole harvest to rats. It was drying in the back porch and we didn't notice that the rats had discovered it. :/
If you store the seedhead before they are completely dried out, they get moldy.