We have too many chickens . . only because of the cost of feed. I think we have between 28 and 35 chickens. I haven’t counted lately. Two of those are roosters. When they’re laying the maximum number of eggs, I’ll often get 2 dozen eggs per day but when half of them are trying to hatch babies or when it’s super hot (and we know that’s coming very soon), I’m lucky to get 1 to 1-1/2 dozen eggs per day. I have one lady who will take all my extra eggs. I give as many eggs to my friend as she can use because she’s so wonderful to take care of things when I’m gone. We’re eating less eggs . . or Vince is. I still have eggs often so that pretty much takes care of all my eggs. I don’t sell any of them but the lady who takes all my extras . . we have a good barter system going. It usually ends up that she takes about 16 dozen eggs per month so the value of our barter ends up being about $35 per month but we’re spending close to $100 a month on chicken feed. It’s not really a problem but if we ever get serious about a budget, Vince is going to squawk about spending that much money. I say . . what about Cat, Boots and Rita? At least we get eggs from the chickens. The truth is . . all of our animals are safe and secure and not going anywhere.
I’ve read several places – things that just popped up in my email or on Facebook, about making your own chicken feed. We may still need to supplement with storebought feed but I was doing a little research and figured with a 50 pound bag of oats costing $13 and a 50 pound back of cracked corn costing about $9 (and we can buy that when we have discount coupons at Tractor Supply), everything would work out like I think it will, I should be able to spend about $25 on chicken feed. If I have to supplement with a bag, hopefully just one, of storebought feed per month, I’m still spending less than $40 per month on chicken feed instead of $100 per month.
Most things I read recommend barley for sprouting. Finding barley around here is impossible. There’s a place a couple of hours from here that will have it during the winter months. I can probably get it in Missouri too and it’s not a big deal to bring home a couple of 50 pound bags when I go there.
For now, we bought oats and I’m using some of the wheat I have on hand.
Oats for Sprouting
Yesterday I put some of the oats on to soak and today I dumped them into “sprouting trays”. There are some elaborate setups for making fodder. Around here, it will be like everything else . . whatever we can come up with but the chickens won’t care how we got from seeds to sprouts. In theory, the grain is soaked for 12 – 24 hours, then spread out into trays and it takes 7 – 10 days for it to be ready to feed to the chickens. So, if I start a new batch every day, we’ll always have fresh fodder to feed them.
Wheat to Sprout
Today I put wheat on to soak and tomorrow I’ll drain it, and put it into the trays to sprout. In a few days, I’ll be able to see if the wheat or the oats sprout better and then in a few more days I’ll be able to see if the chickens have any preference – wheat vs. oats.
maggie says
I used to have to sprout things on my job and we lined the tray with a plastic mesh sort of like window screen. This helped when I needed to rinse them and also getting them out of the tray when the time came.
Judy Laquidara says
I’ll take pictures once these grains sprout. The entire root mass comes out and it comes out very easily if they’ve grown like they’re supposed to. The roots for this kind of sprouting would grow right into the screens and I’d probably never separate it. Vince has drilled LOTS of holes in the tubs so they drain quite well.
Rebecca in SoCal says
“If I start a new batch every day…” Will they eat a whole batch every day?
And I learned something from you again. Apparently chicken feed must be sprouted.
Judy Laquidara says
Well, it depends on how much I grow. If I grow it in the entire bed of the back of the truck, no .. they won’t eat it all in one day. But the ideal way to give it to them all of one container per day. It grows to an optimum height and it keeps growing if you don’ t give it to them. I can grow it in any size tub so I’ve chosen tubs that are about what I think the chickens will eat in one day.
No, chicken feed does NOT have to be sprouted. If I throw out whole oats, they’ll gobble that up but if I sprout it, less oats yields more feed and, according to what I’ve read, with them eating the root mass and the sprouts, they’re getting more nutrition than they would be getting from just the dry grain.
Rebecca in SoCal says
Makes sense!
BTW, I just read that someone made “egg yolk cookies” and had egg whites left over, so she also made meringue cookies. If you were inclined to bake cookies, you could have one version for you and one for Vince, and use the whole egg. (I know that it’s different in cookies; I’m just remembering you used to give your whites to Speck.)
dezertsuz says
Just like Mama said, chickens are a lot of work! =) I know it makes you happy, though. Stacey is so thrilled with her 5 chickens. She can have six in the city limits, but one didn’t thrive, so she has five. When they quit laying, she will give them to a friend who will have no problem eating them, but she doesn’t want to know when that happens. I guess that’s what happens when you let your chickens sit on your lap and talk to you!