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While keeping chickens is a wonderful hobby, the feed bill, especially if you have many birds, can be expensive. Here are some ways to reduce feed costs and make chicken keeping more economical:

Chickens that roam freely can find many foods to eat, reducing their need for commercial feed considerably. You must, however, ensure the ground they cover contains food of nutritional value, for example by sowing grass and plants they will eat. By finding free food, your chickens will require less commercial feed, so your feed bill will be lower.
Further Reading: Deciding To Free-Range Your Flock
Further Reading: Table Scraps & Leftovers for Chickens

A chicken's messy, wasteful eating habits can result in a lot of waste, and spilled feed can result in lost money. It can be prevented by using the appropriate feeders (no waste, no spills). You can buy them or make them yourself.
Check out some innovative ones in BYC's Feeders & Waterers section
For information on how to deal with chicken pests, check out BYC's Chicken Predators & Pests section

Feeding fewer beaks means paying less for feed. Non-productive flock members can, however, be sold or processed for consumption. You can recoup money by selling the chickens if you are not comfortable eating them. You will save money either way.
Further Reading: Chicken Math 101

You can ferment chicken feed by soaking it and then feeding it to your chickens. It's like a sourdough starter! Your birds will be healthier if you ferment their feed in order to make it easier for them to digest and to increase the probiotic and enzyme content. There are many other benefits as well!
Further Reading: Fermenting Chicken Feed: A Straightforward Method
Further Reading: Inexpensive DIY Fodder Tower
A chicken's feed is one of the biggest expenses associated with raising chickens, so take a look at some (or all!) of the options above. Feed costs can be reduced by all of these ideas.
What are some of the ways you reduce feed costs? Feel free to leave a comment!
1. Let Your Chickens Free-range & Forage
Chickens that roam freely can find many foods to eat, reducing their need for commercial feed considerably. You must, however, ensure the ground they cover contains food of nutritional value, for example by sowing grass and plants they will eat. By finding free food, your chickens will require less commercial feed, so your feed bill will be lower.
Further Reading: Deciding To Free-Range Your Flock
2. Feed Them Table Scraps Occasionally
Table scraps can be fed to chickens to reduce their feed expenses. Whenever you need them, your flock will be very happy to act as your personal scrap disposal. Our chickens provide us with a way to dispose of food without wasting it, ait. Many of these foods also contribute to the health of our flock and the meat and eggs they produce.Further Reading: Table Scraps & Leftovers for Chickens
3. Prevent Feed Spillage & Waste
A chicken's messy, wasteful eating habits can result in a lot of waste, and spilled feed can result in lost money. It can be prevented by using the appropriate feeders (no waste, no spills). You can buy them or make them yourself.
Check out some innovative ones in BYC's Feeders & Waterers section
4. Keep Wild Birds and Other Pests Away from Feeders
It doesn't take long for wild birds to learn where food is readily available, so you'll soon be attracting large flocks of wild birds and rodents to your chicken feeders. Feeders should be kept in an inaccessible place and/or shouldn't be left filled between feedings.For information on how to deal with chicken pests, check out BYC's Chicken Predators & Pests section
5. Minimize the size of your flock
Feeding fewer beaks means paying less for feed. Non-productive flock members can, however, be sold or processed for consumption. You can recoup money by selling the chickens if you are not comfortable eating them. You will save money either way.
Further Reading: Chicken Math 101
6. Purchase Their Feed in Bulk
Look around and ask about bulk buying, which can save you even more money. Split the feed (and costs) with other small-scale poultry keepers if you have a small flock. This will save you all money.7. Purchase Their Feed from a Local Feed Mill
There is generally a lot more savings to be had when purchasing feed from a local feed mill than from a feed store.8. Feed Your Chickens Fermented Feed
You can ferment chicken feed by soaking it and then feeding it to your chickens. It's like a sourdough starter! Your birds will be healthier if you ferment their feed in order to make it easier for them to digest and to increase the probiotic and enzyme content. There are many other benefits as well!
Further Reading: Fermenting Chicken Feed: A Straightforward Method
9. Supplement with Sprout Grains & Fodder Occasionally
It is especially helpful to have sprouts and fodder during the winter months when foraging is limited, or nonexistent, in many places. You can feed these to your flock as supplements to help meet their energy and nutritional requirements. In addition to providing your flock with nutrients and fiber, fodder is a cheap, simple alternative to chicken feed. In any case, it shouldn't be used as a replacement for chicken feed.Further Reading: Inexpensive DIY Fodder Tower
10. Make Chicken Feed Yourself
Saving money and improving the health of your flock can be achieved by making highly nutritious chicken feed at home. If you can locate a source of bulk grains and seeds, you're already halfway there. If you wish to feed your flock homemade feed, you may wish to do some research into the mixtures you can put together. Don't forget to check out this Homemade feed recipes thread, there are lots of suggestions!A chicken's feed is one of the biggest expenses associated with raising chickens, so take a look at some (or all!) of the options above. Feed costs can be reduced by all of these ideas.
What are some of the ways you reduce feed costs? Feel free to leave a comment!
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