Let me at least ease your mind on the feed bill issue. You can expect your birds to eat between a quarter to a half a pound of feed per bird, per day. Adults will eat most of this, chicks will poop on most of this, so it works out to the same amount regardless of age. (haha) This figure depends upon the breed of bird, weather, etc. Bigger birds and cooler weather will require more feed. Pelleted feed while sometimes slightly more expensive at the feed store will generate a lot less waste because the birds won't be pitching the feed out onto the ground in search of some particular morsel in the mix. Pellets all look the same, taste the same, so no favoritism occurs and you're ensured that each bird is getting the same quality of nutrition.
I am paying about $28 (U.S.Dollars) for an 88 pound bag (40 kg). I feed my flock free choice, meaning they eat as much as they want, when they want, there is always more food out than they could ever possibly eat in a day; chickens typically stop eating when they're full.
My 88 pound bag will provide, on average (1/3 pound of feed per bird), 264 meals. For a flock of a six birds (nice back yard number), that's enough food for 44 days. This assumes that they're not free ranging. This assumes that you're not adding treats. This assumes that most of your birds are eating more than 1/4 pound daily. So, you could likely stretch this another week or two on the same bag depending upon these variables that I did not count.
Assuming you have one rooster and five hens, and assuming that your birds are of a 'high yield' variety (typically one egg a day), you can expect about 200 eggs in 44 days. (just under 5 eggs daily times 44 days, as they sometimes 'skip' a day). Conservatively, that's over 17 dozen straight from your back yard eggs. Eggs that you know exactly how their parents have been treated, raised, medicated, cared for.
Adding to the value of knowing where your food comes from, there is something to be said for the food security issues that we have faced in this past year and are likely to face in this coming year, until Covid is no more. The knowledge that despite what is, or is not available at the market you'll have fresh protein for your family and even if under lock down, that protein will be no further than in your own back yard.
I am paying about $28 (U.S.Dollars) for an 88 pound bag (40 kg). I feed my flock free choice, meaning they eat as much as they want, when they want, there is always more food out than they could ever possibly eat in a day; chickens typically stop eating when they're full.
My 88 pound bag will provide, on average (1/3 pound of feed per bird), 264 meals. For a flock of a six birds (nice back yard number), that's enough food for 44 days. This assumes that they're not free ranging. This assumes that you're not adding treats. This assumes that most of your birds are eating more than 1/4 pound daily. So, you could likely stretch this another week or two on the same bag depending upon these variables that I did not count.
Assuming you have one rooster and five hens, and assuming that your birds are of a 'high yield' variety (typically one egg a day), you can expect about 200 eggs in 44 days. (just under 5 eggs daily times 44 days, as they sometimes 'skip' a day). Conservatively, that's over 17 dozen straight from your back yard eggs. Eggs that you know exactly how their parents have been treated, raised, medicated, cared for.
Adding to the value of knowing where your food comes from, there is something to be said for the food security issues that we have faced in this past year and are likely to face in this coming year, until Covid is no more. The knowledge that despite what is, or is not available at the market you'll have fresh protein for your family and even if under lock down, that protein will be no further than in your own back yard.
