I currently purchase a layer mash from my local feed store, but it seems to expensive. I am searching for ways to feed my flock of dual purpose hens for less money, any ideas?

-- Cal (calvin@dwave.net), December 27, 2001

Answers

Sure Cal....here is a great link.

Chicken Feed

-- Jason in S.Tenn. (AJAMA5@netscape.net), December 27, 2001.

I have been buying a 15% calf utility feed. It is $9.50 per 100lbs. I have been gradually switching all my animals over to this. I am also supplementing the rabbits with a teaspoon of calf manna per day. Chickens get lots of table scraps and all my animals get free choice timothy hay.

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), December 27, 2001.

Mine get layer crumble..I find it dosn't get wasted by the hens as much as mash..and then lots of table scraps and I pull grass and weeds for them nearly every day. In summer I let them out of their large pen...supervised for at least an hour or two a day to eat their fill of weeds, grass, bugs etc. I also throw out scratch grains for them every day. Chickens will eat any scraps at all. If my son dosn't finish his glass of milk, even that goes into the chicken bucket under the kitchen sink. I always take it out to them in the evening every day so it dosn't get smelly.

-- Jenny (auntjenny6@aol.com), December 27, 2001.

Hello Cal,

I feed my hens (and roosters), Tindles 16% Complete Egg Ration in pellet form. It cost $4.30 a fifty pound bag and will feed my ten hens and two roosters for about three weeks.

Sincerely,

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), December 27, 2001.

Chickenfeed is a great web site, very helpful. Thanks Jason. Thanks to everyone who has responded so far.

-- Cal (calvin@dwave.net), December 27, 2001.

We feed layer ration from the local feed store and in the winter LOTS of kitchen scraps, like fruit and veggie peelings (except potato), egg shells (crumbled so they don't start liking them and pecking at their own), bread and pancake leftovers and in the summer LOTS of weeds. We keep their water full all the time. Our hens are dual purpose, mostly heavy breeds and we get a lot of really nice eggs. I also sell the surplus eggs for $1.25/dozen to help offset the cost of feeding them. We're in Central Wisconsin and our hens are healthy and lay all winter.

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), December 28, 2001.

We feed laying mash also. we also feed table scraps , all of our compost kitchen scraps except coffee grounds and egg shells. If we see boxes of produce outside the dumpster at the local store we also grab that.

-- Don Amon (peacelane@certainty.net), December 28, 2001.