Ways for reducing feed cost/decreasing amount of feed used?

[Danish aseels]

Currently I only have 1 rooster and 3 hens, I feed them a mixture of 50% chick grower/starter and 50% layer feed

I go through 10kgs to 15 kgs of feed per month, and while I am able to afford ideally I would like to decrease my costs by at least a little

Free ranging isn't really an option as I don't really have the space for that

 

[nuthatched]

What type of feeder do you have? That's about the right amount for 4 birds.

 

[SueT]

Let them eat all they want. If you want optimum health and egg production, let them have free choice. However you could reduce costs 25% by getting rid of the rooster.

 

[ChaosMom]

Does your rooster eat the layer food mix as well? The added calcium isn't good for non-layers (chicks, roosters, old hens)

 

[Danish aseels]

Let them eat all they want. If you want optimum health and egg production, let them have free choice. However you could reduce costs 25% by getting rid of the rooster.

I like to keep one rooster, as I like to hatch chicks every now and then

 

[Danish aseels]

Does your rooster eat the layer food mix as well? The added calcium isn't good for non-layers (chicks, roosters, old hens)

I don't think it makes that big of a difference. I have been feeding all of my hens and roosters the same feed mixture for 10 years and haven't had any problems yet

I Think it would be quite difficult to stop my rooster from eating the layer feed

 

[HollowOfWisps]

If they have to be confined my advice is don’t try to cut corners. Adding in fillers is a good way to end up with decreased flock health and for 4 chickens they should not be eating less weight wise per month. Adding whole grains or mixing your own if you are in the US isn’t usually cheaper and cutting feed rations with scratch to pinch a few pennies is setting up your chickens for failure. Whatever you do, do NOT start reducing their feed and giving them cracked corn in its place. I have seen that done too many times and the chickens I butchered who were fed that way had awful fat deposits wrapped all around their organs. If anything giving them your leftover meat or fish scraps and even then I wouldn’t be giving them less feed per day. It might just reduce how much they eat. If the grower feed is cheaper or flock raiser you could switch entirely to that and offer oyster shell on the side. That’s what I do.

 

[Tookie]

I Think it would be quite difficult to stop my rooster from eating the layer feed

You could only feed the grower/starter, and have oyster shell on the side for the hen's calcium. That's what many people do and recommend.

 

[Danish aseels]

You could only feed the grower/starter, and have oyster shell on the side for the hen's calcium. That's what many people do and recommend.

Can I use cuttle fish bone instead of oyster shells, I have given it in the past for calcium deficiency

 

[Tookie]

Can I use cuttle fish bone instead of oyster shells, I have given it in the past for calcium deficiency

I'm not sure, I've never heard of people giving that for calcium. Maybe someone else knows!