It’s a heartbreaking moment…
When you first realize your homegrown eggs are costing you
more than what you’d pay for eggs at the store…
The current state of mass food production has duped us into believing
things like milk, eggs, and grains cost much less than they actually do
or should.
For example: Even though
we have our own milk cow, our milk technically costs me MORE than it would to simply buy a gallon at the grocery store.
The good news? Saving money isn’t the primary reason we’ve chosen to
own a cow. For us, it’s really about the quality of the product;
our milk is fresh, beyond organic, and wonderfully raw. Not to mention owning a cow
just plain makes me happy, so it’s a quality of life thing for us as well.
Chickens and eggs fall into the same category. While it depends on
feed prices in your area, I’m still going to venture to say if you are
looking for “frugal” eggs, you’ll probably be better off to buy eggs
from the store. But, that’s not the reason most of us keep chickens,
right? We love the bright yellow yolks, the satisfaction of watching the
hens peck around the yard, and all that comes with chicken-ownership.
However, if you experienced sticker-shock the last time you walked
into the feed store, take heart! There are plenty of ways to save money
on chicken feed, AND boost your flock’s nutrition in the process. This
list will help you get started—>
15 Ways to Save Money on Chicken Feed
1. Shop around. When I started calling different
feed mills, I was surprised at the huge difference in prices. Just
remember– cheaper isn’t always better, and if you are feeding an ultra
low-quality feed, it can be very hard on your birds.
Never sacrifice your chickens’ health just to save a buck.
2. Mix your own feed. I say this with a wee bit of
hesitation, since depending on your situation, it may actually be MORE
expensive to mix your own feed… However, I do suggest finding a recipe
you like
(all my homemade chicken feed recipes are in my Natural Homestead book),
and then shopping around with local feed stores to see how much it
would cost for them to mix it for you. Also, don’t forget to check with
the local farmers in your area. Sometimes they’ll have older grains
sitting around that aren’t fit for human use, but would be fabulous for
your flock.
3. Buy feed in bulk. I buy
everything in
bulk, including my chicken feed. Often feed stores will give you a cut
if you purchase a pallet of feed, rather than just a bag or two. Another
trick is to split a large order with a friend.
My one caveat is this:
chicken feed which has been ground/processed/cracked, rapidly looses
nutrition as it sits. It’s probably not a good idea to purchase a year’s
supply at a time, unless you are using a recipe that calls for whole
grains–they are much more shelf-stable.
4. Ferment your chicken feed. Fermenting your chicken feed greatly increases nutrition, and decreases the amount they eat.
The same goes for sprouting.
5. Stop feeding free-choice. This is actually a topic with a bit of debate surrounding it…
(Have you noticed everything causes a debate these days?)
While I like the thought of allowing my flock to self-regulate, it can
be a problem if you have lots of rodents. Rats and mice think
free-choice chicken feeding is the best thing ever, and if you struggle
with rodent problems in your coop, it’s likely your all-you-can-eat
grain buffet is to blame. This problem can be avoided by only feeding as
much as your chickens can eat in one day.
6. Free range as much as possible. I realize this
isn’t possible for everyone, but if you can, allow your chickens to roam
around your yard. Not only will this greatly supplement their diet, it
can also help to control bug populations, and keeps them from becoming
bored. Plus, there is something so soothing about watching chickens
scratch around your front porch.
7. Bring the yard to the flock, if the flock can’t roam the yard. When my hens must stay confined to their pen in the summer months
(usually because they are destroying my almost-ripe tomatoes),
I like to pick large handfuls of weeds or grass and toss them over the
chicken-run fence. The girls definitely enjoy rummaging around in the
green matter. I also like to take a bucket to the garden with me when I
weed, and I collect all the weeds in the bucket and transport them to
the flock as well. (Although I don’t have near as many weeds as I used
to, thanks to
my deep-mulching adventures!)
8. Ask for leftover vegetable and fruit scraps at the grocery store.
Not all stores will allow this, but ask if you can have the wilted
lettuce, squishy tomatoes, and bruised apples. Some folks also collect
stale bread items from bakeries, but I personally avoid this. Many of
the bread items sold in stores like donuts, breads, rolls, or muffins
are made with heavily processed ingredients and additives. They might be
okay for the occasional treat, but they aren’t something I’d recommend
feeding on a regular basis– just as humans shouldn’t eat them as the
bulk of their diet.
9. Grow your own feedstuffs. Grains, cover crops, greens, sunflowers, and various veggies are good places to start.
10. Grow duckweed. I haven’t tried
growing my own duckweed
yet, but I’m totally intrigued! Duckweed is a high protein plant that
can be fed to a variety of animals, including chickens. If you’re a
duckweed grower, please leave a comment and share your wisdom!
11. Raise soldier grubs. As tough as I like to think
I am, I must confess I’m still not quite ready to tackle the whole
concept of raising grubs/larvae for my birds. Do I think it’s incredibly
smart? YES. Do I think it’s a fabulous way to create low-cost,
high-protein feed? YES. Do I want to get up-close-and personal with
maggots? Eh, not quite yet. If you’re braver than me, my chicken-keeping
idol,
Harvey Ussery, has a chapter in his book (affiliate link) devoted entirely to cultivating soldier grubs.
12. Offer leftover milk and whey. If you own dairy
goats, cows, or sheep, you are familiar with the feeling of drowning in
milk. When you’re floating in milk and have made all the
homemade yogurt and
mozzarella cheese you can handle, consider sharing your excess with your chickens.
Leftover milk and
whey
are full of protein and most flocks will enjoy the treat. For an extra
boost of probiotic nutrition, clabber your raw milk by allowing it to
sit out at room temperature for several days until it begins to thicken.
(Don’t attempt this with pasteurized milk– you will not have the same results.)
13. Save kitchen scraps for your flock. I keep a
small bucket on my kitchen counter at all times and continually toss in
bits of leftover bread, celery ends, carrot peelings, watermelon rinds,
and more. It’s a feeding frenzy when I show up at the coop. My chickens
have even been known to chase me down in the yard when they see me
carrying any sort of white bucket. It’s insanely satisfying to watch
your birds turn kitchen waste into orange-yolked eggs.
14. Sell eggs. Yeah, I know this isn’t exactly a way to
save money on feed, but
selling excess eggs is a wonderful way to offset feed costs, and make your chickens pay for themselves. Plus, there is
always someone wanting farm-fresh eggs!
15. Cull non-productive members of the flock. I know many of you keep chickens as pets, and that’s great. But if you are truly trying to cut costs, it may be time to turn
non-producing hens into nourishing chicken soup. I know this thought might cause some of you to recoil in horror, but keep in mind this is
exactly what great-grandma would have done.
More Chicken Resources
- Natural Homestead–
my latest eBook that’ll help you mix your own chicken feeds, create
herbal supplements, fight garden pests naturally, and lots more.
By
Jill Winger http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/01/save-money-chicken-feed.html
(This is not a paid endorsement or affiliate arrangement - we just like what she has to say on her blog )
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