How much does feed cost to raise Hens?

[Jody]

Here's my estimates for my 3 adult standards.

50lb Layer pellets @$12.49 per bag = $68 per year
50lb scratch @$8 per bag = $16 per year
10lb grit $12
10lb oyster shell $12

Total = $9 per month

 

[Tala]

5 standard birds (4 hen/1 roo) free range on ~1/3 grassy acre

Layena pellets 50# lasts 2 to 2.5 months
BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds in shell) 40# lasts "forever"
grit is free for me
oyster shell I think was about $6 and one bag lasts "forever"
I don't think they cost much for maintinence. My cats cost more and they don't give eggs in return

However for RAISING birds, they DO eat like piggies!!
8 babies in a 3'x8' tractor pen moved almost daily for fresh grass
they have gone through a whole 50# bag of Flock Raiser in about 6 weeks
for one thing I think they waste more than the adults do, and probably get less choice grass/bugs becasue they're penned, and they're just GROWING

 

[KinderKorner]

I go through about 100 pounds of food every 10 days. On average.

Not counting any other costs.

But I have quite a few chickens.

 

[twentynine]

Ten chickens---nine hens, one rooster

To get them to point of lay. Five months old.

75lbs of starter/grower, 50lbs of flock raiser. Supplemented by kitchen scraps, they were not free ranged.

Started laying, 10/24/09, since then I am feeding 50/50 mix of laying mash/flock raiser, supplemented with green stuff, kitchen scraps, yard waste and whatever else that gets throwed over the fence. They have eaten about 40lbs of store bought feed. Note- I have no way to tell for sure other than lifting the two bags and saying yeah that weighs about 30lbs.

 

[gsim]

I have 24 large standard brown-egg layers. I go thru 3 bags a month and also supplement with greens daily. It comes to about $36 a month with crushed oyster shell added in. I know of a guy who has same size flock and similar makeup and he goes thru 4 bags a month. I think that he must not supplement with greens like I do. I give mine lots of natural wild greens such as dandelions, grass clippings, and other broadleaf weeds as well as garden and kitchen waste. No breads or meats. Have not yet given scratch to them. Had them 5 1/2 months and am getting 13 eggs a day presently.

 

[nivtup]

Too many birds that go through way too much feed.

I am afraid of the math.

We are going through approximately 15 bags of feed per week.

19 Ducks

18 Turkeys

17 geese

130 or so adult chickens

100+ chicks in brooders.

Egg sales are down, as there are several groups in heavy moult.

We will be reducing the adult population throughout the winter, culling for the best breeding stock.

I am sure that the chick population will offset that reduction though.

The upside is that we are developing a nice flock of Khaki Campbells, third generation is really showing improvement. We are also making good gains in our Wheaten Marans, Cuckoo Marans, and Black Copper Marans. Golden Marans are kind of hit and miss right now.

We have some good Araucanas in the brooders, multiple double tufted stock to work with, we are still seeing more tails than we would like though.

We will see come spring time if all the feed has been worth it

 

[theFox]

Quote:

you betcha have

 

[Flippacase]

Quote:
Pretty much my exact numbers!

 

[Amethyste]

9 standard sized birds here....7 laying pullets and 2 mature hens. Even with all hens before, we only went thru about 50# of layer pellets every month on average...sometimes less. Really just depends on time of year and how much they have had treatwise and fresh food. All in all it evens out to about 50# a month..or 1 bag, and that is about $13-14 depending on where I go for pellets.

 

[blueseal]

$ 57.65 a month in the winter to feed 22 standard egg layers. 3- 50 pound bags of blue seal layer mash $ 11.55= $ 33.65, 4 bales of pine shaveings at 6.00 x 4 = $24.00 alot less in the summer.