If you have a local mill in town you might be able to purchase grains and feeds cheaper than from the chain stores. You could always combine this method with the fermented food method below if your flock really doesn’t like the pellets. With the pellets there is less waste because they don’t fling the feed all over the ground. The chickens didn’t like it at first but they got over it pretty fast. We used to feed our chickens the nice finer grain chicken feed but then switched over to pellets. Pull them out of the garden and let the chickens have dessert! I make it a point to take out my scrap bucket each day for my chickens. Another thing they love to eat in the fall is the old garden plants. Not only are they free range and have the run of our 20 acres on the homeplace side of our land, they also get all kinds of kitchen scraps from the house!įruit and vegetable peelings, stale bread, old food from the pantry or fridge….they love it all. It’s usually a good idea to stock up on feed in the spring when the stores bring all the baby chicks in because they have great sales! Store all bulk chicken feed in a cool, dry place away from pests. Watch for chain feed stores’ sales to get an even better deal. One might argue that we should stick to the closest stores right now with the price of gas but we prefer to drive to the store further away and stock up while we are there to make it worth our while. Just because the local feed store down the road carries chicken feed, it doesn’t mean that it’s the best deal. We aren’t able to free range in the winter which is when we supplement with feed. We’ve found that in the summer, our chickens hardly eat any feed at all. Not to mention it’s great for their overall happiness. Ducks especially love being free range since they love to eat the weeds around the yard, which is fine with me!įree range chickens produce eggs with a higher nutritional value and less cholesterol. Our chickens love scooping up grasshoppers and other bugs and plants as they wander around the backyard. Unless you live in a very lush, fertile area (not the drought stricken midwest!) you will still have to supplement with feed, but your chickens will be happier and healthier when they are allowed to roam free. Let your chickens be free range if you have the space and are able. Hopefully some of these tips will help you! Over the years, we’ve found many different ways to save money on chicken feed and lately we’ve been doing more things to help bring down chicken feed prices around our homestead. Unfortunately, where raising hens used to be more cost effective then buying eggs and meat from the store, chicken feed prices have gone up so high that it’s getting harder to justify it. Fresh eggs, fresh meat, nothing can replace those good things! It is just a natural step in homestead living right? In theory, raising backyard chickens sounds like a great idea. Consider the Holidays for Free FoodĢ8 Easy Ways to Save Money on Chicken Feed Make Sure Your Chickens Aren’t Wasting Feed Serve the Chickens Calcium You Already Have 28 Easy Ways to Save Money on Chicken Feed.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |